Friday, May 1, 2009

FAMU Spring 2009 Grads Overcome Adversity

Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Law student Soeurette Michel fled her native home of Haiti after her father’s assassination.

Ruth Korie, FAMU social work master’s student, moved to the United States from her home in Nigeria but was abandoned by her husband and left to raise her five children in an unfamiliar place.

What do these women have in common? They overcame tremendous obstacles and adversity to be successful. They will graduate at the 2009 FAMU spring commencement on May 3.

Something Michel knew she was “destined” for.

“I never considered my time in the U.S. difficult because I kept my eyes on the prize,” she said. “When I moved here, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be.”

After the assassination of her father in 1990, Michel, 36, was urged by her family to leave her home of Haiti and migrate to Florida, in 2001.

Now, after eight years, Michel has earned her associate of science, bachelor of science, and master of science degrees and will obtain the juris doctorate degree on May 3, at the FAMU spring 2009 commencement.

As a young girl in the United States, Michel learned to speak English by reading children’s books and watching American cartoons. She eventually tested well enough in her understanding of the language to enroll at the community college level.

“Gosh it has been challenging,” she exclaimed. “When I finally started school it was a nightmare. One day my mother suggested that I read children books. I believed my first semester I almost had perfect scores in reading, writing, and speech.”

Michel attended Haiti State University, and the University of Central Florida for her undergraduate degree legal studies, certification of juvenile justice leadership and master’s of sciences in criminal justice.

Michel, an avid server to the community, has served as Student Bar Association Community Service Chair with the FAMU College of Law. She also founded and is the current president of the College of Law's Caribbean Law Students Association.

Michel plans on taking the bar exam in July and will enroll as a master’s of law student at St. Thomas University, Miami, Fla., in the fall.

Like Michel, Ruth found herself in a new home and alone, but made the decision to transform hope into reality.

After leaving their home in Nigeria and settling in Tallahassee, Fla., Korie was promised by her ex-husband that she would be able to start college after giving birth to five children. After having her fifth child, her first born was in second-grade, and she still had not enrolled at a college or university.

“People would tell me to wake up,” Korie said. “My ex-husband would say things like, ‘We’ve been in the U.S. for 10 years and you have no education. What do you think you’re going to do without an education?’ But I just tried to stay hopeful.”

Korie woke up one morning, four months after the birth of her fifth child, and her ex-husband was gone. He had relocated to Spain, where it was almost impossible to track his whereabouts.

“My major focus was my children,” Korie said. “I did not want them to miss out on school or become psychologically and emotionally distressed from growing up without a father. So I made sure I was there for them as much as possible.”

Korie eventually attended Tallahassee Community College and was admitted to the FAMU School of Nursing. Soon after, she decided the course load was too rigorous for her family life. She transferred to the FAMU College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Social Work, where she earned her bachelor’s of science in social work at FAMU.

Ironically, while Korie was in her last year as a master’s student, her son was in his first year in the School of Business and Industry.

“With the help of God, I am able to say sometimes that I have amazed myself,” she exclaimed. “I wanted to make sure my children did not fall into the cracks in society. I made a way to be successful. The most difficult aspect of my journey was the financial support, but I made it. I did it.”

Korie is now a qualified counselor and mentor for single parents and plans on one day starting her own child welfare agency.

17 comments:

逆円助 said...

さあ、今夏も新たな出会いを経験してみませんか?当サイトは円助交際の逆、つまり女性が男性を円助する『逆円助交際』を提供します。逆円交際を未経験の方でも気軽に遊べる大人のマッチングシステムです。年齢上限・容姿・経験一切問いません。男性の方は無料で登録して頂けます。貴方も新たな出会いを経験してみませんか

精神年齢 said...

みんなの精神年齢を測定できる、メンタル年齢チェッカーで秘められた年齢がズバリわかっちゃう!かわいいあの子も実は精神年齢オバサンということも…合コンや話のネタに一度チャレンジしてみよう

メル友募集 said...

最近仕事ばかりで毎日退屈してます。そろそろ恋人欲しいです☆もう夏だし海とか行きたいな♪ k.c.0720@docomo.ne.jp 連絡待ってるよ☆

家出 said...

最近TVや雑誌で紹介されている家出掲示板では、全国各地のネットカフェ等を泊り歩いている家出娘のメッセージが多数書き込みされています。彼女たちはお金がないので掲示板で知り合った男性の家にでもすぐに泊まりに行くようです。あなたも書き込みに返事を返してみませんか

動物占い said...

あなたの性格を、動物に例えて占っちゃいます。もしかしたらこんな動物かも!?動物占いをうまく使って、楽しい人間関係を築いてください

家出 said...

家出中の女性や泊まる所が無い女性達がネットカフェなどで、飲み放題のドリンクで空腹を満たす生活を送っています。当サイトはそんな女性達をサポートしたいという人たちと困っている女性たちの為のサイトです

セレブラブ said...

セレブ女性との割り切りお付き合いで大金を稼いでみませんか?女性に癒しと快楽、男性に謝礼とお互い満たしあえる当サイト、セレブラブはあなたの登録をお待ちしております。

夏フェス!! said...

夏フェス一緒に行ってくれる人募集!!夏の思い出一緒につくろぉ☆ megumi-0830@docomo.ne.jp 連絡してね♪

無料ゲーム said...

あなたのゲーマー度を無料ゲーム感覚で測定します。15個の質問に答えるだけの簡単測定で一度遊んでみませんか?ゲームが得意な人もそうでない人もぜひどうぞ。

素人 said...

Hな女性たちは素人ホストを自宅やホテルに呼び、ひとときの癒しを求めていらっしゃいます。当サイトでは男性ホスト様の人員が不足しており、一日3~4人の女性の相手をするホストもおられます。興味を持たれた方は当サイトにぜひお越しください

出会い系 said...

実は出会い系には…関係者用入り口があるのを知っていますか?広告主やスポンサー用に用意されたIDではサクラや業者が立ち入ることが出来ないようになっているのです。当サイトでは極秘に入手した関係者用URLが公開されています

逆援助 said...

男性はお金、女性は快楽を得る逆援助に興味はありませんか?お金を払っても性的欲求を満たしたいセレブ達との割り切り1日のお付き合いで当サイトでは大金を得ることができます。無料登録なのでアルバイト感覚でOK、詳しくはTOPページでどうぞ。

友達募集 said...

ホムペ完成記念!私の事みんなに知ってもらいたくて頑張りましたぁ。色々とご感想をお待ちしているので思った事を意見してください。メアドはほむぺにのせてありますぅ!★ fan.jna@docomo.ne.jp

家出 said...

夏休みで気軽に家出する女子○生が急増しています。しかし家出したはいいものの泊る所やお金が無い彼女たちは、掲示板などで泊めてくれる男性を探す子も多いようです。当掲示板にも夏休みに入ってから通常の3倍以上のメッセージが寄せられています

人妻 said...

今最もアツイバイトは人妻とのセフレ契約です。当サイトではお金を払ってでもセフレがほしい人妻が集まり、男性会員様との逆援生活を待っています。当サイトで欲求不満の女性との出会いをしてみませんか

素人 said...

素人ホストでは、男性のテクニック次第で女性会員様から高額な謝礼がもらえます。欲求不満な人妻や、男性と出会いが無い女性達が当サイトで男性を求めていらっしゃいます。興味のある方はTOPページからどうぞ

友達募集中 said...

少し魅惑な自分をネットだから公開してみました。普段言えない事など、思い切って告白しているプロフなので興味ある方はぜひ除いてみてください連絡待ってまぁす。 hinyaaaaa@docomo.ne.jp