Shown are Robeson Community College’s College and Career Readiness Department’s 2020 salutatorian, Wisemene Cajuste, left; valedictorian, James Zamor; and the recipient of the Mary J. Peterkin Scholarship, Ismael Virgile. All three students are natives of Haiti.
                                 Courtesy photo | RCC

Shown are Robeson Community College’s College and Career Readiness Department’s 2020 salutatorian, Wisemene Cajuste, left; valedictorian, James Zamor; and the recipient of the Mary J. Peterkin Scholarship, Ismael Virgile. All three students are natives of Haiti.

Courtesy photo | RCC

LUMBERTON — Natives of Haiti have been named the class of 2020 valedictorian and salutatorian for the College and Career Readiness Department at Robeson Community College.

James Zamor, valedictorian, was born in Saint-Marc, Haiti. He came to the United States in 2017 speaking Haitian Creole and French with limited command of English. He started his educational journey at RCC in the English as a Second Language program. He soon transitioned to the Adult High School program.

While pursing his diploma, Zamor worked at Prestige Farms, mentored other students, and was invited to speak to community leaders at one of CCR’s Advisory Council meetings. He has now transitioned to curriculum classes, with ambitions of studying radiography and later gaining his citizenship.

Wisemene Cajuste, salutatorian, also was born in Saint-Marc, Haiti. She came to the United States with her brother and mother in 2015 when she was in the 10th grade, also speaking Haitian Creole and French with limited English. She also began in the ESL program before transitioning to the Adult High School program while also working at Smithfield and Kayser-Roth.

Cajuste plans to start curriculum classes at RCC with hopes of being admitted into the Nursing program upon completion of prerequisites.

Ismael Virgile is the 2020 recipient of the Mary J. Peterkin Scholarship. Virgile immigrated to the United States with her family from Cap-Haitien, Haiti, in 2018. She enrolled in the ESL class and quickly transitioned to the Adult High School program while also taking the Certified Nursing Assistant class. During this time, she also worked second shift at Kayser-Roth. After completing the Adult Basic Education program in November and the CNA class in December, Virgile began working as a nursing assistant and enrolled in curriculum classes to pursue a career as a nurse.