Kanto Raveloson arrived at SRJC in 2019 as an international student from Africa, with little to no knowledge of how the American education system worked. She had been educated in Madagascar’s exam-heavy French system, and she had no idea about the requirements, culture, or expectations of her as a student. She still remembers the first day of her English class when she got a D on her first assignment.
Seven years later, Kanto would graduate from Harvard University as the 2026 recipient of the Titus Award, an honor recognizing a graduating student who has made outstanding contributions to community-building, particularly within Harvard’s Black community. Along the way, she learned in depth about higher-education support systems through tireless self-education, persistence, and a unique ability to make the most of both campus resources and her own potential.
Her path was marked by persistence, but also significant hardship and subsequent problem-solving. While at SRJC, she faced food insecurity and a brief period of homelessness, temporarily stepping away from her studies to focus on covering her living expenses. “It wasn’t just SRJC that supported me during this time, but also the local [Santa Rosa] community,” Kanto recalled.
Despite these challenges, her determination and strong candidacy earned her a full-ride scholarship to UC Berkeley and later a full-tuition scholarship to Harvard University.
Kanto describes her three US colleges as a natural progression, with SRJC serving as the foundation. “I got bad grades in high school and never expected to attend schools like UC Berkeley or Harvard,” she said.
She first began to view UC Berkeley as a real possibility after meeting with SRJC International Student Program counselor Chris Grant. “He looked at my grades and listened to my story, and he was really the first person who made me feel that attending such a prestigious university was possible.”
Chris Grant offered encouragement, introduced Kanto to the UC system, explained transfer pathways, and showed her how to take advantage of the campus resources available to students. She also credits SRJC with helping her develop the academic skills and confidence she would later rely on at Berkeley and Harvard.
“People at SRJC believed in me more than I believed in myself,” Kanto said. “I would not have been successful had I gone directly to Berkeley.”
The D on her first English class writing assessment was really the beginning of her support journey. The instructor and Kanto formed a partnership to improve her writing skills. “My professor was so understanding of my story, and I began to see her regularly during office hours,” she said. “One of the prouder moments of my academic career was being called up to the front of her class to be celebrated for earning the highest grade on the final paper.”
Persistence and a willingness to seek out help were constant along Kanto’s educational journey. At every step, she made full use of the student services available to her. At Berkeley, where she majored in Global Studies, this included yearlong, for-credit courses focused on graduate applications and campus resources, which helped connect her with research opportunities.
Kanto earned her master’s degree in Education Policy and Analysis from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. As she decides her future, she is patiently assessing her options. “I am not sure yet, and I want to see what all my possibilities are, but I know that whatever I do will be focused on making a positive impact in people’s lives,” she said.