Pasquale Camastro

On Thursday, May 15, 2025, Pasquale Camastro stood before more than 1,000 graduates and over 5,000 guests at the Amica Mutual Pavilion as the student commencement speaker for the Community College of Rhode Island. His selection marked a full-circle moment for the 22-year-old North Smithfield native whose path to the podium was anything but traditional.

A standout athlete who once ranked among the top 15 high school football kickers in the nation, Camastro had long seen his identity through the lens of athletic success. But his life off the field, especially in the classroom, told a different story. Struggling with dyslexia and a 1.9 GPA upon graduating high school, he lost his eligibility to play college football and with it, his sense of direction.

“I often felt like an imposter in academic spaces,” Camastro told the crowd during his commencement address. “If straight A’s and the conventional standards of achievement defined what we call academic success, I didn’t believe I fit within those measures.”

After an unsuccessful attempt to reboot his football dreams in Florida, Camastro returned to CCRI in 2023 with a new mindset and a deep desire to build a future beyond the gridiron. As a first-generation student, he reenrolled as an Access Plus student, received individualized academic support, and began embracing a broader, more meaningful view of education—one focused on inquiry, connection, and impact.

“As I began to experience the impact of CCRI’s faculty and support systems, I quickly came to realize that true enlightenment is much more dynamic than just memorizing facts,” he said. “It’s about building meaningful relationships, creating lasting impact, and embracing lifelong learning.”

That shift in thinking helped Camastro flourish. He immersed himself in sociology, a field he described as “transformative”—one that helped him articulate the complexities of his identity and empowered him to seek knowledge independently. His academic performance soared to a 3.8 GPA, earning him membership in Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for two-year colleges.

Outside the classroom, Camastro worked at the Knight Campus library and later served as Director of Student Relations in Student Government. These experiences solidified his passion for advocacy and strengthened his ties to CCRI’s diverse community.

“What truly makes our experience at CCRI unique and invaluable is the dedication of essential workers—our faculty, staff, and administration—who strive to empower future leaders like us to reach new heights and challenge preconceived notions,” Camastro said.

He credited CCRI not only with reshaping his academic identity but also with helping him reconnect to himself and his purpose. A first-generation college graduate, he earned his associate degree in Education, Government & Human Services and was accepted to 17 four-year institutions. He will continue his education at George Washington University this fall, where he plans to pursue a career in social advocacy and community development.

“What I find beautiful about community college is this space filled with such a diverse group of people,” he said. “You talk to one person here and one person there and realize that you're not alone in having an unconventional journey.”

From feeling like an outsider in the classroom to delivering the keynote speech at Rhode Island’s largest college graduation, Camastro’s story embodies the transformative power of resilience, education, and belonging.

“We are here today to celebrate achievement that demonstrates our progress, our power, and our promise,” he told the Class of 2025. “Let us honor the communities that believed in us by going out and believing in others. And let us continue breaking barriers—for ourselves, and for those who come after us.”