Rigoberte Alce

       I was born in Haiti, moved to the United States twenty years ago and became an American citizen. I went to school and graduated with a Certificate in Medical Office Administration. While interning I was offered a position in the billing office. My dream was to be a Registered Nurse. In August of 1997, after enduring seven years of domestic violence, I packed up, left with two children in tow, and never looked back. I also left behind my job, friends, and familiar surroundings. I moved to New York to be closer to my family. Since that time, my children and I are increasingly in control of our lives and as a family make decisions together for our future.
      I had attempted formal education on more than one occasion. As a child in Haiti, I had always had access to a good education and it was instilled in me that education is security for a solid future. Several times I started college to study in the medical field, but each time had to drop out because of financial hardships and/or family obligations. In 2001 I was accepted into The ACCESS Project at Hamilton College, an educational program for low-income parents. I was supported for one full year with tuition assistance, books and social services. That program gave me the means to transfer to a community college which is getting me ready to apply to a four year school. I plan to transfer this year to Utica College of Syracuse University where I will receive a B.S. degree in nursing and minor in sociology. 
      Education has helped me to build my self-esteem and become a strong woman. As a single black woman and mother, I have learned to overcome racism and learned how to survive. I involve myself in the community where my children and I live and learn from others how to adapt to different cultures. I volunteer in several different organizations and I work as a nurse’s aide in a local hospital. My volunteer work with terminally ill patients and my ability to speak three languages fluently will make me an asset to the medical community. While my job and school have had a strong influence on how I live my life, motherhood has been the biggest inspiration to me. My children bring me great joy and keep me growing stronger.    Education has played an important role in my life and continues to do so. Despite not yet having a formal degree, I have learned so much – how to be a better parent, a better worker, a better person; how to think and communicate clearly; how to analyze and assess. I strive to be the best role model I can for my children. As they are growing up, I am able to instill in them the importance of education as a way to overcome poverty, racism, and stereotypes of a single parent. Today, my children are enrolled in a program designed to provide academic and personal growth which will ready them for access to higher education when the time comes.
      My goal is to finish the education I started in 1989, to become a nurse, and to be the best parent I can to my children. I believe that my own struggles with life and my continued desire for an education are the best teachers that my children can have, and together we will accomplish these goals. 
   

Photo Exhibit

A nationally touring exhibit of 50 framed, museum quality, color photographs coupled with narratives created by students who are welfare eligible, single parents changing their lives through the pathway of higher education.  The installation presents a unique view of poverty from insiders’ perspectives and reframes the cultural (de)valuations of poor single parents vis-à-vis family, work and higher education in the United States today. View the Gallery Guide.