TUP Scholar Caelle to give Commencement speech at Brown
Caelle Joseph outside the library at Brown University. Photo by Nick Dentamaro.
At The Upward Project, we often talk about what’s possible when talent meets opportunity and Caelle Joseph embodies that vision in every sense. A proud member of our Cohort 5, Caelle joined TUP as a QuestBridge Scholar from Match Charter School and quickly distinguished herself through her drive, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to growth. Throughout her time with us, she fully embraced every opportunity by building meaningful relationships, pursuing ambitious internships, and leaning deeply into her development as a leader. We’re especially proud to celebrate her latest achievement: being selected as a Commencement orator at Brown University, where she will address her graduating class; an incredible honor that reflects both her voice and her impact.
At Brown, where she studies International and Public Affairs and Business Economics, Caelle has built an impressive academic and professional foundation at the intersection of finance, policy, and community engagement. She has been deeply involved on campus, serving as an Employer Engagement Intern at the Center for Career Exploration and taking on multiple leadership roles, including mentoring first-generation and immigrant students through the African Diaspora College Access Program and supporting community-building efforts through student organizations.
Caelle with her Cohort 5 peers (all graduating this spring!) during at career trip at CDM Smith in Boston.
Caelle with her Cohort 5 peers taking in a meal during their two-week Summer Intensive in 2022.
Caelle participating in one of TUP’s two- week Summer Intensive workshops.
Her professional journey reflects both breadth and intention. Through TUP, we connected Caelle to a Leadership and Immigration Policy Internship with the City of Somerville’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, where she contributed to leadership programming and supported efforts to communicate critical policy updates to immigrant communities. She also pursued opportunities in finance, completing two consecutive summers with JPMorgan Chase. Most recently, she served as a Risk Management Summer Analyst focused on hedge fund credit risk, engaging directly with clients and internal stakeholders on complex lending and risk analysis. Earlier, she was selected as an Advancing Black Pathways Fellow, further strengthening her expertise in financial markets.
Beyond these experiences, Caelle has actively sought out spaces for growth and connection, participating in programs such as the Black Ivy League Business Conference, Fidelity’s Investment Sales Development Diversity Insights Program, and the Arthur Liman Public Interest Law Fellowship at Yale.
Caelle outside the library at Brown University. Photo by Nick Dentamaro.
The below is an excerpt from an article originally published by Brown University. You can view the full story here.
In upcoming Commencement speeches, senior orators to reflect on the meaning of community
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — When graduating seniors Zein Faheem and Caelle Joseph reflect on their time at Brown, each recalls a period of profound discovery — about themselves, what they might go on to do in the world, and what it means to build and sustain community.
The theme of community-building will unite the two separate addresses Faheem and Joseph will deliver to their fellow graduates at Brown’s 258th University Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 24.
Joseph, who is Haitian American and a first-generation college student, arrived in Providence somewhat shy and reserved. But over four years, she discovered how participation and engagement build powerful communities.
Faheem, who grew up in Cairo, Egypt, came to Brown with a desire to explore widely and chart his own path. Drawn to the University’s Open Curriculum, he embraced learning across disciplines, using both his academic pursuits and campus involvement to better understand the world and his place within it.
Both Faheem and Joseph shaped their college experiences by investing in the people around them. Whether creating spaces for others to feel seen and supported or creating opportunities for collaboration and intellectual exchange, they each found meaning in connection.
Their shared commitment to community will guide their messages as senior orators at this year’s Commencement as they reflect on the experiences that defined their time at Brown and will continue to shape their paths for years to come.
Caelle Joseph: Building community and belonging
As a first-generation college student, Caelle Joseph didn’t arrive at Brown expecting a feeling of belonging to come easily, but her four years on College Hill proved her power to create it for herself and others.
“A lot of people assume that belonging is something you walk into,” said Joseph, who will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in international and public affairs and business economics. “But it’s not something that’s given to you — it’s something you have to build and invest in, with people, with effort, with care.”
That idea is the theme of the speech she will deliver as a senior orator in a moment that will represent more than her individual achievement.
“I wanted to have representation for first-generation students,” said Joseph, who is Haitian American. “Sometimes, just seeing another Black woman on stage — it’s like, ‘If she can do it, I can do it.’”
“Being a part of The Upward Project shaped my experience at Brown in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. As a first-generation, low-income student, navigating an institution like this can feel overwhelming, especially when so many of the systems aren’t designed with you in mind. TUP gave me both the financial support and the guidance to move through those spaces with more confidence. But more than that, it gave me a community that believed in me during moments when I doubted myself.”
Born in Haiti, Joseph moved to the U.S. in 2010 following a catastrophic earthquake that displaced her family and is among the deadliest natural disasters in modern history. At age 7, she arrived in Boston without knowing how to speak English. Even at a young age, she said, she experienced a sense of imposter syndrome.
“I didn’t know the language, I didn’t understand the culture,” she said. “It was the first time I was surrounded by people who didn’t look like me.”
While her parents navigated a new country, Joseph and her brother often took on adult responsibilities, from translating conversations to managing complex tasks like completing financial aid forms.
Once she arrived at Brown as a QuestBridge scholar, she quickly connected with other first-generation, low-income students, as well as those who do not hold those identities. She embraced the different communities and worked to expand her networks at Brown. Joseph joined the Students of Caribbean Ancestry organization and took on leadership roles. She worked at the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Career Exploration, where she helped connect students with job opportunities.
“At the career center, I wanted to build pipelines for other students to explore career opportunities, too,” said Joseph, “There are so many resources, but if you don’t know about them, you miss out.”