As Told To Corey Townsend

Hailing from Pennsylvania, by way of Haiti, Jacob Bellevue is a freshman studying television and film at Howard University. In 1996, his parents migrated to America for a family emergency and stayed so that they could provide the best possible life for Jacob and his sisters. During the pandemic, the 18-year-old has been on a journey to make sure he is purposeful in the ways in which he shows up for those he loves.

Im a first-generation Haitian American, so education has always been an important part of my upbringing. Knowing this, I knew I had to attend the best college, so in the eighth grade I decided that I wanted to attend Howard University. The pandemic almost snatched this dream away from me because I became lackadaisical with my studies, and lost my overall drive to complete my tasks.