December Lakeland grad completes an amazing journey
When Lakeland senior Jean Louis completed the final courses to earn a bachelorās degree this December, he put the finishing touches on a remarkable, life-changing journey.
Not bad for a student who enrolled at the wrong Lakeland. More on that later.
Louis came to the United States when he was 15 from Haiti with a dream of becoming the first in his family to graduate from college. He knew little English and had a rocky relationship with his guardian family that led to him becoming homeless.
āI was often told that I wasnāt good enough,ā Louis said. āāCollege is not for you.ā āYou wonāt pass the ACT.ā āCollege is expensive, how would you be able to afford that?ā Iāve heard it all, and some of those critics were people who should have encouraged me. However, I did not listen, nor did I let them enter fear unto me, and that came with consequences.ā
Louis was living in a 6-foot square storage unit in Orlando, Florida, during high school. It was so small that he couldnāt fit a bed, so he slept on the floor. He received letters from ā51ĀŅĀ×,ā assuming it was in Lakeland, Florida, so he applied and was accepted. But as the date to visit and tour the campus arrived, he realized the school was more than 1,200 miles away. He took a chance and rescheduled the tour.
āAlthough I had no idea how I would be able to do this on my own, I had faith,ā Louis said.
He flew to Wisconsin, filled with a variety of fears he knew he needed to overcome. āThe fear of the unknown, the fear of falling short, the fear of failure, the fear of being frozen to death,ā Louis said. āThe night I arrived here was the first time I slept on a bed in three years.ā
Louis was paired with then-admissions counselor and Lakeland graduate Jake Heinemeyer who Louis said did a great job convincing him that studying at Lakeland would work. Three years later, he stood in front of his peers delivering one of the graduate messages as part of the December graduate celebration.
āDespite all the challenges, Iāve always believed that it was my duty to break generation courses and create a better life not only for myself but also for the next generation,ā Louis said at the celebration. āTonight, I have the honor to be a first-generation college graduate.ā
Moving to Lakeland was starting over for Louis, but he quickly found people who connected him with the resources he needed for success and security. He noted LaJill Edge in student activities, Laura Orth in financial aid, shuttle drive CJ Johnson and Jess Lambrecht and Mara Poullette in the Cooperative Education & Career Readiness team as people who positively impacted his LU experience.
āThe experience here at Lakeland was life-changing for me,ā Louis said. āIāve always felt the love and the support of everyone here. As a result, I became more confident; built leadership skills, created networks and gained more experience.ā
On the way to completing his degree in business administration with an emphasis in healthcare management, Louis took advantage of Lakelandās Co-Op program, volunteered in the community and got involved on campus, including serving as vice president of LUās chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, which he calls one of his greatest accomplishments.
Louis also notes the positive impact of Ann White, who attends his church and has become like a grandparent to him. āShe has always been there for me supporting me, encouraging me and cheering for every move I make.ā
That additional support, Louis said, was critical to his reaching the finish line. āSometimes, just a āI am proud of you!ā helps by reassuring you that youāre doing something great or youāre on the right path,ā Louis said. āMost of the time, we do so much, and we can be so hard on ourselves. We forgot to give ourselves self-recognition for the great things that we accomplish. So, itās always good to have someone to remind you that youāre doing something that is worth the hard work.ā
Armed with a bachelorās degree, Louisā Lakeland journey is just beginning. He plans to earn a master of business administration at Lakeland and take advantage of Lakelandās relationship with Bemis Manufacturing Co. to gain additional work experience.
āLakeland is like home to me,ā Louis said. āIt was not easy. If I have learned anything in my time here, it is the power of believing in yourself and associating yourself with the right people.ā
