Marie Thadal, Founder: Opportunity

It is said that miracles can happen when preparation meets opportunity. While opportunities are everywhere, many around the globe have no chance at any opportunity. At times, they cannot even meet the basic requirements of daily life. Why is that? What are the repercussions to the world at large when such pervasive disparity is allowed to exist in our society? In the holiday spirit, let us look outside our immediate reach to see how our fellow citizens are doing. They are eager for change. We implore everyone to create opportunities that translate into miracles.  When we do this, we can help close the gap of equality.
 

Giorgio Dell' Acqua, Vice President: Access

When looking at the definitions for the word “access” it is hard to find context or sentences containing the word “facilitating.”  For me, “access” is the open door that is often closed.  And it is the work of opening that door and facilitating the “access” of individuals to knowledge and opportunities. This should be granted to every one of us living on this planet in order to develop our full potential.  I focus on education, healthcare and community outreach (beauty project) initiatives in order to secure funding to support IAFL’s mission. 
 

Lynn Leger, Outreach Manager: Inspiration

IAFL inspires those living in the diaspora to give back to Haiti as Haiti has given to them. Haiti has given us all the foundation to be successful abroad. This success is because of our communal footing in the love of education, the love of helping others and the love of family.

Hillary Nicoll, Volunteer Coordinator: Hope

IAFL instills hope. I believe that education is the backbone for growth and progress. Providing education for those who struggle to receive it gives me great hope for the future and hopefully brings hope to students’ lives. Education is our greatest way forward and I have hope for what can be achieved through better access to quality education. My team and I are working to make a difference in the lives of these children, so that they can, in turn, make a difference in our world in the future. They are the future.

Julianna Walsh, Rutgers University Fellow: Giving

IAFL epitomizes giving. It serves children without expecting anything in return. As IAFL helps people outside of the United States, most of us will never meet or communicate with the students directly, but we choose to give anyway. We may not live in the same community or even speak the same languages, but we still support their right to a good future. To me, that is true generosity. As a newsletter coordinator and editor, I hope to spread the word and attract more people to our cause.

Mia Boccher, Rutgers University Fellow: Sharing

IAFL focuses on uplifting others and encouraging people to commit to its mission by not only donating financially but emotionally. We all believe in uplifting and aiding school children.  It is so important to uplift and support those on a quest for education.  As a writer, I find it so important to share other’s stories. As a writer and newsletter coordinator, I am sharing and connecting with people for a very important cause. I am so grateful to be a part of this team and I look forward to seeing the change in the world that we make!

Brenda Whiteman, Public Relations Specialist/Newsletter Coordinator/Editor: Transformational

There is power in this word. It is spiritual because I feel a sense of renewal when I utter it. It’s a process of breaking away from something restrictive and creating new pathways for success. The quest for knowledge is a transformational process for one’s mental, spiritual and emotional development. IAFL’s work is transformational and my goal is to help tell these stories.

Nisha Khan, Rutgers University Fellow: Edifying

IAFL’s work is edifying. It has pushed me to think more critically about the positive change IAFL is making in the world. The organization is all about improving the lives and educational experience of Haitian girls. In doing so, IAFL shows these young women and those who see the work we're doing that education is a basic human right and empowering young women is essential to a more fair, equitable society. As a UX/UI Fellow, I assist the Webmaster, Khadija Franklin, to improve IAFL's website for a better experience when visitors come to the site.

Miaofan Chen, Rutgers University Fellow: Love

Helping others is an act of love.  It is rewarding to work with my fellow volunteers to help children in need. Our work displays selfless compassion.  As an international student, I feel everyone’s warm, welcoming spirit. In my role as an events coordinator, I enjoy helping to compile information for events to ensure that they run on schedule and smoothly.

Giselle Trujillo, Marketing Specialist: Unity

We all have great ideas that become valuable when we give them life.  Ideas and life form a UNITY bond that solidifies all necessary parts to become relevant to others. UNITY is the powerful force behind any great project. One may stand alone, but in UNITY there is strength.  IAFL is a clear example of how working in UNITY can strengthen and give a powerful push to what was once an idea.  From there, it has been given life by all the talented minds involved.

Robert Baraczek, Fundraising Chair: Impressionable

When I think of helping children, the word impressionable comes to mind. At an early age, it is important to impress upon them the importance of education, skills and values. For me, making an impact and laying that foundation is the most important service in helping children achieve their potential.

Florise Altino-Pierre, Medical Specialist: Help

As a healthcare professional, the letter H in Itiah means to me the desire to help the Haitian community and beyond by providing support services, such as medicine, education, health prevention and promotion with the goal of improving their well-being and overall health. My goal is to help facilitate these services to fulfill our mission.

Magnolia Brown, Education Specialist: Intentional

IAFL’s work is Intentional.  It is all about doing something with a destined purpose. We are purposeful in the planning of strategies and events that represent this organization. Therefore, it is the intent that all educational projects be designed with the purpose of providing students with learning opportunities that will target the students’ diverse needs, skill levels, culture, and beliefs with dignity, empathy, and encouragement. I am excited about playing a fundamental role in helping to provide educational tools to help students succeed professionally and personally. 

Sharon Scipio, Health and Wellness Specialist: Community

Community is a word that describes how we thrive and flourish together. It takes a community to raise, educate and protect a child – a place where we are all work, live together and help each other for the sole purpose of supporting each other. God is the center of our community and all that we do is in honor and glory of his name.

Jeanetta Pierce, Grant Facilitator: Teamwork

IAFL symbolizes teamwork. Our organization epitomizes teamwork because we work together as a cohesive force to help disadvantaged communities. We do this helping pay for students’ tuition, sending school supplies, and making sure the students have proper medical care. We seek ways to make it all happen.

Jennifer ShuPing Chen, Research Assistant: Opportunity

IAFL means "opportunity". My role as a Research Assistant gives me the opportunity to help underprivileged Haitian children to receive educational opportunities that I have been so fortunate to have during my own education. By writing about the various facts of Haiti, it gives the reader the opportunity to gain awareness about Haitian culture and more. Through the initiatives of IAFL, we provide educational opportunities to children.  As the famous human rights activist, Malcolm X once said, "Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." The urgency to provide impoverished children with their passports to the future cannot be overlooked, as we all deserve a chance to look forward to a better tomorrow. 

Pierre Joseph, Treasurer: Gratitude

I feel gratitude. My contribution at IAFL is very satisfying. It affords me the opportunity to give back to young, underprivileged kids in Haiti. I grew up right outside of Port-au-Prince under similar circumstances, and I know the dire need of these children. As a treasurer for IAFL, I work closely with Marie to continue to explain IAFL and reach more children.

Maitri Shah, Social Media Specialist: Dream

A word that symbolizes IAFL for me is dream. Our organization allows the hopes and dreams of young children in Haiti to come true. With an education, children are able to do anything they dream of. They are the future and they will change the world. 

Khadija Franklin, Webmaster: Encourage

ITIAH Angels provides resources to foster a healthy and safe environment for learning so that girls from underserved communities have a chance at a bright future. They not only encourage learning and the development of young girls, but also provide opportunities for the girls' communities by offering basic cosmetic formulation training and skills to their parents to generate income and enrich their communities. I understand the importance of education and plan to use my computer coding skills to expose students to basic computer science by creating educational games and websites. I hope that they will apply the concepts learned in  courses or that the exposure to coding will create an interest in a STEM career in the future.
 

Jordan Tejeda, Youth Volunteer: Service

I want to give back to everyone that is in need.  It is important to be of service because we are all on this earth to help one another.  At times, I have felt like I have needed help and when I did not get it, it was not a good feeling. I don’t want children to feel as I have felt at times.  I want to uplift others.

Manuel Tejeda, Youth Volunteer: God

I believe God gave us a mission to help École Mère Louise (EML) students and impoverished nations like Haiti. He wants us to spread his love.  I believe in God’s power.

Deanna Mulicka-Radio,
Events Chairperson: Nurturing

IAFL represents a nurturing spirit in so many ways. Through the work done with École Mère Louise (EML) School, we nurture a love for learning at a young age that empowers young girls to know they can achieve anything. With beauty projects and cosmetic science workshops, we nurture a love for the industry that has helped so many of us to connect and use our knowledge to support the expansion of the industry. This nurturing spirit in all of our members allows us to work together to create something truly special.

Swetha Ramachandran, Outreach Assistant: Benevolence

The word benevolence represents the work I do with IAFL. Helping others makes me happy. I want to help underprivileged women and children obtain the career and educational opportunities that they deserve, so when I heard about IAFL's cause, I was deeply inspired to join and make a difference. I am on the Outreach team of IAFL, and I assist in finding donors and sending out donor receipts. 

Derek Kumi, IT Specialist: Centralize

I use my technology knowledge to centralize data and training across the organization. Through centralized organization using technology, I allow our mission to be efficiently executed and managed. I bring our growing team together in harmony and through this we can focus our efforts on our mission to uplift girls who are in need.

Lee Whiteman, STEM Specialist/Photographer: Innovation

I see ITIAH as a vehicle of innovation to positively enhance the lives of children. With high expectations, children within ITIAH will learn how to progress through their academic and eventually professional careers. To continuously improve their personnel fortunes and skill set, to reach new goals, to push the boundaries, in a word to innovate, is the ultimate challenge and reward.

Euphenia Tejeda, Youth Volunteer: Caring

I care about the children in Haiti and children who are less fortunate all over the world. Many do not have things that we have like school supplies, etc.  Some children don’t even have parents. It’s hard to grow up without having a dad and mom.   I care about what happens to children and want to reach out and help. 

Jolia Thadal: Community

IAFL strives to change a community, one student, and school at a time. I truly feel blessed to have the opportunity to go on beauty projects and introduce the students to resources that can help their community innovate and thrive.