"MSSU-UniQ Partnership for Excellence in Accounting and Finance" Students. From left: Ajala Constant, Claude Stanley Bazile, Gaelle Simon, Marc-Ruben Claude, Suzette, Sincelair, Samuel Zephir, Donnatela Julien.

In January of 2009, the seven students selected to complete their degrees at MSSU as part of the USAID – Haiti Higher Education Partnership Program arrived on campus. Three are majoring in accounting, and two are majoring in finance. In order to complete their degrees within the two-year time frame of the Partnership, they are each enrolled in 18 credit hours.

In addition to their business courses, the students must meet MSSU’s established core requirements. The core requires students to take English 101, Oral Communication, and Health and Wellness, in addition to electives in fine arts, natural science, and social and behavioral science. Because of this, the biggest concern on the part of the students was English language ability.

This semester, the students are enrolled in three core courses in addition to three business courses. The core courses they are taking are Oral Communication, Health and Wellness, and Theatre Appreciation. The cultural aspect of these courses, in addition to the fact that they are learning in a new language, has proved to be less of a barrier than the students expected. In fact, mid-semester reports from their instructors indicate that the students are excelling. Their Theatre instructor, Brenda Jackson, had this to say, “Not only are these all great students, they got the highest grades in the class on the first exam, and all volunteered to usher for our children's play for extra credit. In other words, I'd like to have a whole classroom of students like these!” Feedback received from their Oral Communications professor, Ruth Garner, is no less complimentary, and describes the positive impact they have on the rest of the class, “I have the joy of having all of them in my Communications 100 class. It has been occasionally trying with the language barrier, but the knowledge, diversity and excitement they bring to class has made it all worth it.” 

To learn more about the seven students and their individual goals, click here.