Rising Stars: Meet Mirlesna Azor-Sterlin and Vroselyn Benjamin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mirlesna Azor-Sterlin and Vroselyn Benjamin. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Haitians of The Triangle (HOTT) was founded on February 26, 2018, by two transplants from Massachusetts: Mirlesna Azor-Sterlin and Vroselyn Benjamin. In a quest for a Haitian community that mirrored Boston, the co-founders started building the community on the Groupme platform. Over time, our online presence has expanded on Facebook and Instagram. Although our initial focus was to connect individuals of Haitian descent in the Triangle, our group has continued to expand in numbers and the services we offer.

Over the years, we’ve curated social, cultural, and intellectual events ranging from:
-Football ak Malta a co-ed soccer game that included a prize for the winning team
-Our annual Friendsgiving
-Fritay ak Jwet a Haitian Street Food & Traditional Games event
-Women & Men 2.0 a co-ed cultural discussion about modern dating and relationships

Furthermore, our joint efforts with various local businesses and organizations include hosting forums and events such as “Africana Nights: Haitian Flag Day Edition,” where we partnered with The Palace International and PierroToGo to celebrate our country’s flag. We collaborated with the Young African of the Triangle (YAT) on a discussion-based event called “Exploring the Black Identity” and most recently, “The State of Haiti,” another forum we co-hosted with the NC Haitian Women’s Coalition (NCHWC) soon after the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise.

While our primary mission is to build an intentional and authentic Haitian community amongst Haitians in the Triangle, the demands to advocate and mobilize our community in bridging the gap and supporting the Haitian people long-term are becoming more prevalent. HOTT is ready to meet the ever-evolving needs of our community in NC, within the diaspora, and our home country of Haiti.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Anytime a new organization is formed, we inevitably face some obstacles. One of the primary challenges we’ve faced as a young organization is limited financial resources. We also are lacking a dedicated meeting/gathering area and even venues to host the many different events we might be thinking of putting together.

Fortunately, our community has been open, welcoming and are eager to participate. We want to continue to serve and encourage our members and partners to journey with us.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Mirlesna Azor-Sterlin:

At an early age, my mother would sometimes take me to her classroom as she taught Math, Social Studies, or Sewing lessons at different institutions in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I saw how passionate and how loved she was and I always said I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. Because in Haiti, you might only think to be a doctor, nurse, lawyer, and engineer, the bold idea of studying something outside of these fields felt like unchartered territory. At Framingham State University (Framingham, MA), I majored in sociology with a minor in Spanish. Then I pursued a graduate degree in Higher Education Student Affairs at Salem State University (Salem, MA).

I recently received a certificate in Community College Instruction from East Carolina University with the hope and aspiration of teaching someday (following my mama’s footsteps). I am also a North Carolina Commissioned Notary Public, a sworn-in Durham Worker’s right Commission, a wife, and a mother. The art of balancing all that I do and all that I am involved in is something I am still figuring out, but I am proud to know that I remain committed to being a change agent as an educator but also as a leader within my community.

While my professional journey encompasses working in administration and student affairs at institutions of higher learning (like FSU, SSU, UNCA, NCCU), I volunteered on my neighborhood architectural review and Duke/NCCU Bass Connections team which were wonderful experiences. I am most proud to know that I know better, and I continue to want to do better. I am elated that what started as a small group is growing, expanding, and being redefined. It will always be “L’union fait la force” (Unity Makes Strength)-written on the coats of arms on the Haitian flag.

Vroselyn Benjamin:

I am an experienced Program & Project Manager with a history of working in the non-profit, for-profit, government, and academic sectors. I currently work as a Project Manager at Park National Bank. I most recently worked at Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) where I coordinated and managed the ABC Science Collaborative, which connects universities and institutions across the United States to facilitate COVID-19 research with the primary goal of safely reopening in-person schools.

I’m skilled in strategic planning, administration, grant management, contract compliance, event planning, and project management. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts & Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Project Management with a concentration in Organizational Development. Throughout my professional journey, I’ve worked with families and individuals in the Greater Boston area who were homeless or at-risk of homelessness; I’ve also served as a Program & Grant Manager at the City of Boston, working extensively with a number of community organizations that provide job training services to low and moderate-income Boston residents.

My personal and professional mission is to create space that allows people to connect, build, and reach their full potential despite the adversities people might face. My personal mission is my drive, and what I’ve been able to accomplish serving this goal is what I’m most proud of.

Any big plans?
While Mirlesna and Vroselyn are the co-founders and leaders of HOTT, we are actively recruiting new committee members to help us lead, organize and plan future events for our community. We plan to continue partnering with organizations and businesses aligned with our mission and services to provide long-term support and connection for the diaspora.

In collaboration with the NCHWC, we recently coordinated a month-long drive with the Buffalo Soldiers Hampton Roads who led the logistical efforts and the transportation of the donated goods for the earthquake survivors in southern Haiti. The slew of unfortunate events ravaging Haiti (gang violence, COVID, the assassination of Haiti’s president, the recent earthquake, and the migrant crises at the border) has prompted us to host a town hall conversation.

At that town hall, we strategize on how we can support Haiti and the greater community long-term. Our ongoing efforts will include bringing awareness to our community’s needs and creating sustainable change. We are currently in the midst of planning our annual Haitian Flag Day events (slated for May 20th and May 21st 2022) in Durham, NC. Future events and community projects are forthcoming as we look forward to serving and welcoming future partnerships.

We can be reached via email at [email protected] or through social media.

Contact Info:

• Email: haitiansofthetriangle@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haitiansofthetriangle/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaitiansOfTheTriangle

Image Credits
Various of the HOTT Community.