'Unattainable' goal quickly becoming a reality for hard-working Promise scholar
'Unattainable' goal quickly becoming a reality for hard-working Promise scholar
Feb. 17, 2020
As a child fascinated with electronics and gadgets, one who spent time taking things
apart and putting them back together, Cesar Vasquez Arita always knew he wanted to
be an engineer.
The son of two immigrant parents from Central America, money was often tight in Arita’s
household. His parents worked tirelessly to provide for the family – a genuine source
of motivation as he grew into his teenage years – but Arita wasn’t always sure he’d
have the means to pursue his dream job.
“I looked at computer engineering as this unreachable, almost inaccessible, major,”
he said.
Thanks to the Rhode Island Promise scholarship, Arita’s goal is now well within his
grasp. Currently in his second semester at the Community College of Rhode Island,
the 19-year-old Arita is on the path to success majoring in Computer Science with
the intent to transfer to a four-year university in 2021 to continue his education.
“I’m really thankful. That’s the best word I can use,” Arita said. “God knows the
hardships that I would have had to go through if I didn’t have Rhode Island Promise.”
Growing up in a working-class family, Arita understands the value of education. His
father worked in construction most of his life while his mother, also born in Honduras,
held a variety of odd jobs, from housekeeping to sales, to help make ends meet. The
two inspired Arita to chase his dreams knowing they didn’t have the opportunity growing
up to pursue theirs.
“They always told me that as long as I had the determination and motivation to study
something, no matter what it was, I could succeed,” he said.
“That’s something I admired a lot about them – the hard work to push through the odds
and still have their kids go to school. The constant motivation to better yourself,
that mindset of never settling, that’s the most important thing I learned from my
parents.”
With a goal in mind, yet still some lingering doubt as to whether or not engineering
was right for him, Arita attended the Providence Career & Technical Academy, a vocational
school located just a stone’s throw from Classical High School. At PCTA, Arita took
advantage of an internship opportunity to work with engineering professors and undergraduates
at Brown University. They designed a drone, developed the software, built the prototype
and then flew the finished product as part of a trial run. Working side-by-side with
professionals in the industry further motivated Arita to pursue engineering as a career
path.
“That project is what really gave me the clarity I needed,” he said. “Not everyone
gets the chance to say they worked with undergraduates at Brown. It was a unique opportunity,
and vocational school allowed me see for myself if this what I wanted to do before
I enrolled in college or spent money on my education.”
Tuition costs remained a considerable hurdle as Arita began considering his options
after graduating from PCTA. Upon the recommendation of his high school guidance counselor,
he enrolled at CCRI as a Promise scholar to utilize his two years of free tuition
to get a jump start on his education.
The transition has been seamless; Arita thrived in his first semester by taking advantage
of the college’s various resources, including the Success Center and the Advising
and Counseling Office. With his confidence at an all-time high, he is recruiting fellow
students in his major to launch a Computer Science Club at CCRI, which would allow
him, and others, to continue networking and sharing ideas.
“Coming from an immigrant family, paying college tuition while you’re just trying
to help out or get through the month can be difficult,” Arita said. “Rhode Island
Promise is a way for me to help my parents.
“My experience at CCRI has been great,” he continued. “The classrooms are small and
intimate. I can approach a professor for extra help without any problems. There are
so many different support systems here.”
With a three-year-old brother at home, Arita continues to push himself in the classroom
knowing he may one day have the power to influence others. Rhode Island Promise has
changed his life and given him an opportunity his parents didn’t have when they were
growing up. He hopes future high school graduates and college hopefuls – perhaps even
his brother – can benefit from that same opportunity.
“Imagine having children who don’t have the resources, but want to go to college and
continue studying. Rhode Island Promise is something that says, ‘We support you. Here
is what you can do to keep moving forward,” Arita said.
“We need people who are ambitious. We need people who can move America – and the world
– forward. We need people who are not only willing to work a 9-to-5 job, but want
to go the extra mile to contribute to new inventions, new methods, or new algorithms
that help the world, because that’s how we move forward. I want to be one of those
innovators.”
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On Thursday, May 15, 2025, the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) celebrated a milestone achievement: its 60th Commencement Ceremony. Held at the Amica Mutual Pavilion, the event marked the culmination of CCRI’s year-long diamond anniversary celebration and was a stirring tribute to six decades of transformation, opportunity, and achievement for Rhode Islanders.
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Ten student-athletes from the Community College of Rhode Island were honored last week for their athletic and academic achievements as part of the annual Scholar-Athlete Awards held in House Chamber of the Rhode Island State House. The Legislative Awards are designed to provide public recognition for student-athletes from CCRI, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island for significant achievements in their academic and athletic pursuits. The honorees have also demonstrated exemplary citizenship and community service.
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) has partnered with United Way of Rhode Island to establish a 211 satellite office on CCRI’s Warwick campus, expanding access to essential community resources for students. This collaboration underscores CCRI’s ongoing commitment to removing barriers to student success and ensuring students have the support they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom.
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April 17, 2025
The Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Energy are teaming up to offer a free exploratory program designed to give participants a window into the growing utilities industry.
Introduction to Utilities – free to anyone who meets eligibility requirements through funding from Rhode Island Energy – is a seven-hour introductory course that provides participants with foundational skills and knowledge to explore career pathways within the utilities sector, specifically with Rhode Island Energy.
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