Jacques “Yolette” Magana

Yolette Magana has a family remedy made of pomegranate to treat a sore throat; she tells me as we are sitting down to talk on a chilly day that is uncharacteristic of sunny Miami. Her Haitian family’s tradition is to boil the flesh and hard shell (without the seeds) of a pomegranate to create a sort of a tea that upon gargling clears one’s throat. With the lemons her family grew in her native Haiti, they made lemons to treat stomach aches as “they clear your entire system!” Only a few minutes after we began our conversation, I was captivated by Ms. Magana’s wisdom, youthfulness and positive attitude towards life. In every challenging moment, to use her words, she creates her own sunshine. I was even more eager to learn about her experience in Miami and within our Ransom Everglades’ community.

Born in Haiti in 1955, Ms. Magana moved to Miami in 1984 with her mother and older sister. Yolette’s father had come to the United States in the years before to secure visas for the family. Yolette’s sister moved back to Haiti after two years but soon returned to Miami where she became pregnant. Her sister, happily married, has three children, including a set of twins. Yolette soon had a child of her own, a son who will be 30 years old in March. He currently works in hospitality, specifically the restaurant sector, and has two children.

Religion played a major role in Yolette’s childhood and continues to influence her life to this day. When she was a child, her grandfather led the church group’s prayers every single night. Today, Ms. Magana never misses church on Sunday and continues to be active with her spirituality. She never stops moving, and in her free time, she works around her house cleaning and fixing.

Ms. Magana lights up every area she walks into. When asked how she keeps such a positive outlook on life, her smile gets even wider and she continues, “people will not make you happy; you must make yourself happy.” She insists that life must be fun, but that she chooses her friends carefully as “not everyone is your friend.” She first brought her contagious happiness and positivity to RE in 2009. After hearing about the position from a friend while working at a Baptist church, she interviewed at RE. Thirteen years later, she explains that she appreciates the benefits which RE provide her that allow her to feel the stability she seeks. “Life is about ‘you support me, I support you,’” says Ms. Magana. Then, adding with a sweet smile, “I have been happy to work at RE.” She laughs to herself after hearing the next question: what do you do at Ransom Everglades? “Everything,” she answers. She arrives on campus every day at 8:00 a.m., though sometimes even earlier, and works until past 4:30 p.m. She is in charge of most, if not all of the bathrooms on campus and remains an inspiring, smiling face on campus. Never before have I met someone as kind, open, and radiant as Ms. Magana.