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President Ray M. Di Pasquale's Commencement Address
May 19, 2006
Honored guests, CCRI faculty and staff, family and friends, and members of the 2006 graduating class of the Community College of Rhode Island:
"...never stop changing your life, or changing the lives of those you touch."
Forty years ago, on Sunday, June 5, 1966, the very first commencement for Rhode Island Junior College was held on the south terrace of the State House. One hundred seventy-eight students received associate degrees in arts and sciences that day.
Distinguished local and national speakers included Governor John H. Chafee, now known as the father of Rhode Island’s community college system; Dr. William Flanagan, CCRI’s founding president; and Elliot Richardson, who would later serve in cabinet positions as Secretary of the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Secretary of Defense, and Attorney General.
As I prepared for today’s commencement, I thought about that first commencement 40 years ago, and in particular, about the achievements of the first graduating class, several members of whom are with us today. I’d like to ask members of the 1966 graduating class to please stand so that we can formally recognize you for leading the way.
Ask those first alumni and I am sure they will tell you story after story about how Rhode Island Junior College, as we were known then, changed their lives for the better. Members of that class have realized great success in a variety of professions, including senior leadership positions in business, education, communications, research, health care, and entrepreneurship, to name a few.
It is also clear that CCRI has had an amazing impact on changing the lives of others as well, including the hundreds of faculty and staff who have worked at our community college over these many years. To gauge how their lives changed as a result of their CCRI experience, I asked several people to share their thoughts with me.
Anne Riccitelli, today’s commencement speaker and a member of the Class of 1966, had this to say about how the college changed her life:
"RIJC had teachers who cared about our future and motivated and encouraged us in any way they could. They helped us overcome our fears and immaturity. We all grew up a bit more in those first two years. We had a big responsibility as the first class to show what we could do. Those two years helped prepare many of us to make the transition to adulthood, to leave home and enter a four year college or university. From 1964 to 1966, hope and possibility permeated all that we did at RIJC."
That kind of testimony, however, is not unique to the class of 66. Ask Steve Issa, 1975 CCRI grad, and president and CEO of Sovereign Bank, and he’ll tell you how his life changed as a result of his CCRI experience:
"I grew up in the multi-cultural environment of Central Falls, the son of parents who worked multiple jobs to take care of their family. The decision to enroll at CCRI was an easy one, as it gave me the opportunity to fill in the gaps from high school, and to do it at a reasonable cost. The faculty and course load not only gave me an excellent foundation in business, but the experience gave me the confidence that has served me well throughout my career."
After graduating from CCRI, Steve transferred to Bryant University and graduated in 1977. For the Issa family, CCRI is indeed a "family affair." In addition to Steve, other CCRI alum include his wife Patricia, their son Brian, Steve’s brother Dan, a Rhode Island state senator, and Steve’s sister-in-law.
There’s another kind of family at CCRI, and that is the family of faculty and staff that focus every day on helping students succeed. One would think that after 40 years on the job, a person’s enthusiasm for their work might begin to diminish, but that’s not the case with CCRI faculty member Ed Madonna, chairman of the Mathematics Department. Ed began his career here in the fall of 1966, right after the college’s first class graduated. When I asked Ed about how his work at CCRI has changed his life, he recalled:
"Coming to CCRI was the best professional move I could have made. The most rewarding experience is when former students reach out to me and tell me that I have helped them get a better job so they can enjoy life more. This is what true teaching is all about - providing opportunities for students to develop their talents."
Indeed, CCRI does provide every opportunity for students to be successful. It’s been true since the college opened in 1964, and it’s still true today. Just ask our other speaker today, Jocelyn Ruby of Newport, who will be receiving her diploma shortly. After earning her GED, Jocelyn enrolled at the Community College of Rhode Island. During most of her semesters here, she juggled full-time work with a full-time course load, and managed to achieve a near perfect grade point average. In addition, Jocelyn earned a full scholarship of more than $35,000 to her transfer school. You’ve probably heard of it. It’s called Brown University.
How has her life changed as a result of her CCRI education? Jocelyn had this to say:
"By far the most important aspect of CCRI that catalyzed a change in my life were the faculty members. I have been so fortunate that I have been able to experience a "who’s who" of faculty. They constantly inspired and pushed me to go farther than I thought I could. They opened my eyes to opportunities that I had not been aware of, or at times, had not even known existed."
For Karen Robinson of West Warwick, another member of the 2006 graduating class, the road to CCRI has been a long one. Following her high school graduation in 1980, Karen attended CCRI for a couple of semesters and then joined the workforce. Several years and two children later, and working for a company in East Greenwich, Karen once again returned to CCRI to take a couple of job-related courses. Last September, she returned to
CCRI full time, and today she graduates with her associate degree in business management. What does Karen have to say about how CCRI changed her life?
"If I could summarize my time and educational experience at CCRI, I would have to say the word that sums it up for me is "empowering." I feel that earning my associate degree at CCRI has helped me achieve a new level of confidence and professionalism that I will carry with me to future employment opportunities."
For Jason Thomas Carr of Pawtucket, the opportunities presented by his CCRI education have changed his life dramatically. Equipped with his 2004 associate degree in general studies from CCRI, Jason enrolled in the nursing program and today will receive his associate in science in nursing degree. As student nurse organization president, mentor and tutor, Jason has honed leadership skills that will serve him well into the future.
Has his life changed as a result of CCRI? Jason had this to say:
"CCRI gave me the means to accomplish my dreams. It’s a place where I can excel academically professionally and socially."
Jason says that although he was an unmotivated student in high school, he was a tremendously motivated adult learner. "Education is my priority," he says. His academic foundation will certainly help him with his plans to attend the University of Hawaii to further explore his interests in nursing, art and philosophy.
I recently had the opportunity to meet Matta Ghobreyal, another member of the class of 2006. Matta is originally from Egypt, and has been in the United States for about 5 years. Prior to coming here, Matta was enrolled in Veterinary College at South Valley University in Egypt.
How has life at CCRI changed this international student? Matta says:
"I am graduating today with a 4.0 GPA and I tutor other students in chemistry at the Lincoln campus Success Center. I am presently on the waiting list for the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Worcester. I enjoyed my courses at CCRI, with very good professors and staff, who were nice people. I made many good friends, and everything was awesome. I will miss CCRI so much."
Thank you Matta, and I wish you great success in the future.
As I have described through the words of Jocelyn, Anne, Karen, Ed, Steve, Jason and Matta, the Community College of Rhode Island has, and will continue to change lives. While these are just a few examples, there are many more. In fact, the graduates of the Class of 2006 join the ranks of more than 50,000 graduates whose lives were changed here, who experienced the attention and dedication of faculty and staff, and who then moved forward to earn a degree, or transferred to a four-year college or university, or who joined the workforce equipped with the skills and talents needed to excel.
Graduates of the Class of 2006, it is a certainty that from this moment on your life will change as well. If your plan is to provide comfort and care to patients, be compassionate, caring and willing. If you are moving forward to further your education, set goals, be creative and committed. If you plan to teach, inspire your students. If you enter the world of business, bring integrity and value to the workplace. Whatever it is that you do when you leave here, never stop changing your life, or changing the lives of those you touch.
As President of CCRI, and on behalf of CCRI’s faculty and staff, I extend congratulations and best wishes for a successful future. Thank you.
