Junior Sylvestre is one step away from becoming a United States citizen.
The popular Monmouth College senior recently passed a citizenship test in Des Moines, Iowa. All that awaits is the official swearing-in ceremony.
“I drove three hours (one-way) to take a 15-minute test,” he said of traveling to Iowa’s capital city. “I find out in the next 30 days where I’ll go for the actual citizenship ceremony.”
To prepare for the test, which included reading, writing and verbal elements, Sylvestre took several practice exams.
“It was mainly stuff I already knew,” he said, explaining that he opted for the test rather than gaining another 10 years in the country through a renewal of his Green Card, which was due to expire soon. “I thought, ‘Why not just take the test and be good for the rest of my life?'”
Life in Haiti and Florida
The major part of his citizenship travel came before he was old enough to remember. With his grandmother’s help, Sylvestre came to Florida from Haiti at age 2, along with his parents and siblings.
“It gave us a better life,” said Sylvestre, whose parents both work at a retirement home. His father handles the landscaping, while his mother is an administrator.
However, not everybody in his extended family was able to come along when the Sylvestres moved 20 years ago.
“Most of my family is still in Haiti – lots of cousins and aunties and uncles,” he said. “The last time I was there was when I was around 4.”
In Florida, Sylvestre blossomed into an All-State basketball player at Cypress Lake High School in Fort Myers. But he also played football “to get stronger and faster,” and that’s how he caught the attention of Monmouth College. Led by head coach Chad Braun, the Fighting Scots’ football staff annually puts a major effort into recruiting players from the Sunshine State.
“Coach Braun came to my high school. They were recruiting some guys from the team,” said Sylvestre. “I met with him and I said, ‘Hey, I play basketball, too.’ Coach Braun gave me Coach (Todd) Skrivseth’s contact information. We started texting, and here I am.”
Don’t worry, be happy
At Cypress Lake, a high school with nearly 1,600 students, Sylvestre topped the 1,000-point milestone and was his team’s two-time MVP. At Monmouth, the 6-foot guard’s biggest contribution, said Skrivseth, is his “infectious personality.”
“He’s a great guy to have on the team,” said the 14th year Monmouth coach. “He makes us a better team. He works extremely hard on the court, and he works hard in the classroom, too.”
A person who can speak to the latter claim is his academic adviser, Jen Braun.
“I first met Junior when he took a class with (basketball teammate) Ganon Greenman,” she said. “I learned quickly that he was entertaining. Junior has a fantastic personality. He’s definitely always good for a laugh, but he’s also incredibly respectful and a conscientious student. He has a group of friends that all banter back and forth, and I will definitely miss the laughs next year.”
Sylvestre has that effect on people, and he said it’s always been that way.
“I like being funny and making people laugh, having fun,” he said. “If you’re having a bad day, I’ll try to make your day better. I’m always being happy and making jokes. I’ve just been like that my whole life. I haven’t changed at all.”
Experiencing Monmouth’s friendly atmosphere has been a highlight of Sylvestre’s time on campus.
“I’ve enjoyed meeting new people,” he said. “Everybody knows everybody. Everybody says hi. I’ve enjoyed that sense of community.”
A business major with a minor in marketing, Sylvestre is beginning his final semester at Monmouth in search of a post-graduation job. Sales, he said, is a possibility, and he definitely has the outgoing personality to support such a role.
No matter where he lands after Monmouth, he’ll do so as an American citizen.
“I’ll be able to travel wherever I want. I get to vote,” he said. “That just feels great.”
***Courtesy of Barry McNamara, Monmouth College***
