The Future Of Haiti Is The Youth: Interview With Youth Leader Giordanna Vanessa Calixte
What has begun as a conversation between two visionary strangers, grew into the creation of an organization incorporated a the Hult Prize, Haiti Chapter, leading a group of students who are generating ideas to change the world. Meet Giordanna Vanessa Calixte, setting an example for all youth in Haiti –and even around the globe.
Ms. Calixte currently lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She is a very creative youth-leader and student studying in the field of Public Administration and Diplomacy. As she is a junior in College, she has interned at the Ministry of External Cooperation and Planning. She is also very involved in numerous social and extra-curricular activities.
She enjoys traveling and learning about other cultures. She has been to France, Brazil and the U.S.A. Most of the travels are to attend conferences or high-end meetings such as the General Assembly in NY, and a sustainable development forum in Brazil. Ms. Calixte is fluent in Haitian Creole, French, and English.
As the current Campus Director of the Hult Prize, it all started when she attended an event organized by Banj where she met with Mike Bellot who introduced her to Hult Prize.
Ms. Calixte then went ahead and submitted an online application. She was selected in September 2017 as the Campus Director of the State University of Haiti. She did not know much about entrepreneurship and start-up funding at that time but was fearlessly willing to lead a competition that would bring together hundreds of college students.
She made a plan, sought for a motivated team, found interested students with influence to fight the battle with her. She ended up with 11 team members and separated the task-load among the team. “The process was stressful, but it was an amazing experience and I learned a lot through the obstacles which help me solidify my personality and strength”, said Ms. Calixte.
People were a bit apprehensive at first, but Ms. Calixte applied rare strategies to reach people. Her leadership strategies put Haiti as a Top 20 in 130 countries that have participated in the competition with Ms. Calixte as one of the Top 6 leaders in the program.
Some leadership characteristics that all young leaders could apply as they lead their teams to greatness and success, according to Ms. Calixte.
- Fear. Don’t be afraid to start.
- Passion. Be passionate about your work. Passion clears the path in the right direction.
- Focus on your goal. People are always following —whether they speak out or not.
- Discipline. You have to be willing to make some sacrifices to reach your purpose. Prioritize and focus on your set goals and objectives.
- Be a positive influence on people. You can inspire all range of people. Serve as a role model for others. It’s a great feeling and a great challenge at the same time.
Ms. Calixte hopes to earn a Master’s degree in Public Policy. “There’s a weakness in Haiti’s representation. The voice of Haiti has yet to be heard in a positive construct.”