This piece was written by Le Flambeau Foundation Scholar Danice who recently launched his third year of college in the U.S.. Danice is an alumnus of THE SPARK of Le Flambeau program. He is majoring in Business Administration (Finance & Accounting) with a minor in Economics, is on the Dean’s List, and is officially a junior. Impressive!
Adventures Strengthen Those Who Thrive; Be Adventurous!
September 13, 2015
Dear friends,
I am officially a junior student at college now. I can’t express all the vibes that hit inside me as I realize that I am following my dream wisely and carefully. As I am growing older, I am getting into deeper conversation with myself and my surroundings; what I call self-exploration.
Being an international student is not always fun in this place where I am living. Anyone can stumble into great confusion if the spirit and the dedication to reach higher do not prevail. Life is a continuous process, one must always be looking at one’s past to measure the strengths of the present and see how far one can go. That’s one of my best strategies used to deal with so many daily challenges and inequalities that exist between me and my peers.
At my earlier ages, I really feared of being seen as vulnerable for some particular common characteristics of my own life. But as I become older, I learn how to be a resilient person and admit that I may not be shying away from what I can’t change or can’t help myself. For instance, Berea College is attended mostly by the poorest students of the USA and of some other places in the world. While I never think of poverty as a default. I am not afraid either of assuming that I have been and I am still conquering against it because it’s a real issue in the world. I come from a poor country, and Berea College (no matter how poor it’s qualified) is a master piece that is helping with my immersion to a most prosperous world. Ask me about poverty regardless how happy I look like, I will be frank to tell you the “what” about it, for I experienced what a large percentage of my fellow Haitian people are going through in a daily basis. One thing remains, there is always a hope for a better future.
I like the idea behind this quote by Victor Hugo “The strugglers are the ones who survive”. It’s okay to struggle, but make sure you will survive. Surviving itself may have its wrong sides that need to be watched out. I give credit to those who use a reasonable ways of surviving. For instance, taking illegal drugs or smoking as a ways of relating to stress or life’s pressures is not thriving, it’s giving up on one’s innermost spirits. I disapprove such intentions myself, for there is always a wiser way of living, facing troubles or contemplating life. When things go wrong, one must not follow up the same way oneself; go right instead.
It’s real that I may become more antipathetic towards mankind, but I feel happy that I have instilled more critical ways of perceiving my surroundings. I thank God for my blessings every now and then as I know that nullity exists. But I do pray that many more successful people begin to think positively to bring more fairness in the world. Life is a gift that must be enjoyed by every living body, not to be sentenced by either the law or any other human being. With respect, hard work, and civility, I believe nothing else should be holding someone from living their dreams as they wish it to be.
Once again, it’s a great pleasure to send these thoughts, words of reflection and a smile of hope to whoever has the chance to read these lines. Greatest thanks to Le Flambeau Foundation for sharing this post on my behavior as I look forward to having an outstanding junior year at college in spite of loads of heavy works that are awaiting me.
Yours Faithfully,
Danice Lefranc
Le Flambeau Foundation Scholar, Class of 2017
To read earlier articles written by Le Flambeau Foundation Scholar Danice (click here), (click here), (click here)
To assist with the internship opportunity Danice is seeking for summer 2016 please send an e-mail to [email protected] (paid internships only)