“Grow with your roots.” I was raised in Haiti for half of my life, 11 years. I was born in Brooklyn to Haitian parents in 1999 and left to live in Haiti playing and  painting.I wasn’t always a  perfect kid but as I aged, I became more mature and understood that education, cultured discipline played a big part in who I am today, and also gave me the motivation to have goals for my future. Some people weren’t fortunate enough to have a good house to live in or even have a house. Luckily I was blessed to have a home and capable of going to school and have food to eat every day. But one day that all changed on January 12, 2010, a catastrophic earthquake hit Haiti the highest Magnitude to ever. Our family had to sleep outside, for one week before the American army had to come and pick us and put us on the back of the Air Force plane and we slept on the floor of the plane.The constant thoughts of will it happen again, will I survive this time and anxiety every time the facility has a minor shake was overwhelming at a young age.That changed my whole life as a young child but in a good way because I saw my family enjoy life, work hard, respect others and love each other no matter the circumstance life brings them.But learning and knowing my worth where I came from and what it means to be Haitian the first black-led republic to get our independence was the way to fulfill those missing screws. “Grow with your roots” as a logo is a way to always remember yourself. I’m who my ancestors put blood and tears into.