In 2000, Alice Michelle Augustine moved to the US from Dominica with her family-she was on a journey to succeed.
Six years later, as a student at Lehman College, Augustine won the highly competitive Soros Fellowship. She was the only New York City undergraduate selected from a nationwide competition, which drew nearly 800 applicants from 257 undergraduate and 150 graduate institutions.
But her success did not end there, just three years after winning the Soros Fellowship, Augustine added another achievement to her list of accomplishments: a prestigious Fulbright grant from the U.S. Department of State. By then she had achieved a bachelor’s in English and Political Science from Lehman College. This new grant offered her an opportunity to expand her work in social justice.
Today she serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor & Director, Office of Prestigious Awards at Lehman College. In her role she serves as a resource and adviser to students looking to broaden their goals through scholarships, fellowships and other honors.
In an interview with NY Daily News featured section CARIBBEAT, Augustine said,
— “I want my students to understand that it is possible for them. I try to tell them there is nothing very special about me
When I speak to my students, there’s a level of empathy, because I’ve walked this road. I was a new immigrant. I didn’t think college was for me. I offer a shoulder to cry on, and there’s always a meal in my office. There is family and community here.”
This is a remarkable journey for this Caribbean woman who hails from the small island of Dominica to now changing the lives of students from across the globe in a positive way.
