Dr. Nupsie-flore Exantus moved from Haiti to the United States when she was in 6th grade at the age of 11. It was a cold Christmas Day when she arrived to join her two older sisters who were here prior to her arrival. The only English she knew was how to say was “Good Morning.”
She was quickly enrolled into a new arrivals program at school and had many immigrant friends. She purposely immersed herself in learning English trying hard not to fall into speaking Creole thinking it would set her off track. She was connected to another Haitian student who was helpful and then met her mentor, Ms. Vialla, who she is still in contact with and impacted by to this day. She speaks openly and honestly about trying to find her way in a new place, often feeling lost.
Dr. Exantus is a UCONN alum but didn’t stay with her original plan of study to be an engineer. She felt it would be a difficult road as a black female and although her brother is an engineer and her 4 sisters are all nurses, she chose her own path focusing on social work. Now, as a doctor of Social Work, she is the Director of Middle School Programs at REACH Prep, a transformative educational program for high-achieving, yet underserved, children of color from 5th grade through college. She works diligently to transform their learning experience while providing essential support to the entire family.
Additionally, she is the proud founder of Heart & Purpose, a nonprofit program that promotes education and economic empowerment for students from marginalized communities. Their focus is on young girls in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, as well as young females of color in lower Fairfield County and Westchester County, New York. Listening to her story while thinking about how her impact is affecting a new generation of young black females is nothing short of eye opening and breathtaking.