Howard County High School Graduate Shares Story Of Overcoming 2010 Haitian Earthquake
COLUMBIA, Md. (WJZ) -- Although many graduation ceremonies for students in Maryland have passed, WJZ continues to highlight all the hard work and dedication the Class of 2020 showed.
18-year-old recent Oakland Mills High School graduate Lavila Jackson has big plans for her future.
"What kept me pushing is first coming to America, because not everybody has the chance to come here and have a new life," Lavila Jackson said.
But looking back, Lavila Jackson said it's her journey that shaped her into the young woman she is today.
She was born in Haiti and grew up with two brothers who she hasn't seen in 10 years.
"I think I was about six, when my mother in Haiti dropped me in the orphanage," Lavila Jackson said.
And in January 2010, a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the country, leaving millions displaced.
"Her orphanage was destroyed in the earthquake and they were on the streets," Stacey Jackson, Lavila's mother, said.
From the second she laid eyes on Lavila, Stacey Jackson knew she was bringing her home.
"I just knew that Lavila was the child that was supposed to be with me," Stacey Jackson said.
Lavila Jackson arrived to the U.S. at just 8-years-old. She was malnourished, illiterate and unable to speak English.
"Assimilation was kind of hard for me," Lavila Jackson said.
But now, 10 years later, in the midst of a pandemic, she's still keeping her head held high.
In the fall, Lavila Jackson will be attending Hampton University to study business.
"I plan to learn about it and create my own business so I can help give back to my community," she said.
And after a decade apart, Lavila Jackson ultimately hopes to make a trip back to Haiti to reunite with her brothers. In the meantime, she offers this reminder for us all.
"Better things are coming and it's good to just look forward to the future," she said.
