Alex Kingley Toussaint

When Alex Kingley Toussaint was eight, his father was murdered. His mother was then faced with the challenge of raising her three sons alone in their home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Alex’s mother owned a beauty salon, which made her a target as both a single mother and business owner. She lived in fear that her children would be kidnapped. This fear drove her to flee the country. She was away for months at a time while seeking a safe place for her and her sons. Alex and his brothers stayed behind at a family safe house under the supervision of trusted guardians. 

Not long after Alex’s mother was reunited with her family in Haiti, in 2010, the catastrophic magnitude seven earthquake hit their home and destroyed her business. Weeks later, Alex, his brothers and mother were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), after seeking refuge in Miami.

To help support his family and cover his educational expenses, Alex worked several jobs as a piano and voice instructor in several music schools around Miami– all while pursuing his Bachelor of Arts in Music.

Alex might have to leave the U.S. in less than a year, depending on federal and legal determinations regarding TPS for Haitians. But he remains optimistic about his future. After graduation, Alex hopes to attend graduate school for speech pathology and further his career in the performing arts, notably opera and musical theater. One day he wants to open a music school for underserved children in Haiti.

By Jennifer Lacayo
Junior Account Manager, Office of Media Relations