DiversifyHER
DiversifyHER is a Gen Z-led podcast where I, Raven Heyward, engage with leaders to discuss the importance of representation. My mission is to inspire young girls, create meaningful mentorship opportunities, and explore ways to empower and uplift individuals in various industries and leadership roles.
DiversifyHER
EP 42: Giving back: Thriving through community with Annabel Lissade
Listen as Raven Heyward, founder and host of DiversifyHER, converses with Annabel Lissade. She is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, pursuing a double major in Economics and Political Science with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, she brings a unique global perspective to her academic and professional endeavors. Annabel is passionate about addressing systemic challenges and leveraging innovative solutions to create sustainable change, particularly in education and governance. Her academic focus, coupled with leadership roles and practical experiences, positions her as a forward-thinking changemaker dedicated to making a meaningful impact especially in her home country of Haiti.
Connect with Annabel!
LinkedIn: Annabel Lissade
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of Diversify Her. I'm your host, raven Hayward, and today I have Annabelle Asad. She's a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, pursuing a double major in economics and political science, with a minor in entrepreneurship. Originally from Haiti, she brings a unique global perspective to her academic and professional endeavors. Annabelle is passionate about addressing systematic challenges and leveraging innovative solutions to create sustainable change, particularly in education and governance. Her academic focus, coupled with leadership roles and practical experiences, positions her as a forward-thinking changemaker dedicated to making meaningful impact, especially in her home country of Haiti. I'm so excited to have Annabelle on my podcast today. Something that I really wanted to focus on this season and this year is getting more Gen Z leaders on my podcast. I think it's really important that we're not only getting advice and hearing the stories of those that came before us, but also those in our generation that are doing amazing things. So thank you so much, annabelle, for being on my podcast today. How are you doing?
Speaker 2:Hey Raven, Thank you for having me today. I'm doing amazing. I'm really happy to be here and share my story.
Speaker 1:Yes, I'm so excited. So first, from reading your bio, I understand that you're from Haiti and you now attend Chapel Hill in your junior year. Could you just tell us first off what made you want to come to Chapel Hill? Wow?
Speaker 2:it's a very long story. So I actually moved from Haiti in 2020. Due to political instabilities in the country and school was always shutting down, my mom thought it would be better for me to, like you know, come to the US and all. So I came here and, like I actually had no idea Chapel Hill existed before I came to the US, so it was like on a random day, my brother was okay, let's go tour colleges. So I got in the car with him and we toured colleges and we got to Chapel Hill. I really liked the campus. So when I got home, I made my research and started researching the school and started falling in love with it and then applied to the school and I got in. So that's basically the reason why I came to Chapel Hill. It was basically like I like the school, they offered me a good package, so it made sense for me to come here.
Speaker 1:You mentioned the political environment and what was going on in Haiti. Do you mind giving us a little background about that, in case some of my listeners don't know what exactly you're referring to?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it's a very like, like it's been happening for a while.
Speaker 2:So I would say that like, especially during my high school years in haiti, we've had a lot of political instabilities within the government and like a lot has been going on and there's been a lot of riots or a lot of different lockdowns were happening and it was like rioting, especially like security problems as well, so we had a rise in like kidnappings or rise in gang violence in Haiti as well. So I would say that's basically like to sum it up there's a lot more details as far as like why things are going on, why it started and everything. Even I personally don't have the full details of why everything is going on, but so far, like it's been a lot of like political instabilities and like riots against the government. Our president got killed in 2021, so it's been like a lot of like ups and downs and a lot of downs, specifically, I would say, over the last few years yeah, that must be really hard, and you even coming to the US you mentioned during the year 2020.
Speaker 1:That's when you know our world even went on pause with COVID and the pandemic and everything. So how would you say you were able to handle that mentally? Like? What mental effects did that have on you?
Speaker 2:Man it was. It was quite hard at first. So I ended up in the US in a very unexpected way. It was not a planned move, like like I knew I was gonna move. It was very like I came to visit family and they I just decided to like stay. Like it was not a okay, like I know, like in a few months I'm moving. It was just I came for vacation and I stayed.
Speaker 2:So it was very hard at first, especially with my language barrier. My native language is not English. I grew up speaking French and Haitian Creole, so I had a big language barrier at first. So even overcoming that was hard, but eventually I got over it and I went to a school where it was predominantly white. So, like in Haiti, I didn't go to a predominantly white school. It was like everybody was like just Haitian at at my school and everything in my school was in french. So I would say it was very cultural. It was a big cultural difference and very shocking for me at first.
Speaker 2:But I think there's a saying that I, like you know, always like move with my life and it's like if you're not giving a seat at the table, then you have to bring your folding chair. So that was my like saying throughout my whole high school and I was like, even though, like, this is not my home, this is not where, like I probably want to be, but I just have to make the best out of it. And I did the best out of my high school. Like, I got into leadership positions very early on. I made it known that I was at the school, I made my name known at the school.
Speaker 2:So it was hard because there was a lot of barriers that I had to like overcome, especially my first time being away from my parents. My mom still lives in Haiti and it was my first time being away from home. So it was hard at first, especially with the language barrier. I would say that was the hardest part, but I eventually did overcome everything and, you know, push through and I think, especially seeing that like I have the opportunity and there are a lot of kids back home that don't have the same opportunities as me I I didn't see that Like I didn't see that Like I had a choice to even like sit down and complain.
Speaker 1:I just had to do what I had to do and be an example for younger Haitians that are back home and that don't even have the opportunity to come to the US and continue with their education. That's a lot to unpack in that answer that you just gave us, and I think, even some Americans here, especially myself. Being a young black woman in America, I feel that I'm faced with a lot of adversity. Black woman in America I feel that I'm faced with a lot of adversity and you, coming and being new to this country and being seen as a black woman in America and having that language barrier that's just a lot of adversity that you had to face and battle and I think it's commendable that you were able to overcome those things, still are overcoming those things and you're doing really well in school right now, and I understand that you've started your own nonprofit or foundation in Haiti. Could you tell us a little bit more about that?
Speaker 2:So yeah, so I grew up actually, my mom is a doctor in Haiti and she did a lot of volunteering at a specific orphanage with, like there's around like at least 400 kids there. So I grew up going with her all the time and I think seeing these kids and seeing like the joy that they have despite the situation that they're in, has been like one of my biggest inspirations in life. So I would like go very often with my mom, like at least once a month, and just go with her and just hang out there the whole day. And then, when I moved to the US, I eventually decided to start an initiative where, over winter break because there's something in Haiti that people do, it's like often, like over winter break, they'll go and like, or, like Christmas period, they'll go and like give out gifts to kids and as much as like these are things that, like I look forward to do as well. I think where I wanted to be different is not only just gift giving, but like, make an experience for the kids that like they'll remember because, like I tell my mom all the time, like a toy, they can break it in two weeks, but like memories are like things that will last forever, especially if it's something that they don't get very often.
Speaker 2:So I took this initiative to start this, like I call it like a big field day that I have, and it's usually like either one day or two days, depending on the situation Haiti and what we have where I go and we have educational workshops with the kids like I'll have different professionals come in and talk, whether it is like doctors coming in to do like sex education class for them, or like I'll have business professionals come in and like talk about their journey. I'll have different students like from other schools come in and talk about their academic journey as well, and then I'll have like a robotics workshop. I'll have different types of workshop. There's also like I'll have like a robotics workshop. I'll have different types of workshop. There's also like I'll have like arts and crafts for like younger kids. I'll have cooking workshops, like all of different types of workshops that I plan out throughout the whole day, and it will also have various competitions with different games, like education games, and like the winners like they get prizes and all. And then we have like I have a soccer coach come in and we have this big soccer tournament and this is like the highlight of the whole thing because kids in Haiti they love playing soccer, so that's like one of our biggest highlights. It's like doing the soccer tournament. We have a big halftime show because I also have a dance teacher come in and like they do a dance. They have dance classes with various style, because I grew up dancing, so I also teach one of the classes. So they do ballroom, they do hip-hop, afro and everything, and then at the halftime they do a big halftime show where all the kids at the sites of dance perform. So, yeah, it's like a really big field day that I have and we have lunch breaks with them and music DJs Usually I have a local band as well come and perform for the kids. So it's like a every December in Haiti.
Speaker 2:Eventually, my biggest dream and my biggest goal is to like actually open a center where kids can come like after school or like and just like there'll be like different workshops for them every day to do, or like they can just hang out.
Speaker 2:If they want to read a book, they can just sit down and read a book, but something that like combines education but also having fun, because I still believe that like education is the key to like open so many doors for people and like just I feel like if you do have a degree attached to your name or like some type of education, people will respect you 10 times more than if you don't. So, and education just can bring you very, very far. I have a lot of friends that I know that, like education has brought them pretty far in life, and especially for me as well, like to something that I believe in. So, trying to like find something that like combines education while also having fun with it, is something that, like I've been trying to do in Haiti, and I do it every December and hopefully, like it'll be something that I can implement, like more and more, like over the years and like so, yeah, that's my awesome, wow.
Speaker 1:so what's the name of the program called and how long ago did you start it?
Speaker 2:So I started it, uh, two years ago. It's called Soleil, which is like sun sun in Haitian Creole. So basically, like it just means like sun and for me, like what I see, the sun is like bringing light. So I wanted to bring light into the kids' day. So like I call it soleil and like they just have fun and like it just brings light to them and like aligns their day, aligns their December, aligns that whole celebration period like during December.
Speaker 1:So yeah, Wow, I love that and I think that it's so cool that you're combining all of these different things and the dancing and the soccer and even the professionals that you have come in.
Speaker 1:And I like how you mentioned memories, because I think a lot of the time we forget to live in the moment or we don't necessarily know how good we had it until it's gone.
Speaker 1:But we can always reflect back on those memories or have those core memories and even, like you mentioned before, just finding the good in everything, and I think, especially since I've come to college I don't know about you, but I know for me it's kind of hard to find the good in some things or just always be grateful because it can be so hard in the moment of what you're going through. And one of my goals for 2025 and at least the rest of my college career, is just to always sit and reflect and just be thankful for the moment. You know those all-nighters that we may have or those moments where we're really cramming for an exam. Just remember we're living in the moment that we prayed for, like we're living in our dreams, or even we're living in moments that some people aren't fortunate to have, and so with Soleil. I know you mentioned your goals and what you plan to do in the future, but have you ever had any setbacks in planning, or has something gone wrong? And if it did, how are you able to combat those things?
Speaker 2:this is actually very funny. You brought that up because I actually had a big, big, really big setback this past winter break, especially because I don't know if you've seen the news with the airport in Haiti shutting down, so I was not able to go for the first time since I've moved to the US for this December break. So that was the biggest setback, because a lot of the materials that I bring in, I actually fly back to Haiti with them. So I literally had to like, and a lot of like the people that I was bringing as well, like as far as like even the artists, the local artists, got stuck outside of Haiti. So I literally had to like basically scratch most of the program.
Speaker 2:And it was like the most, like it was one of my biggest heartbreak this past winter break at least, because, uh, for the longest, like, I've kept hope because, like, that announcement of the airport shutting down happened like back in October. So I kept hope throughout the whole month of October, whole month of November, and I was like, yes, I'm still gonna go. Half of December still had hope and then until, like, I actually got an email that like, yeah, the airport's like shutting down, we're not flying till like april. So I like had to, like I still had my mom go in and do certain stuff and like still was able to like fun and like get some materials in haiti, but not seeing the whole program. That, like I had planned and I had already like got her gathered all the funds, made some of the orders and everything come to fruitation was one of my biggest setbacks, and not because that, like there was no will to do it, but more so because the country didn't allow me to do it.
Speaker 2:And I'll say like also like I was talking to the director of the orphanage where I do have the program, and for the longest, both of us were like yeah, we're just gonna keep hope, and I remember she didn't want to tell the kids at all that it was not gonna happen. Uh, like as planned, because the feedback and like the not even the feedback, but like the joy that the kids had from the previous year and, like them, apparently they were excited from what I've heard, like they were talking about it the whole year. They just couldn't wait for december to happen. And then, like, because the country didn't allow us, because of the political situation of the country, we were not able to like do the full program.
Speaker 2:But I'm like I'm saying it's a minor step back for a major comeback. So hopefully, whenever the airport reopens and I'm able to go and everybody's able to go back and like do everything, I hope that probably it'll be one of like the biggest biggest field days that I've ever thrown in my life. So I'm not being too negative about it. It is a setback, but I'm just saying it's a minor step back for a really major comeback.
Speaker 1:That's so incredibly sad, but I commend you for your positive outlook on it still and keeping hope alive and I'm definitely keeping hope alive for you, and I'm sure my listeners are as well and we can't wait for December to come and for Soleil to be even bigger and better than it has in the past. But it's amazing what you've been able to accomplish in these years and I want to know, as a college student, how have you been able to balance all these things? Have you ever experienced burnout? Or have you ever experienced blockages, where you want to do something or you just get so busy to where you almost lose motivation to do it like how are you able to still persevere and push through?
Speaker 2:I would say two things. Time management is really important. If I didn't have it, I'm still, like you know, mastering it, but like I'm trying to like get it down completely. But I think that's also important. But I'll say the main reason is like knowing my why and why I started and why am I still continuing and why is this something I'm really passionate about continuing. So I would say so far, like just like going back, I actually wrote down my why on a piece of paper of why I was doing this and why I want to continue doing this, and I put actually I put a picture of one of the programs like on my phone and every time like looking back and I'm like okay, I'm gonna look back at the piece of paper, look back at the picture, and this is why I'm not gonna give up.
Speaker 2:So I would say like this has been like the biggest way for me to not give up and like continue going. I would say as well like having supportive people in my circle that also want this to like happen and see it flourish. So last year I like took on a bit like a really big part of the program like on by myself, because it was one of the biggest ones that I had thrown. So I was like taking it on and I'm also like the type to like, if I'm doing something, I try to like do it all by myself. But this year, like I had a really big supportive group I brought in, brought in more people on my team to help me accomplish that goal and like going over different activities, going over the schedule that we had planned and everything. So I would say, my time management, knowing my why and also having a supportive circle have been the like things that have been keeping me on, like pushing me and like keeping it, like keeping me going so far.
Speaker 1:So those are all really big things and very important. I'm just curious to know if there's someone out there that maybe wants to start something like this, or they have an idea in their head when exactly should they start. When you had the idea of Soleil and you were writing down your why, when it was time for you to actually put it into fruition and see it come to light, where did you start? I'm sure there's many components and many things that go on behind the scenes, and how are you able to actually produce it and put on the production, like, where do you start?
Speaker 2:wow, where did I start? I would say for me, I think the first thing I did when I like first had the idea was call my mom and I was like okay, I have this idea and what do you think? At first, my mom is like so how do you think you're gonna accomplish something so big? And like you're just gonna do it. And like I was like yeah, I mean, I mean there's no other way, I just have to do it. Like it's just like, I'm like I want to do it. So there's, if there's a will, there's a way. So she was like well, how, you going to find the money for all of this? And I'm like I'll find it. So I like started working and then I like started saving up my own money and then I like put that I was putting some money aside every month to like start the program, start the program.
Speaker 2:And then, eventually, like I reached out to certain people and I was like I give them my pitch on my initiative and this is what I want to do, why I want to do it, who is it going to benefit, and everything. So I was giving out pitches. I was sending out cold emails to different companies Like, for example, like I have to bring in like lunch for the kids, so it's like 400 plates for the staff as well, so 500 plates that I have to bring in. So I was like you know what, I know I can just send out some cold emails to like some food company in Haiti. So I just was sending out cold emails everywhere until I got an answer. So I was getting answers and I was like, okay, and I literally that's literally how I started I literally was sending out cold emails. It's like knocking on doors and being like okay, this is my initiative, initiative, this is why I want to do it.
Speaker 2:And eventually, like people like started like supporting me, supporting me, and then, once people started seeing the outcome, other people would come in and be like oh, I want to, I want to actually pitch in as well, like how can I help? How can I do this? And then that's how it like really started until I got like really big sponsorships to help me. But I think, starting small and you small and you know, don't be afraid to, don't be afraid to ask people for help. You know that's how you have to start eventually, like I think it's really hard to like start something on your own and have no support and be like like doing it by yourself and taking on the whole brand by yourself.
Speaker 2:I think asking for help is important. So I just started asking for help. My mom was she really motivated me, like she would be like, okay, then I know this connection that can help you with this, and she was like just reach out. So I was. That really put me out of my comfort zone too, because I'm not someone that likes to ask for help at all, like I like to do everything by myself. But I also didn't realize that it was not achievable by myself. So I was just sending out cold emails, reaching out to people, and then everybody started pitching in and then, once it got bigger and bigger, like other people started reaching out. So I'd say like that's one way to start just ask for help and share your ideas and then you know, see who's willing to help and support you.
Speaker 1:I think, yeah, you basically hit it right on the head, the nail right on the head that you know. Start small, pace yourself, create a plan and make sure that it's a smart goal, a smart plan. Give yourself enough time, give yourself grace, to be able to achieve those things. You for coming on here and sharing your story, and a tradition that I have on my podcast is I'll ask what's one piece of advice you would give Gen Z to go out and diversify themselves. So your one golden nugget of advice that you have for anyone out there that may want to do something similar to you or just is going through a hard patch in their life right now, what's one piece of advice that you would give them?
Speaker 2:oh, one piece of advice is oh, that's a. I have so many that I could give, but I would say, like one thing is just keep doing the right thing and everything will fall into place. You know, I think for us, especially like gen z, like you know, we're such in like a hustle and bustle culture that, like you're like even opening linkedin sometimes can like feel, you know, you're like, oh my god, so what am I doing with my life if everybody else is like doing this? You know, I think I think one piece of advice is like just keep pushing, doing the right thing, and everything will fall into place. You know, and don't be afraid to be yourself in certain circles, don't be afraid to be yourself in certain areas. I think it's important, you know, to show who you are, showcase who you are and be unique. So I think everybody's unique, so keep showcasing your uniqueness to everyone. So these are my two pieces of advice.
Speaker 1:Actually, thank you. Thank you, and I think you said it and I totally agree with you. Sometimes opening LinkedIn can be overwhelming, and you know, my mom always told me comparison is the thief of joy. So you can't compare yourself, but sometimes we live in such a social media and Internet world it's hard not to compare yourself. But, like you said, we're all unique. We all have something that we can bring to the table and even you mentioning before, if there's not a seat for you at the table, bring your own folding chair right. So thank you again so much for coming on the show. I'll be sure to link your website to Soleil and just your contact information. If anyone wants to donate or just wants to learn more about the wonderful program that Annabelle has going on, please be sure to connect with her and to check out her website. Thank you all so much for listening to this episode of Diversify Her and I'll catch you next time. Bye.