ahead looking
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Talking to Jennifer Amaral ’16 and Rachel Amaral ’19, ’21, it’s hard to believe the two surrounded by Portuguese culture— affable and articulate sisters once considered the language, the food, the music. It’s a big part of our identity.” themselves shy. The Amarals—who both Rachel wrote her college admissions essay about her family’s immimaintained 4.0 GPAs while double majoring gration story. She says the difference between her life in America and at Regis—are an outspoken force today. that of her Azorean cousins is stark. Education Collaboration “They left school to work the family Jennifer, 27, a practicing attorney, and Rachel, farm. It’s a poor and quiet life with Regis partnerships open doors and forge relationships little opportunity for growth.” 24, pursuing a graduate degree in counseling ADAPTED BY KRISTEN WALSH WOMEN IN BU SINE S S psychology at Regis, say their college years When it came time to choose majors at Regis, Jennifer and Rachel opted taught them to speak their truths for the good for business management degrees. “It ingrained Martin, Retention Specialist forwas the Office of in us as little At any given Regis graduate orientation, students of others. girls that women need to be finan-
potential recruits into the fold and to retain the talent we currently possess,” says Rashaun J.
Like Rodriguez, Mariano Humphrey, EdD ’23 learned about the Regis partnership at a BPS
An Opportunity to Shine It was by chance that Rachel Briden, BSN ’20, MSN ’22 learned about Regis’ partnership program. While attending Regis’ annual Let It Shine Gala in October 2019, she and Etheridge struck up a conversation. At the time, Briden was a senior undergraduate nursing student at Regis and considering next steps. “Amy was excited to learn that I had been working as a patient care associate at a major Boston hospital throughout my Regis undergraduate nursing studies and she told me that it was one of the hospitals that Regis has a partnership with,” recalls Briden. “We continued talking and I told her about my dream of working
“Not everyone can afford to leave their jobs for a whole year to complete internships, but the Regis EdD program allowed me to work and study while pursuing the degree.” JACQUELINE RODRIGUEZ, EdD ’23
as a nurse while attending graduate school.” It turns out, Briden is doing that now through Regis’ partnership with Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Massachusetts, where she landed a full-time job as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit after graduating with her undergraduate nursing degree. “Between Regis’ online Family Nurse Practitioner program and working night shifts in the ICU at Saint Anne’s, it has been a rewarding semester,” says Briden, who expects to complete her graduate degree in May 2022. “When I look at pictures at the gala, I am reminded of how much has changed since then, not only with the pandemic, but also in the way that we as a society value online education and the work of nurses. I look forward to mentoring nurses to show my gratitude for all at Regis who have assisted me.”
To learn more about Regis partnerships, visit regiscollege.edu/admissionand-aid/strategic-partnerships.
Rachel Briden, BSN ’20, MSN ’22
17 SPRING/SUMMER 2021
REGIS TODAY
Recruitment, Cultivation and Diversity Programs might look to their left, then to their right, and note cially independent and a business at Boston Public Schools. “Not only does this help that, were it not for an innovative partnership prodegree seemed to offer the most us with retention efforts, it also can be used as a gram, one in five of them might not be there. lucrative job opportunities,” says F INDING THE IR VOICE S LE S S ONS LE ARNED AT HOME tool as well. Our partnership witha second major Regis and variousInemployRachel, who added AsPartnerships a recipient ofbetween the full-tuition addition to arecruitment sense of gratitude, Regis allows BPS to hone the skills of our human ers extend substantial discounts toward attaining in communication while Jennifer Presidential Catholic Schools the Amarals brought a strong work capital further than they may have been able to on major in graduate degrees. More than 60 corporations, health graduated with another Scholarship, Jennifer, who was ethic to Regis. their own. And that is something we are incredibly systems, school districts, government entities, and law and government. The sisters class valedictorian says, “I wanted “Our parents never had the chance of.” more for professional offer employeestodiscounts were active members of the Business to give back organizations to Regis for taking go to college proud and wanted Association—Jennifer helped form a chance on completion, me.” us. They on bachelor graduate, and doctoral pro-knew education was the the group and Rachel later served She was Pride Guide as a firstkey to success, so they insisted acaFar-reaching Impact grams. Thata number is growing every month—and as co-president. year student, giving campus tours to demics came first at home.Rodriguez, No TV, Jacqueline for good reason. Rachel credits Assistant Professor prospective students. “I was terrified no computers, and sports until two EdDno ’23 has spent “The program is a win-win-win,” says Amy of Global Business Management of public speaking,” she says. “But homework was done. We became decades with the BPS Etheridge, executive director of institutional Charlene Geary, PhD, with teaching I ended up being surprisingly good “to-do” list people, writing schedules system as a bilingual partnerships. “Students save thousands of dollars her to think critically. “There are two at it. When you’re passionate about in our little Hallmark calendars,” working with types of learning: memorizing and annually, employers a valuable recruitment something, it shines gain through.” recalls Jenniferpsychologist with a laugh. K–8 students BPS. and retention tool atScholarship no cost to them, regurgitating and thinking things The Presidential was and professions The sisters admit they stillin adhere “When I think about from health care to education benefit from a more through. Professor Geary pushed also a primary reason for Rachel to a no-procrastination philosophy. Jacqueline Rodriguez, EdD ’23 the work I’ve engaged highly trained choosing Regis.workforce.” She was initially “Get the work done and you’ll have in and challenged me. She gave me for theJennifer, last 20 years—being the marriage of therapy Tuitionto breaks are“Ijust of the benefits theto play,” advises extra support when I needed it.” hesitant attend. wasone worried time who Rachel says her relationships with I’d have trouble carving out my and own employers. served as student class andgovernment education as a school psychologist—I think partnerships provide employees college professors such as Colleen life,” Rachel explains, recalling to a meet the president about the next 20 years and an EdD in higher educaEvery agreement is customized needs at Regis. Malachowski, PhD, associate profesprofessor’s exclamation earlyparticipating on: The Amaral sisters are the tion seems likefirst a natural next step,” Rodriguez says. of the organization. At some hospitals sor of Educators communication and Carole “You’re an Amaral? You have bigRegis created generation in their family It extended was through a BPS Women of in Greater Boston, for example, cusRemick Endowed Director, sustained shoes to fill!” to receive a college education. Their Color executive coaching leadership program tomized cohorts with on-site “classrooms.” For her during difficult times. “It’s hard Pushing aside misgivings, Rachel parents emigrated as children from that she learned about the partnership between an organization like Boston Public Schools (BPS), being a college student. I apprecifollowed her sister’s lead and joined Portugal to the United States. BPS working and Regis; plan with staff of as more than ated thatcareer I could drop into Professor PrideaGuides a way to 10,000, pay it one goal included “Our dad started in and her long-term became attainable. assisting the school district in becoming more Malachowski’s office to discuss classforward and step outside her comfort landscaping and snow removal at 15 everyone can affordwork to leave jobs competitive against other employers to recruit and their get life advice.” zone. With Jennifer and former and made his way“Not up to operations. for a whole year to complete internships, butbegan the leaning and retain a seasoned and diverse workforce. When Jennifer Regis staffer James Guaragna ’11, Mom has been with UBS Financial Regis EdD program me toawork and after college, sheer fact that we’re to offer that toward law degree ’13“The as mentors, Rachel grewable in confor 30 years,” says Jennifer. While allowed she turned toRodriguez. John Christie, PhD, fidence. “I began to embrace their parents worked multiple jobs, the degree,” study while pursuing says opportunity to obtain a degreeRegis’ at a discounted associate of managesmallwhich size and appreciate the closeJennifer and Rachel wereofcared for partnership, “Because the BPS it professor became finanrate, could be necessary to the advancement ment and economics and chair knit community.” “We were cially feasible for me.” of their career within BPS, goes a long waybytotheir bringgrandparents.
program (Men Educators of Color) and is pursuing an EdD. As program director in special education at Community Academy Alternative High School in Jamaica Plain, he works with students who have disabilities and have experiMariano Humphrey, EdD ’23 enced race-based and other forms of trauma, including anxiety and various types of depression. In addition to the Regis EdD program’s affordability and flexibility, he values the far-reaching impact of the degree. “I see this as my calling and passion, to work with individuals with disabilities and those who have experienced trauma,” says Humphrey, who has worked at Boston Public Schools for nearly 18 years. “This commitment to continue to serve urban communities at the district level and gain additional knowledge and resources through the EdD course work at Regis will make me a better educator and practitioner.”
