Sophomore Barns Joseph has lived through tough experiences that most people only hear about in the news.

Growing up in Haiti, he faced daily challenges that few teenagers would ever encounter.

Haiti, plagued by political instability and uncontrolled gang violence, made life increasingly difficult for Joseph, his brother Jiovany and their family.

The streets were no longer safe and the violence became a terrifying part of their everyday lives. Kidnappings, murders and chaos ruled the capital.

“There was stuff going on because the president actually died but they never (knew) who killed (him),” Joseph said. “So it’s like the gangs going on and stuff and (killing) people.”

Schools were forced to close due to the unpredictable violence, stripping the brothers of their education.

With this situation worsening, Joseph and his family realized they had no choice but to leave behind the place they called home.

The first step in their journey toward safety and opportunity took them to the Dominican Republic. Joseph’s mother had already left Haiti for the U.S. and planned to find a way for her family to reunite.

The brothers got their visas and boarded the bus to the their aunt’s home in the Dominican Republic.

The transition wasn’t easy, but she welcomed them with open arms, providing the stability they desperately needed.

“It wasn’t difficult because I love them like my sons,” Carla Jeantinord, their aunt, said.

The brothers now faced a new set of challenges: adapting to a new country and language while living without their mother by their side.

Upon their arrival, Joseph was hit with the reality of living in a foreign country with a language he didn’t speak.

Since he had been exposed to multiple languages in Haiti, French and Haitian Creole in particular, learning Spanish in the D.R. was easy. However, the difference in pronunciation and grammar threw him off.

Yet, knowing that adapting to the new language was essential for day-to-day life, he worked hard to learn it. He immersed himself in their new surroundings, and over time he picked up enough Spanish to make friends and communicate in school.

For Joseph, life in the Dominican Republic was a mix of good and bad.

On one hand, the violence and instability that he was used to seeing disappeared, and he no longer had to live in fear when leaving the house or walking the streets.

On the other hand, the resources and opportunities available in the Dominican Republic were limited. The school was different from what he had experienced in Haiti.

Haiti emphasized memorization and strict expectations, while the Dominican Republic’s education system focused more on hands-on learning.

Adjusting to this new style of education took time, but Joseph was determined to make it work.

Since their mother was still in the U.S., Joseph and Jiovany knew that this wasn’t the final stop on their journey.

Their mother had been working hard to bring them to the U.S., where she hoped they would have greater opportunities and a brighter future.

It took time, money and obtaining complicated paperwork. But, eventually their mother was able to secure the necessary visas for them to join her.

“It was so, so, so, so, so difficult getting the visa,” Jeantinord said.

When Joseph and his brother finally arrived in the U.S., the transition was both exciting and overwhelming.

Joseph was introduced to an entirely new world.

They moved to Florida first for a week and later to Indiana.

The U.S. was vastly different from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, not just in terms of geography and language, but in the wide range of opportunities and resources available to the people.

“It wasn’t the same, they do things differently from what we do,” Jiovany said.

Joseph could sense the potential the U.S. had to offer, but he also recognized the challenges of adjusting to yet another culture and environment.

Despite the challenges adjusting, Joseph found a sense of belonging. The education system was different to the ones before, but he managed to thrive.

His dreams grew bigger, especially his dream of going to college and pursuing a career in architecture.

“I plan to go to college to learn about architecture stuff because almost all my family learned about that,” Joseph said.

As Joseph reflects on his journey from Haiti to the U.S., he feels proud. Despite many obstacles, his resilience and his family’s support helped him perservere.

“I’m happy to be here because there is more opportunities to take,” Joseph said.