news of note
spartan sports Pascal Millien ’10 founded the Millien Dreams Foundation to help kids in his homeland of Haiti get an education.
Rising to the Challenge Alumnus’ foundation helps children in Haiti get an education Pascal Millien ’10 is always prepared for a challenge. Really, he’s always had to be prepared. At 10, Millien’s mother died suddenly, leaving him in the care of his grandmothers (Millien’s father left Haiti for America when he was young). 8 UTjournal fall 2012
Millien points to these early “pains” as the first inspirations he had to make a better life, for himself and for his family. “As a kid in Haiti, the biggest thing around is fútbol or soccer. It’s soccer, soccer, soccer,” Millien said. “In a lot
of ways for kids, there is no hope. The government is all about themselves. It’s challenging and tough, so soccer is sometimes the only way for kids.” He garnered attention early and was invited to join the Haitian junior developmental team at 12 years old, often playing well above his age group and facing older competitors. When he was 16, Millien left Haiti to join his father in Florida. Attending Auburndale High, not knowing English, Millien found himself facing a very different challenge. With the help of a school tutor, Millien quickly found his way in the classroom. But it was on the soccer field where the teenager excelled, helping Auburndale to the 2005 state Class 4A championship. Millien had a number of offers from top college soccer programs. He attended Lindsey Wilson College for a year, before finding a welcoming home at UT. “My three years at UT were great for me as a learning experience,” Millien said. “It helped me find my way in life. I learned as a student-athlete because I was pushed on the pitch and in the classroom, and those are the reasons I was able to get to my dream of playing professional (soccer).” Millien’s professional dreams came true when he was signed by the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2010, where he made 49 appearances over two years, before joining the Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Just as his goals were starting to come together though, Millien’s attentions were drawn back to his homeland. In January 2010, Haiti was devastated by an earthquake. In the wake of the disaster, Millien couldn’t reach his family for days and when he was finally able to get through, found out he had lost a number of childhood friends, a former coach and his cousin. Photograph courtesy of the tampa bay rowdies