My name is Bythovens Almonor, and I was born and grew up in Plaisance, North Haiti, North America, in the Caribbean. Growing up in a small town, I always knew I wanted to do something significant with my life. From a young age, I was fascinated by helping others and as I got older, this fascination only grew stronger. When my family and I moved to the United States of America in 2015, it was difficult to adjust to the new environment because of language barriers, culture, and transportation. I was not the top student in my class, but I always worked hard to stay on track with my assignments. As a first-generation student, I often faced unique challenges and struggles; however, I was determined to overcome these challenges and pursue my education and career goals by using all the resources that benefited me. I am open-minded, like to engage in critical thinking, and am not afraid to ask questions when I need answers. Because of my passion and determination for academic goals, I usually sought help from my academic advisor and E.O.P. counselor whenever I needed. I always sought their guidance and support towards my goals and graduation. During COVID-19, I struggled to keep my G.P.A. high; ultimately, I graduated in December
2021 with a 3.0 GPA. After graduation, I sought a professional job instead of pursuing my master’s degree. After working as a Guidance Counselor at Buffalo Academy of Science High School for a year, I realized that to serve students better I would need to continue my educational journey. I decided to enroll at Buffalo State University to get my master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration. I believe that with furthering my education, I will gain a deeper understanding of the world develop better critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills, which are crucial for any field and my personal life. I am not afraid to take risks for my unique academic goals because failure is never the end; I always seek advice from others to come back stronger. I am always willing to make extra time and find unique skills that can lead me to success.
Working as a Youth Ministry director at my church, I always start by identifying social issues or causes that affect people around me the most and plan how to resolve these problems. I consistently advocate for changes and am involved in the events at my church to give back to the community. Every year we have a winter giveaway where we collect money to buy winter clothes and distribute them to people in need. I also like to play guitar, piano, and drums at my church; even though I am not a professional, I usually do my best to play by ear with the little chords that I know because I have a passion for instruments as well. In Haiti, I was a member of the Terre-Rouge en Action Association (T.A.C) and the Captain of Unity Rossignol. The purpose of T.A.C. was to preach peace and create social events in the community. Unity Rossignol played a crucial role in the church as well, we studied the Bible and visited people in the hospital, prisons, and people who did not come to church to ensure everything was fine. The pride that I feel when I help someone in need led me to help a few young adults after they graduated high school who did not have any opportunities to continue with their education. I was able to send them to trade school with my part-time salary in Haiti while I was a student myself. I continue helping people in Haiti whenever possible. I plan to help more young people attend school soon, in Haiti.
