41-year-old Haitian man graduating from BYU-Idaho after 11-year journey of sacrifice and service

IDAHO FALLS – On Dec. 19, Mackenson Noel will be among the thousands of students who graduate from Brigham Young University-Idaho after an 11 year struggle.

The 41-year-old Haitian man put his own education on hold to help thousands of his own people have the same opportunities, many of which now have masters degrees. At one point, he was forced to come to the U.S. because his life was in danger.

Noel was homeless and jobless for about a year and was separated from his family. Doors eventually opened that allowed them to be reunited in America.

As he prepares to receive his diploma in marriage and family studies/human services, Noel tells EastIdahoNews.com getting a college education means everything to him and he’s grateful for the support of his wife throughout this journey.

“She believed in me. She is still my backbone. She’s still one of my first supporters,” Noel says.

He credits his mom and daughters for teaching him about resilience, sacrifice and faith. He also cites a saying in his culture that says, “If you have a head on your shoulders, keep hoping that one day you will wear a hat.”

“I know that I will someday wear a hat, which symbolically means that I will be successful. There is a price to pay: self-discipline, have a vision of what you want to become, and keep helping people. My mom taught me that,” says Noel.

A quote from film actor Audrey Hepburn has become his mantra: “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”

Noel’s journey

Noel was introduced to BYU-Idaho through its Pathway Program. It’s supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2014, Noel says he was among 41 students who was approved to participate. He completed the initial year-long program, and graduated with a certificate.

He started working towards a bachelors degree in Jan. 2016, but saw others in his country that didn’t have the same opportunity and he wanted to do something about it.

“I had to stop my education, travel all over the country … preparing conferences and giving seminars to inform people about it,” says Noel.

One of the people he helped is his stake president. After getting a college degree, Noel says the man went to graduate school. In that time, he transitioned from a seminary and institute teacher to overseeing an educational program for kids.

He increased his salary exponentially and had more time for his family. Noel says helping to give him access to education was a rewarding experience.

Another man he helped also has a masters degree in public health and now works for an NGO in Florida.

“These two (men) were the first to graduate since the implementation of the (Pathways) program,” Noel says.

At the same time, Noel was serving as the LDS Church’s humanitarian director in Haiti and was managing what he calls “important funds.” His position often put him in the public eye. Haiti has a long history of instability and somehow, a nefarious group got the impression he was rich and tried to kidnap him.

“On Feb. 9, 2023, I got a phone call and somebody told me, ‘Don’t go home tonight.’ I asked why and he said, ‘If you really care for your life, don’t go home,'” Noel recalls.

Although Noel had been kidnapped and held hostage about five years earlier for a similar reason, Noel disobeyed the warning because he was concerned about his family. On the way home, two armed vehicles surrounded him.

Noel avoided capture and got word to his wife and kids to leave. His family made it out safely, but he lived in hiding by himself for the next month.

Continued threats forced him to leave the country. Noel left his family behind and found refuge in the U.S. He didn’t see them again for nine months.

“I landed in Texas. I spent four months there. I didn’t have a house. I lived with a friend,” he says.

Unable to get a work permit, he relocated to Florida, where someone helped him with the cost of an application, so he could have legal status, get a workers permit and later bring his family to America.

Moving to Idaho Falls

Once reunited, he and has family ended up in Idaho Falls. Matt Smith, who owns Aspen Developmental Services, met Noel years earlier. Smith was part of a group doing humanitarian work in the Latin American country.

Noel’s first job in America helping kids with disabilities is the kind of work Smith’s company provides and Smith offered him a job. By that point, Noel had begun his online coursework at BYU-Idaho.

“I didn’t want to come because it is cold here,” Noel says. “But I accepted. I moved here in August last year.”

He started working with a special needs kid at Taylorview Middle School. This year, he has a similar job at Eagle Rock Middle School.

Noel is a legal nonimmigrant and is hoping to eventually become a U.S. citizen. He’s grateful for the “peace of mind” and safety that comes with living in America, a legal system that “strives to respect you for who you are or what you choose to become,” and the opportunity to do decent and meaningful work.

He and his family are proud to call Idaho Falls their home.

After graduation, Noel’s goal is to obtain a masters degree and launch a nonprofit to help others who are struggling.

Noel calls on those with resources and means to reach out to those in need. He offers some encouragement to those with similar challenges.

“If you still have a head on your shoulders … keep hoping that someone will bring you a hat,” he says.