I didn’t choose to teach; teaching chose me. From a very early age, I was a teacher without even realizing it. I took it upon myself to tutor other children my age in my community.

When I was 11 years old, in the 6th grade, I was like the second teacher in my class. I wasn’t very tall, so the teacher used to put a chair for me to stand on so I would be high enough to reach the board when I was writing and explaining something. The more I grew, the more I developed a love for the profession.

I formally became a teacher in 2011, and I have been working in classrooms since then. I can’t say I ever regretted being a teacher once. It’s always a challenge when someone wishes to become a teacher because teaching is not highly regarded in our society. As a result, some people practice teaching to let time pass or have something to do as they wait for the ideal profession. But for me, it’s different. I can say I have teaching blood running through my veins.

While I am telling you about this love that I have always had for the profession, I also lacked a few things. Although I’ve studied education at the university, I still needed more skills to perform better at my job. I was overjoyed when I heard about Anseye pou Ayiti. I sought to understand its mission and vision. I saw that there was hope for Haiti to change and that change could only start with education.

I chose to apply because I am aware that I must contribute to this change. I became a part of the 2016 cohort. After the Summer Immersion Program, a 4-week training we received in August before the start of the school year, I went through a total transformation. It’s as if that was going to be my first classroom experience. I started to see the need for me to love my students. I treated them with the utmost respect and dignity, and they consider me as a mother.

I have no words to describe how positive the atmosphere in my classroom has become. My students feel safe, and they trust me; they are not afraid to participate because I value their work. I have come to realize that children do not learn from people they don’t like. When I compare today’s with the past, I can say there has been significant improvement, and I will continue to strive for quality education for all the children in my country. I will continue to work for the students and our country.