Warwick Student government president gets involved in college and local community

First in a three part series of profiles on student government leaders

Nick Kamboures came to Rhode Island from Tarpon Springs, Fla. two years ago, but he's already making a significant impact at CCRI and in the community.

Kamboures served as acting student government president at the Knight Campus last semester, and this semester, the word "acting" was removed from the title. As president, Kamboures practices what he preaches when it comes to involvement. He's also the president of the International Political Science Association which he founded to expand cross-cultural communication and to help students understand local, national and international politics.

Working with the City of Warwick through the Volunteer Center of Rhode Island, Kamboures serves as an adult advisor to Volunteens, a student-lead organization dedicated to service learning and community involvement. As part of his involvement, Kamboures is coordinating a fund-raising project called "The Independent Snowman", which is an attempt to erect, on the grounds of the Warwick campus, the largest snowman ever built in Rhode Island. He's also been involved in helping to generate voter support for the recent series of higher education bond issues on the November 2004 ballot.

His pleasant personality and enthusiasm are immediately evident as he talks about his commitment to the community college.

"My goal is to increase the prestige level of CCRI as a major educational entity in Rhode Island," Kamboures says. "The school deserves more credit for what it is doing. The bar is set high here."

Kamboures fully understands the time constraints of students who are trying to balance studies, work and, in many cases, a family.

"It's sometimes difficult to involve as many students as I would like, but I just want them to know that Student Government is here to help them," he says. "As students ourselves, we can help bridge the gap between students, faculty and administration."

Other members of the Student Government at the Warwick campus include Donald Gibson, assistant to the president; Danielle Arraiz, vice president of public relations; Michael Mulholland, vice president of programs; and Rick Gaudet, vice president of finance.

To reach Kamboures, call 825-2337 or e-mail nrkamboures@ccri.edu.