Ayiti doubout nan kè pitit Ayisyen nan dyaspora

Yon diskou gradyasyon / a commencement speech

By : Emanie Campbell,

Master's in public Health.

Bonjou tout moun!

Mèsi anpil dèske nou la jodi a pou selebre gradyasyon mwen avè m.

Mwen santi m vrèman beni — e fyè — dèske mwen gen moun tankou nou nan lavi mwen.

Pou fanmi ak zanmi mwen yo, lanmou nou, ankourajman nou, ak sipò nou te pote mwen sou chak etap nan vwayaj sa a. Mwen rekonesan pou nou chak jou.

Mwen ta renmen pran yon ti moman tou pou sonje ke mwa me se Mwa Eritaj Ayisyen —

yon tan pou nou onore kilti nou, listwa nou, ak fòs tout moun ki te vini avan nou.

Se pa gradyasyon mwen sèlman n ap selebre jodi a —se rasin nou, fyète nou, ak rèv nou ki kontinye ap viv nan chak nouvo jenerasyon.

Mwen swete kontinye onore kilti nou nan tout sa mwen fè — e, pi enpòtan toujou, pou m pa janm bliye rezistans ak kouraj paran nou ak granparan nou yo.

Pale de granparan, mwen vle di yon mèsi espesyal pou pa m yo.

Pou Granman ak Granpapa mwen (ke li repoze an pè) — kouraj nou te genyen pou kite Ayiti pou vin chèche yon lavi miyò isit la se sa ki mete baz tout sa n ap selebre jodi a.

Nou te fè sakrifis, pa paske nou te oblije —men paske nou te gen lanmou, espwa, ak lafwa. Se gras ak nou, mwen kanpe isit la jodi a, avèk opòtinite nou menm nou te reve pou nou menmak pitit nou yo.

Granman, mèsi pou lanmou san fen ou, pasyans ou, ak tout sa ou fè pou fanmi nou.

Mwen renmen ou anpil, e mwen fyè dèske mwen se pitit pitit ou.

Mwen konnen pafwa ou enkyete sou sa ou ka kite pou fanmi ou,

men mwen swete ou konnen ou deja fè plis pase ase.

Sa a, se eritaj ou.

Se gras ak kouraj ou, nou gen pwofesè, avoka, antreprenè, enfimyè —

epi byento, doktè — nan fanmi an.

Tout sa pa t ap posib san ou.

Mwen swete ou konnen ke chak diplòm, chak siksè nou reyalize,se pou ou tou — menm jan li ye pou nou.

E pou manman mwen — premye modèl mwen —mèsi pou chak sakrifis ou fè pou sipòte rèv mwen ak edikasyon mwen. Fòs ou ban mwen enspirasyon chak jou.

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for being here today to celebrate my graduation with me. I feel truly blessed — and proud — to have people like you in my life. To my family and friends, your love, encouragement, and support have carried me through every step of this journey. I’m grateful for you every single day.

I also want to take a moment to acknowledge that May is Haitian Heritage Month — a time to honor our culture, our history, and the strength of those who came before us. So today isn’t just about my graduation; it’s about celebrating where we come from, the pride we carry, and the dreams that continue to live on through each new generation.

I hope to honor our culture in everything I do — and most importantly, to always remember the resilience and courage of our parents and grandparents.

Speaking of grandparents, I especially want to thank mine.

To my Grandma and Grandpa (may he rest in peace) — your courage to leave Haiti and start a new life here laid the foundation for everything we are celebrating today. You made sacrifices not out of obligation, but out of love, hope, and faith. Because of you, I stand here today with opportunities you once only dreamed of.

Grandma, thank you for your endless care, your patience, and your unconditional love. I love you deeply, and I’m so proud and honored to be your grandchild. I know you sometimes worry about not being able to leave material things behind for your family, but I hope you know you’ve already given us more than enough. This — this is your legacy. Because of your courage, we have teachers, lawyers, business professionals, nurses — and soon, doctors — in the family. None of this would have been possible without you. I hope you know that every degree earned, every accomplishment celebrated, belongs just as much to you as it does to us.

And to my mom — my first role model — thank you for every sacrifice you’ve made to support my dreams and my education. Your strength inspires me every single day.

Today is a celebration of achievement, yes — but even more than that, it’s a celebration of legacy. Every step I take forward is only possible because of the steps you all took before me. I carry your dreams with me, and I hope to keep making you proud.

Thank you again for being here. Let’s celebrate our culture, our family, and our future —

together.