Her Story
About Marie
My path to education was shaped by one transformative moment. When I came to the United States in the 1980s as an immigrant from Haiti, I didn't speak English. I heard Susan Lucci's commercial for Marymount College saying 'We put women in their right places,' and I ran to my guidance counselor to tell her I wanted to go there. She looked me up and down and said, 'people like you do not go to Marymount.' But my ENL teacher refused to accept that. She got the college application, helped me fill it out, paid for it, drove me two hours to Newburgh to take the TOEFL exam, and most significantly, came to my Caribbean home to convince my mother that letting me go to college was more valuable than the job she'd secured for me as a hotel maid. That one woman changed my entire life and my family's trajectory. My son is now a lawyer, my cousins became school counselors and social workers, and the younger generation is attending universities. I started as a social studies teacher for 13 years because I wanted to help students as whole children, not just academically. I earned my master's in school counseling and PhD in counselor education starting in 2012. I became a school counselor for 5 years, then district testing director, then Director of Guidance while managing NCAA eligibility and course catalogs. When my district faced a major crisis with leadership changes, I became assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services and special education, where I supervised all mental health staff, managed state and federal grants, ENL and World Languages programs, handled public complaints and investigations, and essentially served as pseudo-deputy superintendent. During that time, I helped raise our graduation rate from 40% to 88%. After a health scare, I returned to my love of guidance work, but was soon asked to take on the HR role as interim assistant superintendent for personnel, which I've been doing for a year alongside my guidance director responsibilities. I'm a self-admitted workaholic who loves solving puzzles and fixing problems. I have 17 years of experience as a master scheduler, and I'm passionate about compliance, ed law, and ensuring every student has access to advanced placement courses and college opportunities. I've been inducted into the New York State Educational Hall of Fame and serve as regional governor for the New York State School Counselor Association. I tell people, 'not bad for a Haitian woman born in Haiti.' Everything I do is about passing forward what was given to me, because impacting one child impacts an entire family and generation.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Marie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to one person who believed in me when others didn't. My ENL teacher didn't just help me apply to college - she paid for my application and TOEFL exam, drove me two hours to take the test, and came to my home to convince my mother that college was worth more than a job as a maid. After she did all that for me, all I wanted to do was pass it forward and impact another child, because as educators, it only takes one child. When you impact one child, you impact an entire family, an entire generation. I genuinely love what I do as an educator. I love my work, I love my craft. I'm a self-admitted workaholic - I'm happiest when I'm doing something, working on a project, figuring out a problem, fixing things. I'm fascinated with puzzles. I've also been very fortunate to have amazing women influence my life - Dr. Jacqueline Campbell Manning, who went from educator to superintendent, and Dr. Tiara Chase, superintendent in Westbury. They told me to go to workshops, take leadership classes, join organizations to make me better, to continually lead and grow. They are my role models. Every young woman should get themselves a female mentor in their field to help guide them on this journey.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received came from my mentors, Dr. Jacqueline Campbell Manning and Dr. Tiara Chase. When I decided I wanted to go into educational leadership, they told me to go to workshops, take leadership classes, and join organizations to make me better. They emphasized the importance of continually leading and growing. I watched Dr. Campbell Manning go from being an educator to becoming a superintendent, and she taught me not to be afraid to take risks. She had people tell her she wasn't ready to become a director or principal, but that didn't mean giving up - it just meant honing the skills to become ready for those positions. The lesson was clear: a 'no' doesn't really mean no. A 'no' is just a delay, not the end of it. Don't be afraid to take risks, and just because you're a woman doesn't mean you are limited by your sex, by your intellect, by your race. Those are your strengths, not your weaknesses.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't buy the hype that education doesn't pay. You're never going to become rich or a millionaire as an educator, but you are rich with the influences that you have on the next generation. Do not underestimate yourself. Just because you are told no, you can't do this, doesn't mean you have to give up. Always keep striving for more. I create goals for myself every year at the beginning of the school year - not just professional goals, but academic goals and personal goals. Strive for more. A no doesn't really mean a no. A no is just a delay, not the end of it. Delight in your career, enjoy every moment of it, but don't be afraid to take risks. Just because you're a woman doesn't mean you are limited by your sex, by your intellect, by your race. Those are your strengths, not your weaknesses. Every young woman should get themselves a female mentor in their field to help guide them on this journey. You need that. And one thing I would tell women: be your sister's keeper.
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