Djery Baptiste arrived in America when he was 15 years old, leaving behind the poverty-stricken city of Gonaives, Haiti to take his education and life elsewhere. The city he once called home had survived rioting, a violent rebellion and multiple devastating hurricanes during his childhood.
After feeling like there was very little opportunity for a brighter future in Haiti, America seemed like something of a promised land for Baptiste.
“There’s a lot more hope here,” he said. “You can chase your dreams.”
Basketball wasn’t part of his original dream for the Vanderbilt center, but with his 6-foot-10 frame, it didn’t take long for him to get involved with the sport.