From the photo lab to the pharmacy, CCRI alumna Roques completes remarkable journey
From the photo lab to the pharmacy, CCRI alumna Roques completes remarkable journey
June 3, 2022
More than a decade after beginning her journey as a Photo Specialist at Walgreens,
first-generation Community College of Rhode Island alumna Michelle Roques is now behind
the pharmacy counter as a Registered Pharmacist (RPh), recently accepting a new position
at Anthony's Pharmacy in Providence where the one-on-one interaction with customers
fuels her passion for healthcare.
The 31-year-old Providence, RI, resident and Class of 2016 graduate earned her associate
degree at CCRI in Business Administration and Management, after which she decided
to pursue a career in pharmacy. She remained at CCRI for the next two years to complete
her prerequisites for pharmacy, then transferred to the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy
and Health Sciences, where she earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2021.
Growing up, Roques dreamt of a career helping others. After graduating Classical High
School in 2008, she enrolled at Lincoln Technical Institute’s Dental Assistant School, but soon realized dentistry wasn’t her passion. Transitioning to customer
service, Roques worked her way up the ladder at Walgreens, landing a position as a
supervisor, which piqued her interest in business management.
Two years after the birth of her first child, she enrolled at CCRI to pursue her Business
degree while continuing to work full time at Walgreens. During that time, a job opening
for a Pharmacy Technician became available; eyeing an opportunity to get back into
healthcare, Roque earned her Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) designation and
began working behind the counter as a Pharmacy Tech. The new position was an eye-opener.
“Becoming a Pharmacy Tech changed everything,” Roques said. “It gave me insight into
how I could do more to help people who needed it. I found my path.”
With help from CCRI’s Impact Initiatives Manager Tanekar Alexander, Roques began the
process of transitioning to an entirely new career. Alexander provided sound advice,
helping Roques discover what her options were for transferring in addition to carving
the quickest path possible toward finishing her prerequisites at CCRI. In 2018, Roques
officially transferred to MCPHS, beginning the next step in the journey to her dream
job.
“Tanekar was such a valuable resource for me throughout this process,” Roques said.
“No matter what I needed help with, she was always there for me.”
The path to her doctorate degree wasn’t always easy, but with support from friends,
family, and her advisors at CCRI, Roques remained positive and never settled for less
than what she knew she deserved, a message she hopes her three children take with
them when they as they continue along their own educational paths.
“I never stopped,” said Roques, who has an 8-year-old, a 10-year-old, and a 15-year-old
stepson at home. “There were times when I felt overwhelmed, but I always had the end
goal in mind. You can’t quit. You can’t settle.
“You just have to be determined.”
“CCRI provided you with everything you need to take that next step. I had two kids
while I was in school, so being able to take night classes while my mother or husband
took care of them was extremely helpful. Even weekend classes – their flexibility
is incredible.
“The professors at CCRI genuinely want you to succeed,” Roques continued. “They stay
after class to help you if you need it, or their doors are always open during office
hours. And the assistance they provide to first-generation college students like myself
is so beneficial. I would recommend CCRI to anyone. I didn’t need to go anywhere else
to finish my prerequisites. Everything is available to you at CCRI.”
In her new role at Anthony’s, she will have the opportunity to work more directly
with customers, many of whom grew up in or live in the same community she did. More
importantly, she’s a continuous inspiration at home, where she hopes her hard work
and never-say-never attitude motivate her children to achieve greatness.
“If anything, I did this for them,” Roques said. “I want them to look up to their
parents and say, ‘Wow, my mom did it and she did it while we were young. If she can,
so can we.’”
The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Spring 2025 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher thissemester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.
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The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Spring 2025 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher thissemester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.
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Warwick, RI -- Samantha Lescarbeau knew she would experience one life-changing event at CCRI commencement. But she never expected what would happen after she walked across the stage at Amica Mutual Pavillion on May 15.
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Warwick, RI -- The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly announced the winners of its 2025 Student Film Festival following a weekend of cinematic talent and storytelling. The festival kicked off with a red-carpet gala on Friday, May 10, and continued on Saturday, May 11, with a full day of student film screenings. The event drew students, faculty, and local film lovers to celebrate the achievements of CCRI’s talented filmmakers.
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The Community College of Rhode Island Players’ 2025 Summer Rep is just around the corner. The annual theater season begins Thursday, July 31 with CCRI Players’ adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors”, which will be directed by Karen Carpenter and run through Sunday, Aug. 3. The performance, rehearsals for which began this week, is the first of a two-part series that will conclude with a four-day run of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” premiering Wednesday, Aug. 20.
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The Community College of Rhode Island Alumni Association has elected a new President. Cumberland native Malida Khim, a 2019 CCRI graduate and Impact Coordinator for Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy at CVS Health, will replace Jeffrey Wright Jr., a Woonsocket resident who has held the role since 2023.
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly announces the hiring of Chef Kenneth Watt, CEC, MBA, as Assistant Professor of Culinary Arts. Chef Watt will lead the college’s all-new Culinary Arts program, which is unique to CCRI’s Newport County Campus.
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WARWICK, R.I. -- The Community College of Rhode Island’s Cybersecurity Club is riding high after succeeding on a national scale during the spring. Thanks to a strong showing at the National Cyber League (NCL) spring competition, CCRI placed 27th nationally out of 510 colleges and universities in the final Cyber Power Rankings for the spring season. The performance was commended by David Ziechick, commissioner of the NCL, which has students perform real-world cybersecurity tasks that translate to the workforce.
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Johnny Villella needs to clear more space in his trophy case. Villella, a CCRI alum, won an Emmy at the 2025 New England Emmy Awards in the category of News Feature: Serious Feature (Multiple Reports). The award is one of many for Villella, who’s enjoyed a long, decorated career at WPRI-TV (Channel 12 in Rhode Island).
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is pleased to announce that it has joined the network of Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national organization committed to advancing community colleges as accessible hubs of learning, credentialing, and economic mobility.
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When an opportunity presented itself, Max Hayden took it and ran with it. Hayden initially focused on behind-the-scenes work for CCRI’s theater program. But after accepting and thriving in the lead role for the school’s Yellowman production in 2023, Hayden became a fixture of the school’s theater program over the last two years.
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June 04, 2025
If you love art or science, and especially if you love both, you’ll want to visit CCRI’s Lincoln Campus this month. Throughout the spring, CCRI Art & Design students collaborated with CCRI STEM professors and students to create original, science-inspired art projects. Funded by a $15,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR initiative, this collaboration highlights creative potential that emerges when these two disciplines meet.
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Nearly 30 years after beginning his CCRI education, 76-year-old Ed McGuirl is about to check the final box on his long, fascinating résumé. In the mid-1990s, the Jamestown resident studied at CCRI to pursue a social services degree that would complement his work as a substance-abuse treatment professional. But a busy work schedule forced McGuirl to indefinitely pause his studies – until now.
The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Spring 2025 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher thissemester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.
'Overjoyed' CCRI Graduate Opens Up On Getting Engaged At Commencement'
May 23, 2025
Warwick, RI -- Samantha Lescarbeau knew she would experience one life-changing event at CCRI commencement. But she never expected what would happen after she walked across the stage at Amica Mutual Pavillion on May 15.
CCRI Announces Winners of 2025 Student Film Festival
May 22, 2025
Warwick, RI -- The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly announced the winners of its 2025 Student Film Festival following a weekend of cinematic talent and storytelling. The festival kicked off with a red-carpet gala on Friday, May 10, and continued on Saturday, May 11, with a full day of student film screenings. The event drew students, faculty, and local film lovers to celebrate the achievements of CCRI’s talented filmmakers.