Miykael Locke '24 had opportunities abroad in Belgium, Italy, and Quebec, but he chose Mexico for exactly one reason. He misses the warm weather from back home.
Miykael vividly remembers his first day of high school. His dad was there to see his son off to school, but when Miykael returned home, his dad was gone. He wouldn't see him again for three years.
"It was hard not seeing him, but it was hard on everyone. My mom was raising seven boys by herself. My dad was by himself in a different country. But I just kept telling my friends in school that one day I was going to leave and go be with my dad."
Guyana is a small country, about the size of Kansas, on the northern coast of South America, sandwiched between Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean. A discovery of major crude oil reserves in 2019 has boosted the economy in recent years, though opportunities – the kind you find in America – remain scarce. That's why Miykael's grandfather sponsored his dad's visa to the U.S. in 2000. Miykael's dad waited 14 years for it to process. When his case was approved by the embassy, he wished his son luck in high school, kissed him goodbye, and flew to New York City.
Miykael's dad took a job working security in Brooklyn and sent money home to his family each month. He also saved what he could, and waited for the opportunity to bring all of them to New York. But, when Miykael's grandfather passed, the process was put on hold, and hope began to dim. Fortunately, a friend of Miykael's mom stepped in as the family's sponsor, for which the Lockes are forever grateful. After three years apart, visas were secured for the boys and pictures were taken for their passports (below, left). Along with their mom, they made their way to Brooklyn, where they stayed for a week.
"A church sister kept the entire family for three weeks in a very small apartment she had in Brooklyn. We couldn't afford to live in New York City, but my dad knew somebody who had a connection to a landlord in Schenectady. So that's how we ended up here."
Miykael is the second youngest of seven boys, and while his older brothers all found work, Miykael was given the opportunity to go to high school and maybe college. By his senior year, his grades were good enough, but he needed the right scholarship and the right fit. That's when he met with Cynda Brousseau, who recently retired after 37 years with the College from her position as associate director of Siena's Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP).
"Siena was the last school I applied to. I met with Cynda, but I was already pretty sure I would go somewhere else. But then she told me something I'll never forget. 'This opportunity at a Siena education is a golden ticket. Take it or leave it.' I went home and spent a week thinking about it. Then I decided, yeah, I want to commit to Siena."
Miykael will graduate in May with his degree in business management, and he hopes to parlay his current internship at Berkshire Bank into a career in banking.
"My mom wants me to go into banking because she says I will have a good career. My older brothers have jobs, but this will be different since I will be the first to graduate college in my family. My older brothers lived much harder lives in Guyana. My parents always wanted me to go to college and graduate, and I am very grateful for all their sacrifices leading to this point."
As for Siena being the golden ticket?
"She wasn't lying. The HEOP program is one of the best. It's an amazing program with amazing people, and it's provided me with amazing experiences."
For example, there's the experience he got in Mexico last month.
Over the J-Term, Miykael traveled to Mexico and took a course in Environmental Science and Social Justice.
“That experience was nothing short of transformative. Exploring the diverse landscapes of Mexico not only broadened my understanding of environmental challenges, but also deepened my appreciation for the crucial link between environmental sustainability and social equality. With a newfound perspective, I'm excited to carry the lessons learned forward and to continue advocating for a more sustainable and equitable world."
