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College Success Stories
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Yvrose's
Story Yvrose Cyprien, a student at
York Tech in 1996, returned to the campus recently to share stories
of Hope Christian School, a school which she recently founded in
Baillard Village in her native Haiti. After starting courses in General Education at Tech, Yvrose decided to pursue nursing at Lander University. Yet something tugged away at her. Nursing wasn’t her passion. Languages were. She transferred to Winthrop where she graduated with a double major in French and Spanish. Following graduation, she taught French and math at Smith International Language Academy in Charlotte. Something nudged Yvrose a second time. From her dreams, she came to realize that it was a call to return to her community, to Haiti. In the first dream, she was fishing in a stream in the mountains. The first fish she caught slipped back into the water. A few minutes later, the fish jumped up, followed by a second fish. “God was calling me to be a ‘fisher of men,’ to evangelize,” she explains, her eyes intense. “Then, in my second dream, I was catching children who were running wild in the streets of Haiti, and I was teaching them. During my prayers, I saw a map which I didn’t exactly understand because there was a body of water. Where I wanted to go in Haiti didn’t have water.” Yet when Yvrose placed the sketch which she had made of the map over a larger map, she realized that Etang Saumatre flowed near Baillard Village. Then she knew. She understood God’s call. Yvrose returned home where her mother was recovering from surgery. With four teachers, Yvrose began to organize Hope Christian School, a non-denominational school under the auspices of Hope of Life Ministries. Over 100 students, ranging from 3-17, come to the school which includes kindergarten through the sixth grade. “In time, we hope to add more grades. We take donations and feed our students rice and beans, vegetables and fruits. On Sunday, we have church in the school building.” Yvrose lives a short distance from the school, and if she ever needs a change, she drives to Port au Prince. “My life of service at the school is very rewarding. I would much rather work there than live in ‘the land of plenty.’ God asks us to give up something for His goodness to us,” she continues. Yvrose wants to share this message with others and to express her appreciation to those who served as her mentors at York Tech so long ago: Bobby Plair and Alix Walls. “Mr. Plair always encouraged me, and Ms. Walls gave me the tools in math to pass the GED. York Tech was the inspiration for my school.”
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Copyright 1995-2008 |
