This week’s Joy Beat celebrates academic achievement and the ability to learn new languages.
Sanie Joseph, a 2026 valedictorian at New Mission High School, is a recipient of Massachusetts’ State Seal of Biliteracy, a distinction awarded for proficiency in English and another language. She joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath to talk about perseverance and what it was like to learn a new language and get accepted to Dartmouth College. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation.
Arun Rath: Take us back to when you first came to the U.S. at 15 from Haiti. What do you remember most from that transition? What struck you then?
Sanie Joseph: The transition was definitely hard. Coming from Haiti and just coming to the U.S., and it’s completely different. The education system is different and everything else is different. I came with my sister and my cousin and my mom as well. She left five months after we came, so I had to take care of my sister on my own, which was pretty hard. By that time I was also dealing with school. I was a sophomore, it was my first year in high school in the U.S., and I was trying to adapt to a new environment. But thankfully, I really had supportive teachers and I remember during the beginning of the school year, the classes that were assigned to me were a little bit below my level because I knew I could do more. When I asked to change my schedule, it was really easy, and so many teachers were willing to support me and help me. And even though it was hard, you know, culturally and socially, emotionally as well, I am really thankful for the help that I received.
Rath: I’m curious about learning English, because it seems like you picked up your fluency pretty quickly.
Joseph: Yes, I actually learned English on my own when I was 9 years old, and the story behind it is a little funny. I used to come [to] the U.S. before during vacation. So, I remember it was 2016, I believe, I came with my dad, and it was my first time in the U.S. I noticed how it was difficult for me to communicate with other people, and I was a kid at that time, and I was just so disturbed and bothered by the fact that I couldn’t talk with other people just because of a language barrier, and I told myself, ‘OK, I need to learn English just because I want to be able to make friends and talk to other people.’ Then when I went back to Haiti, I actually started writing words like, “hi,” “hello,” in a notebook. From then I just kept going and going and then I learned English.
Rath: Wow, that’s a profound way to learn by yourself. I was so sure it was going to be from watching TV! I’ve heard from many other first-generation people that that’s the way, but that, clearly, it’s worked out well. What does it mean for you now to go from not being a native speaker of English and coming over here just a few years ago and now being the valedictorian and with your Seal of Biliteracy with distinction?
Joseph: It means a lot to me, really. I’m a Christian, I really believe in God, and I really pray a lot, and I used to pray a lot just to be able to have the future I want for myself, even if I’m in a different country. I really do believe that everything that’s happening in my life right now is really because of Him, and also because of, of course, my community and my family, my mom especially, my dad, my sister, my teachers. And just... [The fact that] so much can happen in such a short amount of time is really amazing.
And I’m not even gonna lie, I didn’t even think all of this would happen. Going to an Ivy League was never something that I thought I could achieve — on a full ride. But, I feel like it’s really all because of discipline and hard work and just consistency as well. But, it’s definitely such an amazing thing to see, and just being able to inspire others through my story as well, I feel like it’s the best thing. It’s really what I want to get out of this is really just being able to inspire other people, especially younger people, and just showing them how anything is possible as long as you really put in the work.
Rath: It’s brilliant and you got into Dartmouth, that is awesome. Are you the first in your family to go to college?
Joseph: Yes, I am.
Rath: I can’t imagine what this is like for your whole family.
Joseph: It’s really amazing, they’re truly happy. Especially my mom, she’s really happy about it, my dad as well. He always wanted big things for me and he told me how, even though he didn’t have the chance to accomplish as much, he always told himself he wants me to be able to do more than what they were able to during their time, so it really means a lot to them.
Rath: You’re going to have me in tears. I understand you’re hoping to take the pre-med track. Tell us about your interest in that.
Joseph: It really started when my great-grandmother, when I was little, she was dealing with hypertension and other medical conditions at that time, and she couldn’t do anything for herself. I remember I was always trying to do anything for her even if I really couldn’t. I always tried to wash her clothes or just try to help. I felt like just being able, at such a young age, having the desire to take care of her really fueled my passion to be able to take care of other people. I feel like it’s really something that matches with my personality. I love to help others, I like to take care of others and also with my country as well. Haiti is an amazing country but the healthcare system is kind of lacking.
Just observing that as well is really pushing me to [want to] become a healthcare professional and not just save lives but also be able make healthcare more affordable in underserved communities like Haiti as well. So, it’s really something that really started since I was little.
I remember when I was in Haiti, there was a play at my church. The role I had, I was a nurse in the play, and I was so happy. I was in my element. And I was looking at the picture actually a few weeks ago and I was just telling myself how it’s meant to be, it meant to be. I feel like healthcare was always something that I was always passionate about since I was little, so it’s definitely something that I’m interested in pursuing.
Rath: You spoke about the importance of your faith, and I know that this is the Joy Beat. I know for Christians, joy means something in particular, and I’m curious to hear what brings you the most joy in all of this.
Joseph: I feel like I’m the type of person, really, anything brings me joy — the small things, the little things. But in the context of my experience, I would say just being able to receive an education and just being able to accomplish so much, and it’s so amazing to see. And, not just me, but so many other people, and especially people from my country — young people from my county who came around the same time as me as well. They are doing so much, they are accomplishing so much, and just seeing the amazing progress and so many people adapting to a new country in three, four years, it’s truly amazing. I think it really brings me a lot of joy.
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