Update on Kesnel | Summer 2024

Last year we introduced you to Kesnel - you can read his story here!

In 2023, Kesnel’s dream came true when he was selected to partner with The 509 Foundation to apply to college in the United States.

The 509 Foundation guided Kesnel through the entire college application process, and Kesnel was accepted at Hope College in Holland, MI. He also received the highly competitive Hope Forward Scholarship, which is a fully-funded four-year tuition scholarship with a pay-it-forward approach! 

Kesnel traveled from Haiti to the United States in the summer of 2023 and just completed his freshmen year with great success!  

The 509 Foundation helped Kesnel move to Holland, MI and acquire everything he needed to begin attending Hope College in the fall of 2024. The 509 Foundation also introduced Kesnel to a local family in Holland who could serve as a host family for him. 

Kesnel is a beloved student on campus who is studying Biochemistry. He is a member of the men’s intramural volleyball club and holds a job on campus. He is also active in his church community and spends a great deal of time with his host family, Rick and Mary Lyons, with whom he has developed a strong and loving bond.  

Kesnel is the first sponsored student through The 509 Foundation and we are immensely proud of him. He has navigated the challenges of college life (and freezing weather!) with grit and joy and gratitude.

Though your generosity, we can continue to support Kesnel at college AND provide this same experience to more Haitian young adults who have big dreams, a strong faith, and extraordinary potential!  You can change a child’s life by equipping them to live a life of impact with a pay-it-forward mindset.

Please partner with us, and witness your generosity have a profound ripple effect!