When Yvans Phinis (University of Notre Dame - Haiti, Political Science '28) wakes in the morning, he is often wearing the same clothes he fell asleep in while studying well into the night. The first thing he does is pray before springing from his top bunk and beginning a demanding day that starts with a long, uncertain commute to class, many times by foot. Like most college students, he rushes out the door without breakfast to arrive at school on time, hoping a friend can save him a bite to eat at the HELP Center after his first lecture.

By mid-morning, Yvans is immersed in back-to-back university classes. He is filling the pages of his many notebooks and pushing himself to raise his hand, which hasn’t always come easily. When he first arrived at university, jitters kept him from engaging fully with his classes.

With support from his advisor and with the tools he’s learned in his leadership course, both provided with his scholarship, Yvans has found his voice. Nowadays, it’s not his own shyness that prevents him from socializing, but rather his dedication to his schoolwork. “I’m sociable!,” he exclaims. "Sometimes I just don’t have the energy to talk, especially after late night study sessions."

While Yvans' daily routine mirrors those of university students across the globe, his back drop is that of a city under siege. Our community helps clear the path of his pursuits. Our scholarship program touches every part of his day. It takes a village, and that village includes you.