Overview:
Two Haitian students — Gil Sander Joseph, a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford, and Wilhem Hector, a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford — share how a teenage rivalry in Port-au-Prince middle school classrooms grew into a lifelong friendship that inspires success for both. Their journeys from Haiti to Europe and the United States, shaped by determination and sacrifice, now drive a shared mission to reimagine Haiti’s future through education, sound leadership and STEM innovation.
When Gil Sander Joseph and Wilhem Hector, both now 24, first met as teenagers at Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague (ISLG), a Catholic school in Port-au-Prince, neither foresaw that a classroom rivalry would grow into a lifelong friendship spanning continents and world-class universities.
Before they became friends, teachers at their separate schools constantly compared them, urging each to outdo the other. By the time they finally shared a classroom at ISLG, rivalry had turned into respect — and then into a friendship built on mutual support.
“That incredible journey early on inspired us to motivate each other and draw strength and determination to accomplish what most in our upbringing thought was impossible,” Joseph said in an interview with The Haitian Times.
“Back then, we were just two kids with oversized dreams,” Hector recalled. “We didn’t know we were starting a friendship that would shape our futures. But we understood we could be much stronger by working together instead of competing against each other.”
Wilhem Hector (left) and Gil Sander Joseph (right) hanging out in 2017 around their high school—Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague— in Delmas 33, Port-au-Prince. Photo courtesy of Hector and Joseph.
Wilhen Hector (left) and Gil Sander Joseph (right) in Port-au-Prince during their visit to the Artisanat en Fête fair in November 2018. Photo courtesy of Hector and Joseph.
Wilhem Hector and Gil Sander Joseph are pictured on the left, with three other students on their right, during the 2019 interclass genius competition at Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague in Port-au-Prince. Photo courtesy of Hector and Joseph.
From Port-au-Prince to the world with purpose
Their dreams soon carried them abroad. Each earned a scholarship to finish high school through the rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) program in Europe — Joseph in Germany, Hector in Norway. After receiving their IB diplomas in 2021, they moved to the United States for college.
Joseph enrolled at Princeton University, majoring in sociology with a minor in Latin American studies, while Hector began his studies in engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Both left behind parents and younger siblings in Haiti, determined to excel not only for themselves but for their families and their country.
“As I was about to complete my bachelor’s degree, I contemplated going back home right away and finding a job to be able to support my family,” Hector said.
“Back then, we were just two kids with oversized dreams. We didn’t know we were starting a friendship that would shape our futures. But we understood we could be much stronger by working together instead of competing against each other.”
Wilhem Hector
But their ambitions grew with each opportunity. Joseph graduated from Princeton and became a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University in California, where he is pursuing a master’s degree in international policy with a concentration in migration. Hector earned his degree in mechanical engineering from MIT and won a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford, where he plans to focus his post-graduate studies on energy systems and environmental fluid mechanics.
Together, they made history by becoming the first Haitians ever to receive these two of the world’s most prestigious academic awards.
Joseph describes himself as deeply committed to migration justice. His research and fieldwork focus on equitable global migration governance, combining policy research with legal advocacy.
Pictured from left to right: immigration advocates and students Perry-Andy Poulard, Pascale Solages, Guerline Jozèf, Jozèf’s mother, Gabrielle Apollon, Ana Maria Belique and Wendy Ledix at a conference on Haitian migration held at Princeton University on Saturday, April 19, 2025. The conference was titled “Wout yo” or “The Roads” — Dynamics of Haitian migration through the Americas. Photo courtesy of Gil Sander Joseph.
Both are fluent in four different languages.
Hector specializes in designing and optimizing renewable energy facilities worldwide. With experience in wind, solar, geothermal, hydrogen and infrastructure projects, he brings technical expertise and a passion for sustainable development that he intends to implement in Haiti and the broader Caribbean region.
On his part, Joseph aims to work at the intersection of policy research and legal advocacy to promote fair global migration governance. At Princeton, under the guidance of Professor Filiz Garip, he conducted research on the decision-making process of Haitians living in São Paulo regarding whether to stay in Brazil or migrate to the U.S.
Outside of academia, both co-lead the Hector Foundation, a nonprofit they founded in 2019 to expand educational opportunities for young Haitians.
“Everything Gil and I do, Wilhem said, “ We do it with the power of purpose.”
Both men credit Haiti’s fragile education system with sharpening their determination.
“Every scholarship I earned wasn’t just about me — it carried the hopes of many others.”
Gil Sander Joseph
“Every scholarship I earned wasn’t just about me,” Joseph said. “It was a reminder that my story carried the hopes of many others who never had the same opportunities.”
Hector added, “We don’t study policy or engineering just to publish papers. We do it because the stakes are real. We’ve lived what it means when systems fail, and we know what it could mean if they worked.”
The team is working to create a path for future generations of Haitians to walk in, so that a privileged few no longer stand out as exceptions.
“Although we have benefited from being the exceptions or lucky in a country where opportunities are scarce, we don’t want to be seen that way,” Joseph assured. “We want to participate in changing that narrative.”
Hector Wilhem and Gil Sander Joseph mark the fifth anniversary of the Hector Foundation in New York in December 2024 with a big smile. Photo courtesy of Hector and Joseph.
Reimagining Haiti’s future, giving back amid friendship and legacy
Through the Hector Foundation, Gil and Wilhem have already started making a difference. The foundation, in partnership with nearly 20 international and local institutions and businesses, created Haiti’s first open-access engineering makerspace, called Project Manus. They also launched several educational initiatives integrated into a flagship summer camp—Program for the Advancement of Young Scholars (PAYS)—which has enabled them to develop multiple free robotics and engineering training camps, including the Dynamic Robotics Independent Learning Lab (DRILL) and Guided Engineering and Advanced Robotics Lab (GEAR Lab), serving hundreds of students in Port-au-Prince and its metropolitan area.
This summer, they advanced the organization’s work with a two-week robotics camp and workshops, training students to design, build and program Segway-style robots. Joseph and Hector view the initiative as more than STEM training. “It is about demonstrating to Haitian youth what they are capable of when given the opportunity and that innovation is within their reach,” they said.
“We’ve lived what it means when systems fail, and we know what it could mean if they worked.”
Wilhem Hector
Since its launch, the foundation has raised over $100,000 to provide youth with direct training and engage them through workshops. So far, more than 400 students from grades 6 to 12, 65% of them girls, have been empowered with technical skills, creative confidence and a vision to rebuild Haiti from within
“Haiti doesn’t need saving from outside,” Joseph said. “It needs its own people empowered with the skills, networks, and vision to transform it from within.”
Though separated by the Atlantic, the two remain close. Their friendship continues to fuel drive, perspective, leadership and hard work.
https://lnkd.in/p/eqqHiH7p
Student beneficiaries of the Hector Foundation GEAR Lab project, juggling several technical lectures and hands-on activities, including essential concepts in theoretical dynamics, such as the equation of motion, the transfer function, the root locus and the control loop. Photo via the Hector Foundation’s LinkedIn.
Asked to describe each other in one word, Hector said “Relentless. Gil doesn’t stop until he finds a way forward.”
Joseph chose “Grounded” for Hector: “No matter how far he’s traveled, he never loses sight of where he comes from.”
Both picked “companionship” when asked to choose one word that can describe what their relationship means.
“Haiti doesn’t need saving from outside. It needs its own people empowered with skills, networks, and vision.”
Gil Sander Joseph
From rivals in Port-au-Prince to enduring partners and scholars at Stanford and Oxford, their journeys highlight the promise of Haiti’s youth and the power of friendship to sustain hope. Through the Hector Foundation, Gil and Wilhem are already passing that hope on to the next generation.
Gil Sander Joseph and Wilhem Hector speak to what their friendship has meant in their journey. Video by Fritznel D. Octave/The Haitian Times.
Gil and Wilhem’s journey at a glance
- Mid-2010s: Rivalry begins — Joseph at Ecole Jean-Marie Guilloux, Hector at Collège Saint-Joseph; linked by shared teachers comparing their academic talents.
- 2016–2017: Friendship forms at Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague (ISLG) high school in Port-au-Prince.
- 2019–2021: Both earn full scholarships to complete the International Baccalaureate (IB) program in Europe — Joseph in Germany, Hector in Norway.
- 2021:
- Joseph begins sociology at Princeton University.
- Hector starts mechanical engineering at MIT.
- 2019: While still in high school, They co-found the Hector Foundation to expand STEM education in Haiti.
- 2025:
- Joseph graduates from Princeton University and becomes the first Haitian Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford.
- Hector graduates from MIT and becomes the first Haitian Rhodes Scholar at Oxford.
- Joseph pursues an International Policy study at Stanford University.
- Hector advances his Engineering Science studies at the University of Oxford.
- Together, they continue shaping Haiti’s next generation of innovators.
Like this:
Loading…
