Overview:
Two Haitian college students — Gil Sander Joseph, a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford, and Wilhem Hector, a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford — share how a teenage rivalry in Port-au-Prince center faculty lecture rooms grew right into a lifelong friendship that conjures up success for each. Their journeys from Haiti to Europe and the US, formed by dedication and sacrifice, now drive a shared mission to reimagine Haiti’s future by means of schooling, sound management and STEM innovation.
When Gil Sander Joseph and Wilhem Hector, each now 24, first met as youngsters at Establishment Saint-Louis de Gonzague (ISLG), a Catholic faculty in Port-au-Prince, neither foresaw {that a} classroom rivalry would develop right into a lifelong friendship spanning continents and world-class universities.
Earlier than they turned buddies, lecturers at their separate faculties consistently in contrast them, urging every to outdo the opposite. By the point they lastly shared a classroom at ISLG, rivalry had was respect — after which right into a friendship constructed on mutual assist.
“That unimaginable journey early on impressed us to inspire one another and draw power and dedication to perform what most in our upbringing thought was not possible,” Joseph mentioned in an interview with The Haitian Instances.
“Again then, we have been simply two children with outsized goals,” Hector recalled. “We didn’t know we have been beginning a friendship that might form our futures. However we understood we might be a lot stronger by working collectively as a substitute of competing towards one another.”
From Port-au-Prince to the world with goal
Their goals quickly carried them overseas. Every earned a scholarship to complete highschool by means of the rigorous Worldwide Baccalaureate (IB) program in Europe — Joseph in Germany, Hector in Norway. After receiving their IB diplomas in 2021, they moved to the US for school.
Joseph enrolled at Princeton College, majoring in sociology with a minor in Latin American research, whereas Hector started his research in engineering on the Massachusetts Institute of Expertise (MIT). Each left behind dad and mom and youthful siblings in Haiti, decided to excel not just for themselves however for his or her households and their nation.
“As I used to be about to finish my bachelor’s diploma, I contemplated going again residence instantly and discovering a job to have the ability to assist my household,” Hector mentioned.
“Again then, we have been simply two children with outsized goals. We didn’t know we have been beginning a friendship that might form our futures. However we understood we might be a lot stronger by working collectively as a substitute of competing towards one another.”
Wilhem Hector
However their ambitions grew with every alternative. Joseph graduated from Princeton and have become a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford College in California, the place he’s pursuing a grasp’s diploma in worldwide coverage with a focus in migration. Hector earned his diploma in mechanical engineering from MIT and received a Rhodes Scholarship to the College of Oxford, the place he plans to focus his post-graduate research on power programs and environmental fluid mechanics.
Collectively, they made historical past by turning into the primary Haitians ever to obtain these two of the world’s most prestigious tutorial awards.
Joseph describes himself as deeply dedicated to migration justice. His analysis and fieldwork give attention to equitable world migration governance, combining coverage analysis with authorized advocacy.
Each are fluent in 4 totally different languages.
Hector focuses on designing and optimizing renewable power amenities worldwide. With expertise in wind, photo voltaic, geothermal, hydrogen and infrastructure tasks, he brings technical experience and a ardour for sustainable growth that he intends to implement in Haiti and the broader Caribbean area.
On his half, Joseph goals to work on the intersection of coverage analysis and authorized advocacy to advertise truthful world migration governance. At Princeton, underneath the steerage of Professor Filiz Garip, he performed analysis on the decision-making means of Haitians residing in São Paulo concerning whether or not to remain in Brazil or migrate to the U.S.
Exterior of academia, each co-lead the Hector Foundation, a nonprofit they based in 2019 to develop instructional alternatives for younger Haitians.
“Every thing Gil and I do, Wilhem mentioned, “ We do it with the facility of goal.”
Each males credit score Haiti’s fragile schooling system with sharpening their dedication.
“Each scholarship I earned wasn’t nearly me — it carried the hopes of many others.”
Gil Sander Joseph
“Each scholarship I earned wasn’t nearly me,” Joseph mentioned. “It was a reminder that my story carried the hopes of many others who by no means had the identical alternatives.”
Hector added, “We don’t research coverage or engineering simply to publish papers. We do it as a result of the stakes are actual. We’ve lived what it means when programs fail, and we all know what it may imply in the event that they labored.”
The workforce is working to create a path for future generations of Haitians to stroll in, so {that a} privileged few now not stand out as exceptions.
“Though now we have benefited from being the exceptions or fortunate in a rustic the place alternatives are scarce, we don’t need to be seen that manner,” Joseph assured. “We need to take part in altering that narrative.”
Reimagining Haiti’s future, giving again amid friendship and legacy
By the Hector Basis, Gil and Wilhem have already began making a distinction. The inspiration, in partnership with practically 20 worldwide and native establishments and companies, created Haiti’s first open-access engineering makerspace, known as Project Manus. In addition they launched a number of instructional initiatives built-in right into a flagship summer time camp—Program for the Development of Younger Students (PAYS)—which has enabled them to develop a number of free robotics and engineering coaching camps, together with the Dynamic Robotics Impartial Studying Lab (DRILL) and Guided Engineering and Superior Robotics Lab (GEAR Lab), serving a whole lot of scholars in Port-au-Prince and its metropolitan space.
This summer time, they superior the group’s work with a two-week robotics camp and workshops, coaching college students to design, construct and program Segway-style robots. Joseph and Hector view the initiative as greater than STEM coaching. “It’s about demonstrating to Haitian youth what they’re able to when given the chance and that innovation is inside their attain,” they mentioned.
“We’ve lived what it means when programs fail, and we all know what it may imply in the event that they labored.”
Wilhem Hector
Since its launch, the muse has raised over $100,000 to supply youth with direct coaching and have interaction them by means of workshops. Up to now, greater than 400 college students from grades 6 to 12, 65% of them ladies, have been empowered with technical abilities, artistic confidence and a imaginative and prescient to rebuild Haiti from inside
“Haiti doesn’t want saving from exterior,” Joseph mentioned. “It wants its personal folks empowered with the talents, networks, and imaginative and prescient to rework it from inside.”
Although separated by the Atlantic, the 2 stay shut. Their friendship continues to gas drive, perspective, management and onerous work.
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Requested to explain one another in a single phrase, Hector mentioned “Relentless. Gil doesn’t cease till he finds a manner ahead.”
Joseph selected “Grounded” for Hector: “Irrespective of how far he’s traveled, he by no means loses sight of the place he comes from.”
Each picked “companionship” when requested to decide on one phrase that may describe what their relationship means.
“Haiti doesn’t want saving from exterior. It wants its personal folks empowered with abilities, networks, and imaginative and prescient.”
Gil Sander Joseph
From rivals in Port-au-Prince to enduring companions and students at Stanford and Oxford, their journeys spotlight the promise of Haiti’s youth and the facility of friendship to maintain hope. By the Hector Basis, Gil and Wilhem are already passing that hope on to the following era.
Gil and Wilhem’s journey at a look
- Mid-2010s: Rivalry begins — Joseph at Ecole Jean-Marie Guilloux, Hector at Collège Saint-Joseph; linked by shared lecturers evaluating their tutorial abilities.
- 2016–2017: Friendship types at Establishment Saint-Louis de Gonzague (ISLG) highschool in Port-au-Prince.
- 2019–2021: Each earn full scholarships to finish the Worldwide Baccalaureate (IB) program in Europe — Joseph in Germany, Hector in Norway.
- 2021:
- Joseph begins sociology at Princeton College.
- Hector begins mechanical engineering at MIT.
- 2019: Whereas nonetheless in highschool, They co-found the Hector Basis to develop STEM schooling in Haiti.
- 2025:
- Joseph graduates from Princeton College and turns into the primary Haitian Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford.
- Hector graduates from MIT and turns into the primary Haitian Rhodes Scholar at Oxford.
- Joseph pursues an Worldwide Coverage research at Stanford College.
- Hector advances his Engineering Science research on the College of Oxford.
- Collectively, they proceed shaping Haiti’s subsequent era of innovators.