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CCRI celebrates 42nd commencement

Warwick, R.I. – May 18, 2007: The Community College of Rhode Island honored more than 1,250 graduates at its 42nd commencement exercises today at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln.

Dr. Joseph F. Amaral of Cumberland, president and CEO of Rhode Island Hospital, served as keynote speaker and Cristian Potter of Providence was selected to be the student speaker.

Potter, 29, has been admitted on a full scholarship to study economics at Brown University this fall. He has overcome several life struggles including the loss of his mother to an aneurism and his sister to cancer when he was 21. Now he cares for his father, William, who has a degenerative brain disorder, and his younger brother, Vincent, while working full time. Despite these many obligations, he also schedules frequent visits with his wife, who attends medical school in New York, and his children, who live in Virginia. He has finished his general studies program with a 4.0 GPA.

He spoke about opportunity as the way to a better life. “I believe poverty is a habit. You become accustomed to the things you accustom yourself to,” he said. “If you give up on your dreams, if you stop working to change your life, it’s easy to accept poverty. It’s easy to say it’s too hard or I don’t have the time or I can’t afford it. But if you are willing to work hard, and you seek opportunity, good things will happen to you. A wise man told me recently that good luck is the residue of hard work.”

He told his fellow graduates that “CCRI, specifically, and community colleges, generally, are the most American of all places. This is where the working poor come to start their college careers. This is where the academically deficient become academically proficient. This is where the single mom can fit a class around her impossibly overloaded schedule. This is where one can come and get professional and technical training to become or continue to be competitive in today’s dynamic job market.” He spoke about the struggles in his life, but said, “I came to CCRI and worked hard to restore my academic reputation. Now I’m going to the Ivy League. Where else would I have this opportunity?”

President Ray M. Di Pasquale gave the charge to the graduates, speaking about the college’s theme of “Changing Lives” and how the words describe the students’ and employees’ strong passion and commitment to the college.

“Today, as I look across the sea of faces in the graduating class, I know that this will be a day that will indeed change your life, just as it did for me when I graduated, and it will also create outstanding opportunities,” he said.

View a complete listing of graduates»

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