Working at Emerson College as a security officer was the closest Rossiny Julien thought he’d ever get to a four-year, selective institution.
But after being inspired by conversations with Emerson faculty, years later he is now an Emerson student.
“I told myself one day I’m going to be an Emerson student even if it takes me 50 years. And it still feels surreal, especially for my family … it’s a huge thing for them,” Julien said.
Growing up in Haiti, Julien moved to Cambridge at the age of 14 without knowing how to speak English. He struggled to acclimate to the food offered in the area and to learn the language.
One of the ways he most enjoyed learning the language was by reading newspapers and books about politics in English.
“I’m really passionate about politics. I cannot listen to anything if it’s not based on politics,” said Julien, who is now 28 years old.
After graduating from Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School in 2015, Julien took various jobs to earn an income, eventually ending up as a security officer at Emerson. While he had a passion for politics, he went a more practical route, earning his associate’s degree in surgical technology at Bunker Hill Community College in 2021.
It wasn’t until he met Gregory Payne, chair of Emerson’s Department of Communication Studies, and other professors in his security position that he realized he not only should study politics but he should earn his bachelor’s degree at Emerson.
Julien was different than other security officers Payne said he had interacted with in the past.
“Immediately what I noticed was a smile on his face,” Payne said. “I could tell from that first meeting that he was very — I think — very inquisitive, very eager.”
Every time Payne would pass Julien the two would spark a conversation about current political events, foreign policy or the books Julien was reading.
“I kept encouraging him and saying to him, I think you should come to Emerson because he has always been fascinated with political communication. And of course, Emerson’s polling is very well known,” Payne said.
Payne invited Julien to his classes, which focused on crisis or political communications.
“The more he got involved … he was beginning to get confidence that his views were appreciated and that he was in some way, in many respects, equal to the Emerson student, which I think gave him some confidence,” Payne said.
Payne mentioned Julien’s name to a person in Emerson’s admissions team, emphasizing how special Julien was, and wrote him a letter of recommendation.
Julien just needed the extra push to know it was possible for him to come to Emerson, Payne said.
But there was a hiccup. Julien was fired from his security officer position by the operating group Northeast Security. Julien said his boss blamed him for being overpaid — an issue he brought up to him. He was later rehired by the same company and worked at Northeastern University.
Northeast Security didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Due to the interruption in his employment at Emerson College and because of his fears of not being able to afford the four-year institution, Julien enrolled again in Bunker Hill Community College but this time to earn his associate degree in liberal arts. Julien said it was part of a larger effort to be a better candidate to transfer to Emerson.
In September 2024 he transferred to Emerson College. Emerson was the only four-year institution he applied to — in part because of the support system he’d have through people like Payne.
“I have good grades, but … I needed that motivation. I needed someone like him, in his position, to talk to me,” Julien said.
“I don’t think that would have been possible without him,” Julien said.
Since joining Emerson, Julien has traveled to Maine to go door-knocking for the presidential election and went to Washington, D.C., for the Emerson-Blanquerna Global Communication Summit.
Emerson partners with Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, Spain to hold the summit where concepts like disinformation and conversations about events such as the Russia-Ukraine war were discussed, Payne said. Julien’s travel and lodging were paid for by a scholarship Payne created for Emerson students.
Gregory Payne (left) and Rossiny Julien (right) at the Emerson-Blanquerna Global Communication Summit. (Photo Credit: Lluc Vila Boix)Lluc Vila Boix
Attending Emerson still feels like a dream come true, Julien said.
“I still can’t believe that I’m actually part of Emerson as a student,” he said.
Julien’s goal upon graduating from Emerson is to work towards becoming a diplomat to help address corruption and job insecurity in Haiti.
Payne said Julien brings a lot to the Emerson community, including his unique perspective growing up in Haiti and understanding the inequity that exists there. Also, it’s his eagerness to learn.
“We’re just very, very proud that he’s here,” Payne said.
“The greatest gift that you can have in life is to engage with people, helping each other. He helps Emerson and enriches all of us as much as we help him,” Payne said.
