Over-age Immokalee High student, player apologizes

If Blandel Jean knew his decision to go to Immokalee High would cost the town three soccer and football crowns, the 30-year-old never would have stepped foot inside the school.

Jean is one of three over-age Immokalee students who played soccer and football. The now-former students are at the epicenter of an unraveling controversy across the state.

A place Jean never wanted to be.

State athletic officials handed down punishments and fines Wednesday to Immokalee High sports teams.

Jean’s voice broke as he spoke about them Wednesday.

“I’m so, so sorry; sorry because I already know they took the trophy for soccer and for that I say sorry to everybody — to my soccer players, to my football players. I’m so sorry,” Jean said.

“I don’t know what I can do to give Immokalee the trophy back. If I knew something, I would do it. I don’t want to let Immokalee down.

“Immokalee should still keep the pride,” he said.

Jean was a forward for the soccer team that won a pair of district titles in 2005 and 2006 and was a backup kicker for the 2005 football team.

Jean left school when his age was revealed before graduation.

He hopes to finish high school at the private International Learning Academy in East Naples. A leader in Collier’s Haitian community hopes to make that possible.

Jean played soccer in his native Haiti. He emigrated to Immokalee in April 2003 to join his family. He found a job as a convenience store clerk in Immokalee.

He realized he needed more if he wanted a career beyond selling gas, gum and candy.

He needed a high school diploma.

After seeing a graduation ceremony, which Jean described as “very beautiful,” he decided to enroll in school. His mother sent his birth certificate from Haiti. He said she changed the birthdate to shave years from his age.

He didn’t know the trouble it would cause.

He studied hard. His favorite subject was science.

Immokalee High was his home. But he didn’t broadcast his age.

“I’m not a tall man,” the 5-foot-5, 125-pound Jean said. “I don’t look that age. If you see me, you say, ‘No, he’s not 30 years.’ ”

Immokalee High had a bad rap when Jean started school, he said. He wanted to change that. He wanted to help the teams win glory.

“If I knew that this thing could have caused so many things, I wouldn’t have done it,” he said. “I’m very, very sad. My family’s also sad. One thing I do is just sit with my Bible and talk to my God every day. I feel so ... bad ... I really love Immokalee. I really love the students and the principal.”

Valaree Maxwell, founder and president of International Learning Academy, called Nesly Loute, a leader in the Haitian community to help find Jean. She wanted to help Jean finish school.

The nontraditional, private high school in Naples serves about 85 students of all ages.

Maxwell seeks to attract immigrants like Jean, who hunger for education but are too old for high school.

“They want a future,” she said. “Age is not a problem. I don’t care how old they are. I’m more interested in seeing what they have upstairs and what they have in their hearts.”

Jean met Maxwell at the Immokalee library Wednesday to go over Jean’s transcripts and finish enrollment. Loute said he and others in the Haitian community want to pay for Jean to finish school.

“We need to help him out,” Loute said. “He wasn’t out there selling drugs. Since he’s doing something, trying to get a good education, I will support him to the end.”

He could finish classes by October if he attends school this summer.

“My dream, I can get it now,” he said. “I was so down, down, down right now, but when Nesly (Loute) called, I felt good. My dream is to go to college and have a better future.”

Loute, talking to Jean by phone, replied:

“We’re going to stay with you, buddy. He’s going to graduate for good.”