Joseph “Junior” Jean-Paul discovered his calling by accident – literally. When a soccer injury landed him in the hospital, he was fascinated by the X-ray process. “The first thing they did was look at my bones in the machine, take a nice picture of it, and tell me if it’s bad or not. Ever since, I wanted to do that myself.” A January 2022 graduate of Manhattan Comprehensive, he is now about to start a four-year program at the New York City College of Technology to become a radiology technologist.

When Junior first arrived in New York from Haiti, he struggled with English. “That changed when I started school at Manhattan Comprehensive. I learned English and got tutoring, and I met other students from Haiti.” Junior worked with CYD’s advisors at MCNDHS. “They helped me apply to college and find a job. They are always ready to help with everything, school or work or your personal life.” CYD ensures that our students’ plans for life after high school include work so they can avoid debt. While in college, Junior will work part-time as a security guard in the Brooklyn apartment building where he now works 8- and 12-hour shifts. His main task is monitoring security cameras, which gives him practice interpreting images on a screen. Junior continues to work on his English: “I’m trying to do better every day.”

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