College Pierre Toussaint, L’Ecole Michael Heiming and the Sassier/St Jean Baptiste community was delighted to welcome a group of 18 people from the College of New Rochelle (CNR) and the Archdiocese of New York last week. The team included 12 students and 4 faculty members from CNR and two representatives from the Office of Black Ministry of the NY Archdiocese, which has long been a strong supporter of College Pierre Toussaint. Three of the students were Haitian Americans, so it was like coming home for them.
Over 6 days in Haiti, the CNR team learned about Haitian culture, history, healthcare and education; enjoyed delicious Haitian cuisine (thanks to Chef Extraordinaire, Madame Merit) and drink; and even visited the lovely local beach, Anse d’Azur. In addition, the CNR team worked hard to establish the first library for College Pierre Toussaint. Books donated over the past 6 years were sorted, washed and readied for shelving by the CNR team and College Pierre Toussaint 12th and 13th graders. The CNR group has committed to provide the funds for shelving the books-more than 1500 volumes in French, English and Spanish. We are so grateful to the CNR team for their hard work, wonderful laughter, and generous spirits. They truly brought Wisdom for Life to College Pierre Toussaint students, now and into the future.
Thanks in particular to the faculty leaders from CNR – Helen Wolf, Silvana Bajana, Erica Olson and Tiffani Blake. We are hopeful that the CNR visit has helped to lay the foundation for long term collaboration among the College of New Rochelle, College Pierre Toussaint and the Sassier community.
Check out our picture gallery below!