If you have seen him around campus, the phrase “orange crush” may have come to mind. Whether it is his pumpkin-colored hat, tangerine-tinted shoes, or even a spiffy combination of the two, you can always count on seeing Jeffrey Dessources donning his favorite color-and that affection runs very deeply.
As a child, Dessources began to appreciate the beauty of nature-an Arizona sunrise, the Grand Canyon-and realized his list of “favorite things” included items of orange.
“I love the brightness of the color and the way it comes out,” he says.
Nonetheless, beyond that carrot-colored exterior, one will find a delicious example of campus leadership and involvement. As the executive vice president of Haraya, Dessources prides himself as being the first Haitian president of the organization.
According to Dessources, “This semester, I’m basically being groomed for the position of president. I’ll be able to actively step up next semester.”
Besides his involvement in student organizations such as the Education and Haitian Societies, Dessources is also an inspiring Alpha Mentor, an enthusiastic Orientation Leader, and a respectable Resident Assistant.
With his many activities, one could be led to believe that Dessources always knew that he would be a part of the St. John’s community; it is as if he knew that he naturally belonged here. However, that could not be farther from the truth.
Born in Jamaica, Queens, Dessources moved to Elmont, Long Island during high school. After graduation, he was excited to have been accepted to all of his top-choice institutions, which included New York University and Cornell University.
“St. John’s was my fourth or fifth choice. I ended up coming here because they offered me the most money,” he says.
During his freshman year, Dessources was not enjoying the college experience, and, as always, misery loved company.
“My roommate that year felt the same way, and that was how we bonded. We picked up an issue of The Spectator, and one of their ‘Top Ten Lists’ said everything that we were feeling,” he recalls.
At the close of his first semester of college, Dessources was determined to get more out of his stay at St. John’s. In the spring he joined Haraya and began to look for a job. Today, he works in the Fitness Center and is on his way to becoming a high school English teacher.
“I want to teach high school students because I see it as perfecting what has already been built upon.”
Dessources desires to do more than leave his mark on the minds of impressionable high school students. Like many student leaders, he wants to leave a refined legacy after his final days at St. John’s. Constantly readin’, writin’, and rhymin’, Dessources wants to be remembered as “one of the greats.”
“My goal is to be a great poet on campus. I like to entertain, and I just want to write poems with substance,” he says.
Mr. Dessources has one more thing to say. What wisdom can he impart upon the students of St. John’s?
“I really believe in networking. Go past getting someone’s phone number or email address. You should get to know people,” he says.
In the world of Dessources, getting to know people can make life fun. In other words, remember this phrase: “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of orange.”
