Miriam
I was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. At age thirteen, my family immigrated to the United States in search of a better life and greater opportunities. I attended Stamford High School and there, my passion for helping others took root through volunteer services. During high school, I ran track and field, and participated in several clubs. I volunteered at several different places including Ferguson Library and the YMCA. I also worked as a medical recorder for the Gastroenterology/Hematology Associates in the Tully Center to support my family.
After I graduated, my mentor Susanne Weil, who plays a vital role in my life introduced me to the East Side Partnership. One of the challenges I faced before attending college was a financial struggle. I needed a computer, which is critical for college students.
Mr. Grunberger sympathized with me and saw my desire to both support my family while chasing my dreams. He purchased a laptop for me as a graduation gift. It was a generous gift and this laptop played an important role in my success in college. As a way to show gratitude, I worked for the Eastside Partnership as an intern during that summer vacation. There, I learned the importance of community development and I played an essential role in advocating for East Side local businesses who were losing up a lot of business due to the removal on-street parking.
Over the years, Mr. Grunberger has been extremely generous to my family and me. He has invested his time and energy to mentor me and in supporting me financially while I struggled sometimes to purchase college textbooks.
There are no words to express the gratitude for Mr. Grunberger’s kindness and generosity. My hope that one day, I will be able to influence other young people through mentoring and advocacy like him.
I graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a BS in Social Work. Afterwards, joined the Peace Corps and was posted in Botswana, Africa to work as a youth and HIV/AIDS capacity building volunteer. After completing my service, I will be continuing my studies at Smith College School of Social Work in order to earn a MSW.
