Pictured (L to R): Sophonie BHGH ’23, Jimmy BHGHNY ’25, and Godson BHGHNY ’24 at Sophonie’s High School Graduation.
Sophonie and Godson Blaise came to the U.S. in 2010 from Haiti after the earthquake decimated their home country. Their parents moved their family to New York City and their Uncle Bertaud and Aunt Marie welcomed them into their home in Flatbush, where they lived with their son Jimmy, and their young daughter. The house was crowded.
As Bertaud and Marie looked for the best educational opportunities for the children in their care, Sophonie was in search of the right high school for her. With the help of Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York, she found it, and so much more. She encouraged Godson to join the year after. A year later, Jimmy joined, too. Thanks to the program, they were all able to experience Hope Academy & Hope Home and provide their perspectives to one another. They were also able to all take part in shared experiences, such as scholar leadership programs within the dorm, an internship with the Insurance Federation of New York, and study abroad opportunities in the Bahamas.
Fast forward to today: Sophonie will attend New York University in the fall as a biology major with a full scholarship. She was the Salutatorian at Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School.
Godson is a high school senior on the gold honor roll with a 4.0 GPA, and he is applying to colleges as a prospective business major. He is a national honor society member at Bishop Loughlin High School. This past summer, he took college courses at St. Joseph’s University in preparation for his college choice.
Jimmy will study abroad on a scholarship in the fall at the Island School in Cape Eleuthera, the Bahamas. He is entering his junior year on the honor roll. He is a scholar leader at our dorm, LaSalle Hall.
The Blaise family exemplifies academic success and what motivated students can accomplish in our program. We remove stress factors from their day-to-day lives so they can focus on their growth. We understand that academic success is not just about grades; it’s about creating an environment that fosters growth and removes unnecessary stressors from the daily lives of our students.