Yolande Mangones

Yolande Mangones
in Port au Prince 1964

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Yolande Mangones, Part Quatre

Whenever I'm at a crossroads in my life there's always cleaning involved. I recently cleaned out my basement to make room for my work PC and files that I will be using while transitioning from an office to working from home. I found my mom's resume among some papers. One sheet of paper summed up her 30-year career.

Education: University d'Etat d'Haiti, School of Nursing, Hospital Immacules Conception, 1964. Most women in Haiti at that time who could afford a continuing education were trained as teachers or nurses.

B.A. in Speech Communications, Northeastern University, 1993. Mom greatly desired a Bachelor's degree from an American University. I believe that she would've felt validated among her colleagues and peers who were neurosurgeons, dignitaries and PhD's. For years she struggled to attend night classes, type papers and take exams while raising three kids as a single parent. She never got her degree because we were always in triage mode for food, shelter, education and paying whatever bill is due. She just didn't have the time to finish.

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