CCRI ignited alumnus’ passion for learning, teaching C O M M U N I T Y
C O L L E G E
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CCRI celebrates 50th commencement
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LEADING OFF
A message from the President
contents Vol. 15, Number 2 • Summer 2015
1 Leading off 2 Notebook 6 Commencement 12 Student speaker 13 Thoughts from the Class of 2015 14 First graduating class 15 A year to remember
2014–15 was a banner year as we celebrated the Community College of Rhode Island’s 50th anniversary. It was an opportunity to look back at the accomplishments of the college and our alumni and say thank you to those who laid the foundation. We finished the academic year on a high note, awarding more than 1,850 degrees and certificates at commencement. Each year, we hear powerful success stories from graduates; some of these experiences are featured in this issue and others can be found on the CCRI website. I am proud to say the year was exactly what I hoped for. All of the events were well attended and reminded us of the things that make our institution great: our quality programs and services and dedicated faculty, staff and alumni. The college has risen from its humble beginnings on Promenade Street and an enrollment of 325 to the largest community college in New England, with four campuses, two satellites and nearly 66,000 alumni. One thing is for certain: CCRI will continue to be as relevant 50 years from now as it is today if the college continues to set the high academic standards necessary for students to acquire professional and personal success. This year has been one of advancements, collaborations and upgrades. The college has created articulation agreements and established new business partnerships. Renewal projects began on campuses and lab and classroom technology and software upgrades are underway. I am truly honored to have served as the president during the milestone. On behalf CCRI, congratulations to the Class of 2015 and welcome to the Alumni Association!
25 ‘Miracle on Promenade’ 26 Why I give: Chayenne Chin ’09 27 Gregory Amend ’05 28 Class notes and in memoriam
Green & White staff Marisa Albini Director of Alumni Affairs Editor in Chief Managing Editor: Erin Olson Layout: Brendalee Peckham-Bell Photographer: Dave Fischbach Contributors: Richard Coren Robin McDuff ’98 Jenn Salcido
A message from the President of the Alumni Association
Ray M. Di Pasquale President
This is the last issue of Green & White before I complete my term as president of the Alumni Association this September. It has truly been my pleasure, particularly during the college’s 50th anniversary. I have enjoyed meeting a number of you, hearing stories about your time and experience at CCRI. As gradu ates, we are all living testaments of the impact the college has on its students. Today’s CCRI students continue to face obstacles that could keep them from attaining their goals, and I know the Association will come to their aid as it has so many times before. During my tenure, we awarded 197 scholarships and book awards totaling $68,220 to help students pay for college and textbooks. One of my main goals as president was to increase benefits, services and discounts to members. The recently launched career development and mentoring program will provide resources and tools to alumni and
students. Graduates also can take advantage of a discounted insurance program, and they can learn about these benefits on the CCRI Office of Alumni Affairs website. Another point of pride during my term was that our Nursing alumni chapter continued to grow, offering networking coffee hours, work shops, panels and events that provided continu ing education credits. Affinity groups such as this chapter help our alumni connect around shared interests, activities and backgrounds. I will continue to be involved in the association and am excited about the future. I challenge all of us to stay involved, connect with fellow alumni, support the college and keep the spirit and momentum going. Congratulations to the Class of 2015 on all of your accomplishments, and welcome to the CCRI Alumni Association! No matter where your next journey takes you, you will always be part of the CCRI community.
Louis J. Saccoccio ’68 President, CCRI Alumni Association
NOTEBOOK
Free dental clinic serves hundreds Over one weekend in May, 774 people received $493,888 worth of dental care free of charge through the fourth annual Rhode Island Mission of Mercy Dental Clinic. Hosted at the CCRI Flanagan Campus, it provides access to vital dental care from basic cleanings to partial prosthetics to hundreds of comers with and without dental insurance each year. In line in the chilly, fog-covered parking lot, patient Patrick Ormerod of Warwick stood eagerly awaiting the opening of the clinic doors. “Without this program, there’d be a lot of suffering people,” said Ormerod, who had been in line since 4 a.m. to seek treatment for a cracked back tooth. Ormerod and others were helped by a veritable army of volunteers from across the CCRI community – students and faculty of the Dental Health Department chief among them – and beyond. This year, the program had 95 dentists, 330 medical and
dental professionals and 230 community volun teers working around the clock to register, triage, treat and discharge patients, to say nothing of those working behind the scenes to organize supplies, or the volunteers in the Red Cross van helping to warm patients with hot chocolate and snacks through the long two nights of waiting. On the second day, many patients returned to pick up their prosthetics, which were fabricated the night before courtesy of Precision Craft Dental Laboratory. “Enjoy your new smile,” a dental assistant said to a patient walking out the door with his newly fitted front tooth.
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NOTEBOOK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION presents
Niagara Falls Festival of Lights Niagara Falls/ Ontario, Canada Friday, Dec. 4, to Sunday, Dec. 6
Dental Health alumni participate in continuing education program The Dental Health Department had its own anniversary celebration to dovetail with the festivities of the college’s semicentennial year. To mark its 25th anniversary, the program hosted a combined reunion and continuing educational program at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln on April 18. The event, which was sponsored by the CCRI Foundation, Office of Student Life and DENTSPLY, featured keynote speaker Marianne Dryer, RDH, M.Ed., a professional clinical educator who spoke about advances in radiographic techniques. According to Associate Professor Julie Galleshaw, chair of the event committee, about 85 Dental Health faculty, staff, alumni and students gathered to hear the talk, earn continuing education credits vital to their licensure, and network and mingle across generations of graduates. Alumni who had graduated from the program in its earliest years were delighted to tour the state-of-the-art facilities now in place. “I heard a lot of people say that CCRI was where they started; it was their way of getting where they needed to be,” said Galleshaw. “It was a wonderful event. I didn’t graduate from CCRI, but it’s my family. I was honored to chair the committee to put the event together.” Attendees also banded together to pay tribute to the late Dean Maureen McGarry, raising more than $500 to be spent acquiring a bench bearing her name at the Flanagan Campus.
JOIN US! Experience outstanding accommodations at the Sheraton on the Falls and enjoy dinner in the Fallsview Restaurant, featuring breathtaking views. See the spectacular “Festival of Lights” and visit a chocolate factory that is sure to give you a sweet time. Explore and shop in the picture-postcard town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
COST (per person): Single occupancy $479 Double occupancy $399 Triple occupancy $389 Child rate $319 RESERVATIONS: Call Gail LaCroix from Travel Advisors at 401-725-1234. A $50 deposit is due with your reservation. Passport is required.
Learn more at www.ccri.edu/alumni.
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NOTEBOOK
Alumni Association Golf Tournament The Alumni Association raised close to $21,000 at its 13th annual golf tournament on June 10 at Crystal Lake Golf Club in Mapleville. The proceeds benefit students through tuition assistance as well as provide money for them to purchase textbooks and supplies. More than 90 golfers participated. The event included breakfast, shotgun tee off, lunch, raffle and prizes.
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NOTEBOOK
The CCRI Foundation hosted its annual retirees picnic on June 2 at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln. The event honored all past retirees, welcomed new retirees and recognized administrative emeritus status. More than 50 attendees came together to catch up, meet new people, enjoy a meal and participate in a raffle.
CCRI’s ANNUAL
RETIREES P CN C
The CCRI Alumni Association is seeking nominations for awards, including a new recognition this year, to be presented at its Society of the Knights event on April 1, 2016, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
CRITERIA: The Society of the Knights Outstanding Alumni Awards are presented to CCRI alumni who have been active as community leaders, attained personal and professional success, provided volunteer service to the college community, and have brought honor upon themselves and the Community College of Rhode Island. The new Squires Awards will be presented to CCRI graduates who have shown outstanding professional accomplishments in their field. Submissions must be received by Oct. 30. For more information and to submit a nomination, visit www.ccri.edu/alumni.
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COVER STORY
COMMENCEMENT 2015
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CCRI celebrates the
Class of 2015
hen students, faculty and staff began the 2014–15 academic year at the Community College of Rhode Island, they were promised a year to remember as they celebrated the college’s 50th anniversary. The excitement culminated in the 50th commencement exer cises, which saw more than 1,850 degrees and certificates conferred. “What an amazing year this has been,” said President Ray Di Pasquale as he celebrated the achievements of not only this graduating class, but also an alumni tradition stretching back to the first graduating Class of 1966, 11 of whom were on hand to mark the occasion. “You have worked hard and I am certain you are well prepared for the challenges that life will bring you. Whether you are heading out into the workforce or continuing on to attain your bachelor’s degree and beyond, you have great reason to be proud of all you have accomplished here.” There were so many important stories to be told and achievements to be acknowledged, there was hardly any room on the dais in the Vincent A. Cullen Field House. To paraphrase
the keynote speaker, Bill Flanagan, one of the sons of founding president Dr. William F. Flanagan, CCRI is a place full of “characters” – and the vast achievements of the students and alumni network speak to that. He noted that the American ideal and the CCRI ideal is that talent, initiative, original thinking and hard work – character – can and should be celebrated. “Character is a mom who goes back to college, even though she’s got to get her kids up for school, even though she she’s got to get
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them breakfast and take care of them when they’re sick, even though she’s got to do her term paper. . . that’s character.” He said it’s also a veteran who serves his country and comes back to enroll in college and the young woman who delays her dreams – maybe lives at home instead of getting her own apartment and works at a restau rant at night – because she wants to study to become a teacher or a nurse. “Character is also a guy who is great at fixing cars – he’s always going to make a good living at it – but he signs up for a course in poetry or philosophy not because it’s going to make him richer, but because it’s going to help him lead a richer life. That’s character. And there’s one thing that we all know that’s been true about this college for 50 years: It’s full of characters.” A testament to the fruits of that mission were two women seated like bookends for the long history of the college: Class of 2015 Student Speaker Elizabeth Husted and Sondra Pitts ’66, co-chair of the 50th anniversary celebration and member of the first graduating class. In her remarks, Pitts recalled the humble beginnings of the college: 325 students in the original class, sharing a converted factory space in Providence and building the school from scratch. It’s a far cry from the college we know today: an enrollment of more than 17,500 spread across four campuses and two satellites. But still, Pitts said, the mission and the fabric remain unaltered.
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COVER STORY
COMMENCEMENT 2015
“As different as the CCRI of today is from the CCRI of 1964, however, in the most important respects they are really the same. CCRI is still the best choice when one’s options are limited for whatever reason. CCRI is still the best choice for making progress while determining how far to go in higher education to achieve in life what one wants to achieve,” she said. “And CCRI is still the best choice for combining a top-notch college education with preparation for many of today’s and tomorrow’s best jobs.” Husted told a story familiar to so many students from both eras. Just out of high school, she said she wasn’t mature enough to embrace the hard work that precedes success. After failing out of Rhode Island College twice, she shied away from the classroom, excelling in the workforce instead. But in her late 20s, she said she wanted to find a community that would nurture her and help her move forward and achieve her dreams. She excelled at CCRI and, as her confidence grew, she joined the Phi
“ You have worked hard and I am certain you are well prepared for the challenges that life will bring you.”
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— CCRI PRESIDENT RAY DI PASQUALE
COVER STORY
Theta Kappa honor society and served as the chapter’s co-president for two years. She grad uated with a degree in General Business and a 3.5 GPA and will head to Bryant University this fall to pursue a degree in entrepreneurship to help her realize her dream of opening a bedand-breakfast in Providence. “This completion isn’t just a stepping stone for us either, you know. It’s a trampoline for some of us – to bounce up and down, to cele brate our hard work with this associate degree. This degree can also springboard some of us toward advancing our education or pursuing new careers,” she told her classmates. “Through traveling with Phi Theta Kappa over the past three years, I’ve had the opportu nity to meet community college students from
all over the world, and a common misconcep tion we discovered is that community college was our only choice,” she said. “But like I told my fellow graduate in the computer lab this past week – I didn’t catch your name, but you know who you are – ‘We are just as intelligent, if not more so, than those who started at a fouryear institution. And it’s our job to end that stigma.’ And so, I challenge you, CCRI Class of 2015, as we join new communities, to let everyone know where we came from.” Gov. Gina Raimondo, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee, Treasurer Seth Magaziner and Board of Education Chairwoman Barbara Cottam also attended the ceremony, congratulating graduates on a job well done. In their own way, the dignitaries each spoke
of how much of the economy and livelihood of Rhode Island rested on the shoulders of the massive cadre of CCRI alumni. “Rhode Island needs you,” said Raimondo in her remarks. “Your talent, your vision, your entrepreneurship ...you’ve got grit, you refused to give up. If you take that with you from here... I promise you your future will be bright.”
For more coverage of Commencement 2015, visit www.ccri.edu/commencement.
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COVER STORY
COMMENCEMENT 2015
Jacqueline J. Lefrancois
Reflections from the hallways E
ach year during the graduation festivities, students celebrate not only the attainment of degrees and certificates, but joining the ranks of nearly 66,000 alumni. Every bit as diverse as the student body at CCRI, this distinguished group of alumni makes its impact felt all over the state – and beyond. Out in the hallways of the college just before commence ment exercises, students on the precipice of joining this group reflected on their hard work and hopes for the future. Student Jacqueline J. Lefrancois, 65, a General Studies major from Blackstone, Massachusetts, said she was thrilled that this day had finally come, as she was fulfilling a lifelong dream. Lefrancois had put off school for marriage and a career in hairdressing,
dropping out of high school in the 11th grade. I always, always, always wanted to go to college,” said the grandmother of two who had perfect attendance during her decade at CCRI. “I love that I’m graduating today. I did it!” Jonathan Raymond Travelyn of Westerly also had to drop out of high school when he was diagnosed with stage 3 lymphoma at 16. After making a full recovery, he jumped right back into the classroom, earning an associate degree in Electrical Engineering and connecting with many new friends and future colleagues in the process. He will matriculate to the University of Rhode Island in the fall. Some robing rooms were overflowing with graduates who came back to school through the workforce, such as the classroom where
the Early Childhood Education graduates in the Human Services Department gathered. Isabel M. Bosworth of Cumberland came to the college courtesy of Dr. Daycare in Pawtucket, where she works. A mother of two, she loved the flexibility CCRI afforded her. “I wish this was a four-year school,” said Bosworth, who is going on to Rhode Island College for her bachelor’s degree in an effort to transition from day care to kindergarten in the public schools. Over in the rooms filled with Health Sciences grads, the crowd was adorned with sparkling purple additions to the caps and gowns, many students customizing their mortar boards with bedazzled messages celebrating their degrees in Dental Assisting, Radiography and more. Student Lonnie A. Wilkerson of Providence was graduating with a degree in Respiratory Therapy. He had worked as a nurse assistant for 13 years in a nursing home, and had long nur tured an interest in the health field but wanted to advance his career and learn new skill sets. “I enjoy helping people. I felt like if I could advance myself, I could do a little more for people,” he said. At the back of the room, similarly softspoken Nicholas Cimorelli of Providence was draping his purple Dental Assisting sash around his neck. Cimorelli said that his final goal is to become a dentist, and wanted to gain exposure in the field first through CCRI’s program. “I hope to finish up at CCRI with my associate degree in General Studies and then go on to URI for a bachelor’s before dental school,” he said. “Now I know that I like the field, and I’m excited to move forward.”
“ I wish this was a four-year school . . .” — ISABEL M. BOSWORTH ’15
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Jonathan Raymond Travelyn
Isabel M. Bosworth
Nicholas Cimorelli
Respiratory Therapy graduate, Lonnie A. Wilkerson, third from the left, is pictured with fellow graduates.
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Class of 2015 student speaker overcame fear of the classroom to excel as leader W
hen Elizabeth Husted graduated on May 15 and served as the Commu nity College of Rhode Island’s Class of 2015 student commencement speaker, she took an important step in the direction of fulfilling her longtime dream of becoming a business owner. But more than that, she celebrated where she’s been. “I wasn’t ready to be on my own,” she said of her initial attempt to attend Rhode Island College as a student straight out of high school. “I didn’t do well and, based on that, it ruined my confidence. I continued to have reoccurring nightmares throughout my 20s about going back to school.” While shying away from the classroom, Husted worked in hotel management and as a travel agent with AAA. After about seven years in the working world, she suddenly found herself yearning to learn more. That desire eventually allowed her to conquer her fear of the classroom, and she enrolled in CCRI. “I was at a point in my life where I needed to prove to myself that not only could I excel in the workforce, but that I could be a good student,” she said. “I was obviously scared at first because of past experiences, but I realized
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that CCRI gave me the support that I needed in order to gain confidence.” Armed with a maturity and work ethic that not many students have right out of high school, Husted’s re-entry into higher education was positive. She knew now how to ask for help and where to go to find it. As she built up her confidence, she started to realize what her passion projects were – a business track and an ultimate goal of opening up a bed-and-break fast on the West Side of Providence. “I promised myself I’d do everything right this time to make that dream a reality. I know
Island. She used the yearlong commitment to strengthen her ties to the local LGBTQ com munity and served as a role model by headlin ing fundraisers for groups such as Rhode Island Pride and Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders. “I felt like running for Miss Lesbian Rhode Island because at that point in my life, I was 30, and even though the other contestants were younger, I felt like I had the self-confidence to go out and be myself. I’m not a beauty queen at all; that’s not my style. I wanted to be as genuine as possible,” she said.
“ I challenge you, CCRI Class of 2015, as we join new communities, to let everyone know where we came from.”
— Commencement remarks, ELIZABETH HUSTED ’15
everyone says that, but I wanted to create a solid plan to make a successful business in the community,” she said. While Husted was chasing one dream, another that she hadn’t dared to allow as a possibility crept up on her when Professor Laurie Sherman encouraged her to apply to Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for two-year colleges, which requires a 3.75 GPA. Sherman further convinced her to run for president, a position she held on top of her studies and fulltime employment at Patriot Subaru in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. Although anyone who meets the gregari ous Husted would be hard-pressed to imagine that she ever struggled with confidence, her self-deprecating manner shines through when she talks about the accomplishment. “It’s a miracle,” she said of her induction into PTK. “I’ve always had natural leadership skills, but because of failing out of school the first time around, I really didn’t have the confidence to thrive. This helped me enhance my leadership skills and go with that.” In 2014, she added another leadership posi tion as she was crowned Ms. Lesbian Rhode
Husted said that even in 2015 in New England, creating visibility and role models for the LGBTQ community is important work and, although she is busier than ever before, she’s up for the challenge. “To have that power to create a good impression about gay people in general, or within our community, is pretty powerful. It’s amazing to offer the opportunity for someone who hasn’t met someone who is openly gay or maybe hasn’t had a real conversation with one to do so,” she said. From unsure to unstoppable, Husted received her associate degree in General Business and has been accepted to Bryant University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship. But no matter how far she continues to climb, she said she will never forget where her journey began. “Community college is for people who need the support that they might not be able to get elsewhere,” she said. “They just need that confidence. CCRI is amazing and encouraging; if you’re willing to put in the work, they’ll support you and make sure you succeed.”
COVER STORY
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Thoughts from the Class of 2015 – 1 ALLISON CONTILLO “ When you are recognized and supported for doing well in school,
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it’s not only encouraging, but it acts as validation that you’re on the path.” 2 ROSA DALOMBA “ Although my journey hasn’t been smooth, it hasn’t been solo, and
I am so thankful for that,” she said, crediting the college staff. 3 LISA MARIE EWING “ If you hear a knock at the door and you think it’s an opportunity,
Read more about each of these graduates and their stories online at www.ccri.edu/commencement.
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take it.” 4 KEVEON GOMERA “ I want to be someone who is going to ruffle feathers. If you want
to make change, you have to go do it yourself.” 5 ALEXANDER JIMENEZ “ It’s not about how much money I can make. It’s about creating
something positive, and changing the world somehow, even if it’s just a little.” 6 GEORGE OSSEI “ I’m grateful for each and every one of the people I’ve met:
students, professors, advisers and deans.”
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7 OSCAR PACHECO “ It’s very easy to find help everywhere you go at CCRI. You just
need to ask for it.” 8 ANNA SHERMAN “ If you’re about to start CCRI or thinking about coming here...
it’s an incredible school.”
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9 KRISTEN SUTTON “ I wanted to be able to get to know my professors. CCRI was exactly
what I was looking for. The people here really made the difference for me, especially the professors.” 10 AIA TAGUINOD “Opportunities won’t come to you; you have to go find them.”
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11 LYNN WILSON “ The message is, if you apply yourself, you’re capable of anything.” 12 SUSANNA YIM “ CCRI was my safe haven. There was a great sense of belonging.
It brought the best out in me – I learned about things I never knew were there. I was able to learn to think critically and speak up and be heard, and I was congratulated for that.”
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Alums from first class join graduates at 50th commencement T
he members of the Class of 2015 weren’t the only ones processing into the Vincent A. Cullen Field House on the evening of the 50th commencement exercises. Preceding the graduates, a very special group of alumni – men and women who graduated with the first class at then-Rhode Island Junior College in 1966 – came in proudly walking two by two. The crowd on hand that night was much bigger than what these alumni would have remembered from their time; the first gradu ating class was a fraction of the 2015 class, and the small commencement took place on the State House lawn. Nevertheless, for those men and women, the ethos of the place was so much the same. “It was fabulous to come back,” said Gail Bender. “It felt awesome, marching between the graduates – as they clapped for us, I felt like saying, ‘Clap for yourselves! You’re doing the same thing we did 50 years ago!’” Bender, a Cranston native who now resides in Cary, North Carolina, had been to the Knight Campus nine years earlier for her
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class’s 40th reunion. Knowing how special that felt, she said it was a given that she would be back to take part in the festivities for the 50th anniversary. “It brought back a lot of memo ries, seeing the people I went to school with. I also saw Dr. Robert Silvestre, one of my alltime favorite teachers. To see him again was wonderful,” she said. It didn’t take long for Bender’s days in the rented factory space on Promenade Street to come flooding back to her – making the long trek to class from whatever parking she could find, the Coca-Cola bottling factory sign on the horizon or driving up in classmate Sondra Pitts’ new Mustang convertible. Bender said she came to RIJC for the “small-school” experience, and the fond remembrances she has with her fellow gradu ates spoke to that. She, like many graduates of CCRI then and now, found that the college was her only reasonable option financially, academ ically and socially. Knowing that she wanted to be a health and physical education teacher, she needed somewhere to get her
Gail Bender ’66
start, and the new college was there to give her a boost. “I loved the junior college so much. It gave me the opportunity to succeed and transfer and to do well. I’m so thankful that it was there for me,” she said. Bender came into her own, much as the college would, over the following years: trans ferring to the University of Bridgeport to earn her bachelor’s degree, teaching in Coventry and then running programs for the Department of Health, earning her master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island, and continuing on to much success as a teacher in the ExeterWest Greenwich school district, earning Health Teacher of the Year in 1994 for the state, Teacher of the Year in 1996 for the district and being named Wal-Mart’s Teacher of the Year in 1997. “It was all because of the college. It gave me that start,” she said. “If the college hadn’t been there for me, I don’t know what I would have done. Graduating then was an accomplishment for us all – we did it. I never expected to be back 50 years later walking with the graduates; it was astounding.”
EVENTS
A year to remember
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Opening Day convocation “ We’re celebrating 50 years of educating Rhode Islanders, helping them change their lives and achieve their dreams.”
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— President Ray Di Pasquale
Although Opening Day always brings with it a chance to look forward to the new year ahead, the program, opening the 2014–15 academic year, was a special one: It marked the beginning of the 50th anni versary. Faculty and staff were invited to join President Ray Di Pasquale in the Bobby Hackett Theater at the Knight Campus in Warwick on Aug. 28, 2014. Speakers reflected on the institution’s past as well as the future, with a particular eye toward how the last 50 years have built a network of nearly 66,000 graduates. Jim Flanagan, son of Dr. William F. Flanagan, was joined by family members as he spoke about the college’s legacy. All who attended received a special commemorative gift.
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20th annual CCRI Fall Classic Golf Tournament The 20th annual Fall Classic Golf Tournament took place on Sept. 15, 2014, at the Alpine Country Club in Cranston. Proceeds from the tournament provide student assistance through book awards and tuition scholarships. Thanks to the sponsors, players, donors and volunteers, this year’s event raised more than $34,000. This was a record-breaking year, with the most golfers, dinner guests and amount of money raised in the history of the tournament. The day included lunch, a putting contest, a Texas scramble format golf tournament, dinner, reception, raffle and awards. Celebrity guests included Kevin Stacom, Ernie DiGregorio, Mark Searles and Jenny Dell.
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CCRI Day Rhode Island celebrated CCRI Day on Nov. 12, 2014, in honor of the college’s 50th anniversary. Bells rang at city and town halls across the state as the state’s only community college was honored. In a short ceremony at the State House, former Gov. Lincoln Chafee issued a proclamation and President Di Pasquale, Commissioner of Postsecondary Education Jim Purcell, past Board of Education Chairwoman Eva Marie Mancuso, Chairperson of the Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education Michael Bernstein, Johnston Mayor and two-time CCRI alumnus Joseph Polisena and alumna Sondra Pitts ’66 spoke.
50th anniversary time capsule buried It’s not every day you get to honor the past, present and future all at once. A crowd of approximately 100 students, faculty, staff and invited guests assembled around the front of the Knight Campus in Warwick and got to do just that, though, on Sept. 24, 2014, as they bore witness to the burial of a time capsule commemorating the college’s first 50 years. President Ray Di Pasquale and Sondra Pitts ’66 addressed the crowd before the time capsule, filled with more than 70 items, was lowered into the ground. Organizers hope the capsule will be unearthed in 50 years.
“ We’re celebrating 50 years of really making a difference in students’ lives, helping them to get to where they want to go. Think of the power of that.”
— PRESIDENT RAY DI PASQUALE S U M M E R / 2 0 1 5
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of PERFORMING ARTS at CCRI
The Community College of Rhode Island rededicated the recently refurbished Bobby Hackett Theater with an evening celebrating its talented performers in “50 Years of Performing Arts at CCRI” on Nov. 21, 2014, at the Knight Campus in Warwick.
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Hackett was a Providence-born jazz musi cian whose career spanned six decades and saw performances with music legends from Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman to Louis Armstrong and Tony Bennett. When the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame inducted Hackett in 2013, it said “his unique and exquisite tone coupled with his melodic improvisational style gave him an instantly recognizable sound and made him a household name.” Several of Hackett’s family members, including his granddaughter, grandson, niece, great-grandchildren and even his 8-month-old great-great grandson, were in attendance. Featured performances included aerial silk acrobat and alumna Jamie Glowacki, Perform ing Arts Department students, faculty and
alumni staging scenes from plays performed through the decades and musical entertainment from the cast of “Hello Broadway 2014.” Local rhythm and blues band Steve Smith and the Nakeds served as house band and, after the show, Bruce Kalvert ’76 entertained the crowd with close-up magic tricks and attendees enjoyed posing with living statues of Mozart and Shakespeare from TEN31 Productions during a reception in the Great Hall.
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Event celebrates 50 years of CCRI alumni O
ver the past 50 years, the Community College of Rhode Island has graduated close to 66,000 alumni. On March 26, CCRI had the opportunity to applaud an accomplished group of these men and women at “Celebrating Alumni for 50 Years.” The special evening was held at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston. About 650 people were in attendance for the festivities, which included a cocktail hour, awards ceremony emceed by WPRI 12 anchor Mike Montecalvo, a seated dinner and an extraordinary performance by musician and educator Livingston Taylor. Invited guests included CCRI faculty, staff, alumni, family, friends and political dignitaries from across the state. Throughout the evening, one could see classmates catching up with one another, sharing stories of their varied experiences both at and after their time at the college. “It’s extraordinary to be here, just amazing to be among everybody here,” said Melissa Nassaney ’98, one of the alumni awardees. “CCRI gave me the confidence that I needed to flourish.” Nassaney got her start in the Physical Ther apist Assistant program at the college before going on to achieve bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in physical therapy. Now, she’s a respected member of her field both locally and nationally, but she said she still felt humbled by the “huge diversity of talent and expertise” in the room. Fellow alumni awardee Dr. Michael J. Hayden ’77 graduated long before Nassaney, but also got his start in one of the Health Sciences programs, Nursing. He went on to become a doctor of osteopathy, practicing for 28 years. “To sum up in a few words what the college meant to me would be tough,” said Hayden, who also played basketball for the Knights. “It was a tremendous lift to me back in the ’70s. And I’ve always been able to relate that to my patients – how I got started.”
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In addition to the 23 alumni awardees, three divisional awardees were recognized at the start of the evening to represent the outstand ing achievements springing from the three divisions of the college: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Business, Science and Tech nology; and Health and Rehabilitative Sciences. Lin Tucci, Screen Actors Guild Awardwinning actor seen on Netflix’s “Orange Is The New Black,” graduated from the college in 1971, and said that no matter where she went in the world – and this includes national tours for the Broadway show “Nunsense” and a turn on the silver screen in “Showgirls” – she carried her fans and family from CCRI in her heart. “I could never have done it without you,” she said in an emotional acceptance speech from the podium that night. “Cheers to another 50 years!”
Sandra Pattie ’76, president and CEO of BankNewport, got her start at the college with an associate degree in Business. During her time on the stage, she reflected on how lucky she had been – specifically her good fortune to find CCRI at a time in her life when she needed that direction. “I’m lucky to have met the professors I did, the ones who recognized something in me that I didn’t know I had,” she said. “I’m lucky CCRI was here for me.” Antonia “Toni” McGuire ’75 is a graduate of the college’s Nursing program who serves as president and CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center in Worcester, Mas sachusetts. Like Tucci and Pattie, she thanked her family for the sacrifices they made for her as she began to climb the ladder of a distinguished career. “No one ever really walks this path alone,” she said, before adding a specific tribute
to not only the teachers who mentored her, but to inspire the next generation of teachers. “Teachers invested in me, and helped turn my work into something bigger than me and bigger than life. If you invest in one person, you invest in a community. At CCRI, every person is an investment in our future,” she said. After the divisional awardees were honored, members of the elite Society of the Knights in attendance and then the alumni awardees joined them, eventually filling the sizable stage with decades of success, memo ries and returns on investments to which one couldn’t possibly assign a price. “CCRI produces such wonderful and suc cessful people,” said Marisa Albini, director of Alumni Affairs, summing up the evening. “So many outstanding alumni are here tonight, and it’s so exciting to be able to gather and celebrate them all.”
Videos from the event can be found on the CCRI YouTube page.
“ C CRI gave me the confidence that I needed to flourish.” — MELISSA NASSANEY ’98
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The Community College of Rhode Island held its first 5K run/walk on April 11 at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln. Nearly 300 runners and walkers of all ages turned out. The Providence Gay Men’s Chorus performed the national anthem to kick off the celebration. The day also included a kids’ 1K fun run, awards ceremony and raffle. The event raised nearly $10,000 for book scholarships to assist CCRI students in financial need.
“ M any people here are doing their first 5K and ever yone here is doing their ver y first CCRI 5K.” —A LAN GOUSIE associate professor and 5K committee chair
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FEATURE
‘ Miracle on Promenade’ at the Greenwich Odeum A
fter several on-campus screenings, the Community College of Rhode Island invited members of the public to enjoy a trip back in time on June 11 at a screening of “Miracle on Promenade,” a historical film documenting the college’s early years. Nearly 100 people attended the event at the Greenwich Odeum. “I think one of our interview subjects, Jim Flanagan, son of founding President Dr. William F. Flanagan, said it best: CCRI is one of the most important pieces of the historic fabric of Rhode Island, and we would like to raise awareness of that importance,” said Ellen Schulte, public relations officer in the Department of Marketing and Communications, who coproduced the film with Norman Grant, the department’s videographer. The film was clearly a labor of love for the pair, who spent hundreds of hours viewing, re-viewing, cataloging and editing historical footage, to say nothing about the fresh interviews that they conducted to piece together the hour-long film. Produced as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the college, “Miracle” covers the time period from 1964, when the college began on Promenade Street in Providence as Rhode Island Junior College, until 1980, when the name was changed to Com munity College of Rhode Island. Since that time, the college has grown to encompass four campuses and two satellites and boasts an enrollment of nearly 18,000 students annually. That left a lot of ground for Schulte and Grant to cover, but the pair said that during the excavation of historical footage and interviews with new subjects, the story clearly started to take shape: The foundations of the college itself represented quite a compelling angle. “I’d run across things in my search and tell Ellen, ‘You have to look at this!’” recalled Grant of the historical treasure hunt that the film’s construction took them on. “Right to the end, we were finding things.” Some of these discoveries included crackly black-and-white archival film, vintage shots from WJAR’s coverage of the college in the 1970s and footage some of the college’s original faculty unearthed. Ed Madonna, professor and chairman of Mathematics, provided 8 mm footage of the college’s second commencement – newly added since the preview screenings. Madonna also appears in the film alongside Sondra Pitts, a member of the first graduating class, and Bob Silvestre, former vice president for Academic Affairs, in Grant’s touching introduction to the film that includes a walk-through of the modern day version of the Promenade Street campus building. Although the film’s story – like the college’s – includes the import of the construction of the college’s first permanent campus in Warwick, the building is by no means the only star of the feature. “It didn’t matter about the building. It was all about the students,” said Lela Morgan, another former vice president for Academic Affairs
who got her start in the old building on Promenade Street, in an inter view in the film. In a nice bit of symmetry, Grant and Schulte placed present-day interviews alongside an interview with Morgan outside of the Knight Campus megastructure on its opening day in 1972. Former students and alumni have expressed the impact of the college on their lives to Schulte and Grant after the preview showings and this screening – a result that leaves both feeling proud. “People have come up to me and said, ‘I was a student here – this brings back so much emotion for me.’ I believe we balanced the history with the emotional ties and a little bit of humor, too. I think we accomplished what we set out to do,” said Schulte. Audiences heard testimonials from some of the students the college has affected, including Screen Actors Guild Award-winning actor and Broadway star Lin Tucci ’71 as well as Pitts and Anne Riccitelli ’66, members of the first graduating class. Among the interviews with faculty, staff and supporters included in the film is the last recorded interview with Lila Sapinsley, former chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of State Colleges, who died in December 2014. “You can tell she genuinely loved the school,” said Grant of Sap insley, with Schulte adding that meeting and interviewing the tireless advocate was “a special moment in the production process.” Although the theater lights have come up and the special screenings are over, CCRI will continue to make an impact on its community – and “Miracle on Promenade” will serve as much as a time capsule for those extraordinary moments as any historical document.
“ CCRI is one of the most important pieces of the historic fabric of Rhode Island.” — JAMES FLANAGAN, son of President Dr. William F. Flanagan S U M M E R / 2 0 1 5
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INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Why I give: Chayenne Chin ’09 W
hen Chayenne Chin ’09 graduated from Cranston East High School in 2007, she was unsure what her next step should be. She knew that education was important; neither of her parents had graduated from college, and she could be the first in her family to do so. When a friend brought her along to a Community College of Rhode Island advising session, her path became clear. Now the manager of her family restaurant, Asia Grille in Lincoln, Chin has made it a priority to give back to the place where she found her footing. She began to donate in 2010 in the hopes that students in need get that extra bit of help. “CCRI gave me the opportunity to pursue higher education. That’s why I give,” she said. “I know that many students might not be fortunate enough to have their education paid for and there’s always a need for scholarships. It’s important to help the next generation of CCRI students.” It was at CCRI that Chin discovered her passion for business. She specifically credited the Introduction to Accounting course taught by Professor William Squizzero with giving her insight into what her future might hold. After her experience in that class, Chin tutored accounting for three semesters in the Student Success Center and supplemented her studies with extracurricular activities such as Knight Leaders and Collegiate DECA. She took advantage of the broad course offerings at CCRI, sampling marketing and eco nomics classes that would help mold her busi ness acumen and connecting her with passionate professors as well as like-minded students, with whom she would study in groups. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in business admin istration from Bryant University. “CCRI prepared me for Bryant by helping me experience the different facets of campus life – getting used to the college environment, learning from professors, going to office hours and asking for extra help if I needed it,” Chin recalled, adding that, as a first-generation college student, she relied on the advice of faculty and staff to help her navigate the world of higher education.
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“ CCRI gave me the opportunity to pursue higher education. That’s why I give. . . . It’s important to help the next generation of CCRI students.” Chin’s family has owned restaurants in Rhode Island for decades – when she was younger, she helped out at the Asia Grille, and she remembers another restaurant her family owned and operated, The Islander in Warwick. So, while the skills to successfully run a business have been ingrained in her long before she pursued her degrees, Chin said she credits her academic experience at CCRI with preparing her to manage the restaurant. “Education is extremely important in today’s global job market,” she said. “If you’re willing to work hard and take education seri ously, and you go to CCRI, everyone there is willing to help you succeed.”
— CHAYENNE CHIN ’09
To learn how to establish a scholarship for students or donate to the Alumni Fund, call the Office of Institutional Advancement at 401-333-7150 or online at www.ccri.edu/ alumni.
FEATURE
Where are they now? GREGORY AMEND ’05
Alumnus aims to engage his students early in life
A
s a middle school teacher, it’s no surprise that Gregory Amend ’05 believes in the transformative power of education. Where he teaches literature to students in grade six through eight, just outside of Keene, New Hampshire, he bears witness daily to the open ing of young minds. “I try to teach literature in a way where I’m actually talking about life,” he said. “I strive to take the text we cover and use that to help mold our students into mature, responsible, reflective and good people.” Though he aims to engage his students early in life, Amend said that the value of edu cation didn’t come quickly to him. “I had direc tion, but it probably wasn’t the right direction,” he recalled of his own grade school years. It was only after he graduated from West Warwick High School and served almost four years in the Navy that he found the spark to ignite his passion at the Community College of Rhode Island. There, he was able to build upon the skills and discipline he honed while serv ing. While college might not have been right for him straight out of high school, Amend said he saw that he had landed in the right place. “I knew CCRI would be a good place for me to get reacclimated with education and what college entails. It’s great for transfer credits, and it’s affordable,” he said. During his time at the college, Amend said he was most influenced by associate professors Sue Apshaga and Deb Lilli as well as Professor Carol Panaccione. Through his studies in the English and Foreign Language departments, Amend said, he grew to appreciate critical thinking and the intrinsic value of learning. “I really bought into the value of education. I was so engaged,” he said. “Most of the les sons I learned at CCRI came from those three professors. I developed such relationships with them, and it felt like I was becoming a scholar because of them. It was so empowering.” Amend long remembers being enthralled by language; he pointed to Oscar Wilde and the journals of Marcus Aurelius as signposts along
the way to a liberal arts education at CCRI. But the lessons he learned at the college weren’t strictly about these “softer” sciences – he said a biology class he took with Professor Donald Fontes had him studying for almost two hours a night. “I appreciated how hard he pushed us to be successful,” he said. “It prepared me for the rest of college and graduate school. It taught me to persevere through very hard material, and to remain calm and composed during stressful and challenging situations.” Amend graduated with the grades to show for it; he was a member of Phi Theta Kappa and won alumni awards throughout his first two years. He went on with his wife, Kristen, whom he met in the CCRI German and French Club, to get a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a minor in English from Rhode Island College. The couple moved together to New Mexico and then to New Hampshire, where they started a family; their son Tytus was born in 2014. There was no doubt about the path he was headed on – Amend would
influence young students the way that his CCRI professors had guided him. Ultimately, Amend said he hopes to be a principal. He has pursued graduate education, earning a Master of Science in leadership from Walden University, and will continue with a post-master’s program to earn his principal’s certification this summer. “I wanted to under stand how motivation works, and how to work better with people – leadership theory, systems thinking, how to shift cultures,” he said of his recent direction. In his own education, Amend has come a long way. This is evident in his teaching and guidance of his current students, whom he hopes to inspire with messages that he was not ready to hear at their age. “I want to encourage students to ask themselves if they’re taking care of themselves, their family and their com munity, whatever avenue that might be. Those three things are so important to me,” he said.
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CLASS NOTES
1970s
2000s
1971 — Harry Winthrop was appointed by
2001 — John Semas has been named direc
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo to serve a six-year term on the Rhode Island State Labor Relations Board.
1978 — Scott Bill Hirst lost and won on
Election Day in November 2014 when he was not re-elected to the Hopkinton Town Council but garnered the position of town moderator by write-in vote. According to Rhode Island law, candidates cannot be listed for more than one office on the same ballot, but nothing prohibits write-ins.
1980s 1984 — Christine Christy announces the birth
of her first grandchild, Annabelle Grace Christy, on Feb. 8, 2015.
1987 — Christine Kelley is the Warwick
Police Department’s first female officer to earn the rank of major and is among the highestranking female law enforcement officers in the state. 1988 — Maj. David P. Tikoian recently retired from the Rhode Island State Police after 23 years of service.
1990s 1992 — Peter G. Anderson was hired as the facilities director for the Middletown school system.
1992 — John Coppa was appointed assistant vice president and branch manager for Wash ington Trust’s Governor Francis branch in Warwick.
1996 — Carmen Diaz-Jusino was appointed
by Gov. Gina M. Raimondo to the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.
1996 — David Gatta II and Cristina Muzzi
were married on Feb. 7, 2015, at St. Anthony’s Church in North Providence.
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tor of operations at Mattos & Associates LLC. Semas will represent the company’s three Servpro offices.
2009 — Justin Bibee continues his humanitar
ian work as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, where he founded the People’s Advocate Coun cil, a nonprofit that raises awareness for human rights issues. The project has grown to include “councils” across Morocco, in China, Australia, Uruguay and Pakistan and, this spring, Al Akha wayn University nominated him for its Leader of the Year award. Bibee also has worked to build a school in Pakistan that opened on April 4. In addition, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung recently presented Bibee with a citation for outstanding citizenship as an international civil servant.
2010s 2012 — Jessica O’Brien and Kyle Messier
were married on Aug. 29, 2014, at Belle Mer in Newport. _______ What’s new in your life? Send information to: CCRI Office of Alumni Affairs 1762 Louisquisset Pike Lincoln, RI 02865 Email: alumni@ccri.edu
In memoriam The Green & White Alumni Magazine publishes “In memoriam” in honor of college alumni. Cynthia F. Baute ’93 Andrew J. Baynes ’79 Marjorie R. Couri ’92 Annette I. (McPeake) Duclos ’68 Joyce M. Farnsworth ’03 Barbara M. Feinberg ’87 Richard W. Fox ’78 Karl H. Frisch ’82 Pamela A. (Vose) Gagnon ’81 Jeanne F. Hagerty ’77 Rosie (Galica) Harrington ’78, ’89 Robert J. Poole ’68 Steven P. Roy ’77 Cherilyn Torti ’10 Christine A. (Nazarian) White ’88
CCRI ALEX AND ANI BANGLE The CCRI Alumni Association has partnered with Alex and Ani to create the first-ever community college signature patented expandable wire charm bangle, made in America with love. Proceeds from the sale of the CCRI charm bangles, which feature the college’s seal, will provide financial assistance for students through Alumni Association scholarships and book awards. Bangles are available at all four CCRI Bookstore locations and on the Bookstore website at www.ccri.edu/bookstore.
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COLLEGIATE COLLECTION LOYALTY | ENTHUSIASM | PRIDE
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Unforgettable memories are made here. Lifelong friendships are created here. Unforgettable Your memories are made here. Lifelong friendships are created here. Your Unforgettable memories are made here. Lifelong friendships are created here. Your school is the foundation that will open your mind up to opportunities that will school positively is the foundation that will open your mind up to opportunities that will positively school is the foundation that will open your mind up to opportunities that will positively change your life. Proudly support the place that will remain forever in your change heart. your life. Proudly support the place that will remain forever in your heart. change your life. Proudly support the place that will remain forever in your heart. MADE IN AMERICA WITH LOVE ® | WWW.ALEXANDANI.COM
COLLEGIATE COLLECTION
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LOYALTY | ENTHUSIASM | PRIDE Unforgettable memories are made here. Lifelong friendships are created here. Your school is the foundation that will open your mind up to opportunities that will positively change your life. Proudly support the place that will remain forever in your heart. MADE IN AMERICA WITH LOVE ® | WWW.ALEXANDANI.COM
M E M B E R U P D AT E
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*NY drivers must pay state-mandated minimum deductible before using this benefit. **Savings are based on an annualized average savings for a group auto policy where the customer provided his/her prior premium and prior carrier at the time of the original quote (between 01/1012/10) and where the written auto premium amount resulted in a price less than the disclosed prior carrier’s premium. Discounts may not be available from all carriers and are only available to those who qualify. Coverages, discounts and billing options are subject to state availability, individual qualification and/or the insuring company’s underwriting guidelines. CCRI is not a sponsor of this program and is in no way responsible for the insurance provided through this program. MetLife Auto & Home is a brand of Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and its affiliates: Metropolitan Casualty Insurance Company, Metropolitan Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Metropolitan General Insurance Company, Metropolitan Group Property and Casualty Insurance Company, and Metropolitan Lloyds Insurance Company of Texas, all with administrative home offices in Warwick, RI. Coverage, rates, and discounts are available in most states to those who qualify. MetP&C®, MetCasSM, and MetGenSM are licensed in Minnesota. © 2011 MetLife Auto & Home. L0711194521[exp0614][xMA]
COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF RHODE ISLAND Liston Campus One Hilton St. Providence, RI 02905-2304
Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Providence, RI Permit No. 1693
Stay connected
SAVE the DATE
Monday, Sept. 21, 2015 21st Annual
CCRI FALL CLASSIC
at Warwick Country Club
For more information visit, www.ccri.edu/president/golf or call 401-825-1218.