Following the devastating 2010 earthquake, Susan volunteered as a teacher with Global Volunteer Network in Jacmel, Haiti. There she saw firsthand the deprivation, disease, and malnutrition suffered by the Haitian people. However, she was also struck by their resilience and sense of responsibility for their communities, especially their belief in education for their children as the key to a better future. She returned to the U.S. and founded HEI in December 2010 to support the Haitian people's efforts to educate their children.

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