“Being a child of an immigrant family has motivated me to take any and all opportunities that come my way and constantly put my best foot forward,” said Joycey SaintJour, a daughter of an immigrant family from Haiti.

SaintJour, a human development and family studies major, has used that motivation to drive her educational career and campus involvement. 

She came to CSU to pursue the dream of helping others professionally. 

“I have a passion for seeing people succeed and live their best lives, as society oftentimes does not provide the opportunities for everyone to equitably do so,” said SaintJour about what inspired her. “HDFS was fitting for my desire to go into the helping professions. I loved how HDFS goes off the holistic perspective of a person and how so many factors play into why we are as we are.”

Accomplishments

As a Denver Scholarship Foundation student and a Reisher Scholarship recipient, SaintJour has taken every opportunity to expand her resume and knowledge. She was a member of the Key Communities program, served as the Vice President for United Women of Color, worked as a research assistant and an intern at the Prevention Research Center, and was a mentor in Campus Connections.

In the summer of 2019, Joycey put her French to practice she when studied abroad in France. She has held a strong interest in the French language because of her Haitian background. 

“My experience studying abroad was quite enlightening, as this was my first time going out of the country alone,” said SaintJour who started taking French courses during her second year at CSU. “Studying abroad really pushed me to get outside of my comfort zone to learn the language and culture in an expedited way.”

During her studies and all extracurriculars, SaintJour also worked at the CSU Rec Center and won the employee of the month award.

“The significance of time management was important for me to do well in my classes,” said SaintJour who has learned to balance many of her on-campus involvements. [/vc_column_text]

Her future

For her career goal, Joycey she wants to become a marriage and family therapist because she recognizes that a large part of trauma can stem from early development in our home lives.

“I think it’s critical to spend time helping individuals understand that connection and explore ways to better those connections to help create healthy, inviting spaces in the family,” said SaintJour. 

Her involvement in Campus Connections has helped prepare her for her future career, having worked with two marriage and family therapists on site. The experience helped her put into perspective how important collaboration and social support is to a person’s well being. 

Coming from a very dedicated family she learned to achieve her goals and put her all into everything she does to achieve her dreams. She is eager to make a change, especially in communities that need representation. 

While she is not quite sure where she wants to complete her master’s program, she is excited to start the process and continue her education.

The Department of Human Development and Family Studies is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.