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My Dad (Domec Jean-Baptiste) was born on Oct. 27th, 1957 in Haiti
My Mom (Darille St. Jules) was born March 6th, 1964 in Haiti
If it wasn't for my parents being born, I wouldn't be here today.
Fun fact: The pictures above are of my parents in Haiti.

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My Mom and Dad got married on August 20th 1992, in Haiti. My sister was luck enough to witness both of our parents get married, she was even a flower girl in their wedding. Although I didn't get to witness my parents' wedding, I understood the value of marriage and love in a household growing up.

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My Dad moved my mom, cousin, and sister to the United States. Within a couple of months, they all became legal citizens. My Dad went through and sacrificed a lot to achieve this goal. He moved to New York shortly after their marriage. If it wasn't for my family coming to the United States, I would not have the opportunities I have today. It is a constant reminder for me to push myself. If my parents came here as immigrants and English being their second language and made it through; I have no excuse to not make it in life because my struggle isn't even twice as hard as what they faced.

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The birth of Dee-Dee Jean- Baptiste (1996)

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The birth of Dee-Dee Jean- Baptiste (1996)

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On December 8th, 1996, Dee-dee Jean Baptiste was born. Today, she is known as Melissa Dee-dee Jean Baptiste. (Yes, I am Dee-dee) Six months after my birth, my mom changed my name to Melissa because she felt like it suited me better.
This is a major part of my identity today because this is what everyone knows me as. If I am to become the future president of the United States, it would be "President, Melissa D. Jean Baptiste."

Fun Fact: My brother, dad, mom, and sister's name all started with the letter "D." Also, no one in my family calls me "Melissa"

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Generations of "Jean-Baptiste" to come!  (2002)

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Generations of "Jean-Baptiste" to come!  (2002)

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My brother (Domec Jean-Baptiste Jr.) was born on June 28th, 2002. This day is very important to me not only because there was a new addition to the family but because it was guaranteed that my last name would be passed on to the next generation.
Fun Fact: My dad always wanted a boy so when he found out my mom was having a boy he was excited.

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On January 12th, 2010, an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude took place in Haiti. This natural disaster hit very close to home being that this is where my parents are from and I still have family members that live in the country. This event impacted my life because it destroyed my parents' motherland and unfortunately it ruined my chances to see the beauty of the island before the damages were done. In addition to that, I got to value and understand the strength that Haitian individuals had as I came across many different stories on how lives were affected. Haiti is still attempting to rebuild from the earthquake. Although I've never been there I hope to go sometime in the next few years.

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My sister (Dorothie Jean-Baptiste) became the first in my immediate family to graduate from college. She graduated with a Bachelor's in Science of Nursing. This was a very big deal for my parents especially being that she was not born here and had no help when it came to someone with experience helping her through the process. This impacted my life because the was a very proud moment for my parents. Also, because my sister led as an example for my brother and me that if you put your mind to something you can accomplish it.

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My cousin graduated Police academy (2018)

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My cousin graduated Police academy (2018)

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My cousin (Tamar Jean-Baptiste) graduated from college with her criminal and justice degree which was a very big accomplishment. My parents were very proud of her. So when she discovered her want for becoming a cop we were more than for her. She moved all the to D.C without knowing anyone and joined the academy. This is very significant to me because her flexibility to adapt to new settings so quickly on her own is indescribable. She has shown me not excuses don't get you anywhere in life, it is all about getting up and achieving your goals.

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I was able to accomplish my goal of getting a degree. Although during this time I faced a lot of battles when it came to figuring what I wanted to do in life, I did it. I started at my community college as a nursing major during this time I got a job at a daycare center and fell in love. In that instant, I knew I was majoring in the wrong field. After years of struggling and not understanding why something that came so naturally for my sister is not coming naturally for me. I learned that when a career is meant for you, you have fun doing and learning more about it. This was such an important moment in my life because I learned so much about myself. Furthermore, coming from a Haitian family there is a lot of pressure that comes with majoring in careers outside of the medical & law. So when I first about my parents about the switch they were happy with me, but over time when they noticed a change in my confidence and how happy I was to be a teacher, they supported me.