August 2025

A seasoned leader in global healthcare and a passionate advocate for education, Dr. Celestin brings a powerful blend of professional expertise and personal commitment to HELP’s mission.

With more than 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry and academia, Dr. Celestin has led global strategies and across oncology, neurology, cardiovascular, and immuno-oncology at some of the world’s leading firms—including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genzyme, and Nanobiotix. Her experience advancing scientific innovation through education and improving health outcomes informs her vision for the future of HELP: a future where access to education drives long-term, systemic change in Haiti.

But for Dr. Celestin, this is more than professional—it’s deeply personal.

Born in Haiti and raised in New York after immigrating at the age of five, Dr. Celestin never lost her connection to the country. “There was something magical about returning each year,” she recalls of summers spent with family in Haiti. “It rooted me in a love for the country that has never left.”

She now channels that lifelong connection into action, helping Haiti’s next generation unlock their potential through access to higher education.

Raised in a family that placed education at its core, Dr. Celestin has always seen learning as the first step to opportunity. That belief led her early in her career to be instrumental in establishing a Pharmacy School at the Nova Southeastern University in Florida-just one example of her commitment to creating pathways for others to thrive through knowledge and innovation.

Her decision to join the Haitian Education & Leadership Program as Board Chair was a natural extension of this vision. She was drawn to our mission of empowering Haiti’s brightest students to become the next generation of leaders as well as to our track record of impact. “Education changes everything,” she often says—not just by opening doors for individuals, but by sparking research, entrepreneurship, and innovation that can reshape an entire nation.

Already under Dr. Celestin’s leadership, the Haitian Education & Leadership Program has shown resilience and adaptability in the face of rising challenges in Port-au-Prince. She points to a particularly turbulent spring when staff, students, and supporters came together to keep our mission moving forward. “It made me hopeful,” she says. “It showed me the depth of commitment our community has to Haiti’s future.”

That future is what inspires her most. For Dr. Celestin, the greatest reward is watching our alumni grow into innovators, entrepreneurs, and community leaders—evidence that investing in education is investing in transformation.

“Haiti is a country too rich in culture, too beautiful in spirit, and too vibrant in its history to be left behind,” Dr. Celestin says. “Through the Haitian Education & Leadership Program, we are planting seeds of lasting change. If you believe in hope, in equity, and in the power of education to unlock progress, this is where you belong.”