Software Development student goes for gold in upcoming Miss USA Rhode Island pageant
Software Development student goes for gold in upcoming Miss USA Rhode Island pageant
May 24, 2022
The crown is merely an accessory to what Community College of Rhode Island student
Allison Thompson could accomplish as the next Miss Rhode Island USA.
Thompson, a 26-year-old Newport, RI, native currently enrolled in the college’s free
Software Developer program through the Division of Workforce Partnerships, competes
for the first time this weekend in the 2022 Miss Rhode Island USA pageant at Veterans
Memorial Auditorium in Providence, one of 50 contestants vying for the crown.
State winners advance to the 71st annual Miss USA pageant later this year, and the
winner of that pageant competes for the ultimate title of Miss Universe. With each
victory, pageant winners earn opportunities to become social media personalities,
influencers, and, in some cases, actresses or reality television stars. Thompson hopes
to use her platform to genuinely inspire others.
A project manager for Newport-based design firm Shore-Creative and a budding web designer,
Thompson enrolled at CCRI in November of 2021 – three years after earning her bachelor’s
degree from Wake Forest University – with the goal of advancing in the male-dominated
tech industry, proving she deserves a “seat at the table.” Her dream job is working
as a User Experience (UX) Designer responsible for making products, such as mobile
apps or websites, more user-friendly, enjoyable, and accessible.
In the pageant world, her goals are remarkably similar. Growing up in Newport as the
daughter of immigrant parents from Jamaica, Thompson watched a lot of pageants, citing
a lack of diversity among contestants. She dreamt she could one day walk that stage,
but never had the time, or the drive, to go for the crown until she realized that
the search for representation in her community – her “seat at the table” – should
start with herself.
“I always want to see or meet more people who remind me of myself,” she said, “so
maybe I can be that person for other people.
“When people ask, ‘Who deserves a seat at the table?’ the answer is we all do. But
someone has to do it first. I want to carve out spaces for young Black women like
myself and all ambitious women to see themselves represented on a regional and national
platform.”
At Wake Forest, Thompson studied Communications, then spent a year in Madrid working
as an English teacher at a Spanish elementary school. When the pandemic shut down
schools, including hers, Thompson returned to the United States and began working
at Shore-Creative in the summer of 2020, where she developed a newfound passion for
design.
With a desire to shift careers, Thompson began searching for the right program to
earn her certification, ultimately choosing CCRI’s free online Software Developer
training. The 13-month program offers up to 21 transferrable credits in addition to
a 12-week paid internship upon completion.
Balancing school with her full-time job was challenging at first, but Thompson credits
CCRI Academic Coach/Counselor Joyce Gansert, among others, with helping her reacclimate
to life as a student.
“What I love most about CCRI is being able to access those resources when you need
them,” Thompson said.
“They have a great online tutoring program, which was especially convenient, and they
always have the answer to your questions. I’m a first-generation college graduate,
and sometimes you don’t know where to go or where look for things.” In addition to working full time and attending college, Thompson volunteers at the
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Newport, a service provider for at-risk
individuals, families, and seniors, where she also attended daycare as a child. She
helps organize the center’s summer concert series and also uses her “conversational
Spanish skills” to connect with residents who don’t speak English as their first language.
With a heavy workload this semester, she remained on the fence about entering the
pageant until her older sister, Deon – whom she jokingly describes as her “stage mom” – encouraged her to participate.
The feedback, she said, has been inspiring; Thompson has raised money through her
GoFundMe campaign and solicited several sponsors within the community to help cover pageant
expenses, all of which has helped calm some of the nerves heading into the weekend
and further prove she belongs on this stage.
What motivates her the most is the opportunity to inspire others, particularly other
young women like herself who may feel underrepresented or question whether they belong.
“From the outside looking in, pageants are very much considered competition, but throughout
this process I have understood the importance of my platform and being on that stage,”
Thompson said. “The biggest thing I hold with me is being the daughter of first-generation
immigrants and witnessing my parents’ journey, what they went through to become citizens,
and what it means for others like them.
“I, too, know what it’s like to feel lost in a new place, so if I can help somebody
along the way, that is my ultimate goal.”
On February 24, 2025, the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) recognized CCRI alumni Francine Jackson’s contributions to astronomy education and outreach by naming an asteroid in her honor.The designation was announced in WGSBN Bulletin 5, No. 3, under new names of Minor Planets.
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is proud to announce the launch of a new Mammography Certificate Program beginning in Fall 2025. Developed in response to growing demand across Rhode Island and Massachusetts for certified mammography technologists, the program offers registered radiographers the opportunity to gain specialized training in breast imaging and prepare for careers in this high-need area of healthcare.
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On February 24, 2025, the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) recognized CCRI alumni Francine Jackson’s contributions to astronomy education and outreach by naming an asteroid in her honor.The designation was announced in WGSBN Bulletin 5, No. 3, under new names of Minor Planets.
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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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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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The Community College of Rhode Island Players’ 2025 Summer Rep will wrap up later this month. The annual theater season concludes with CCRI Players’ adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Richard III”, which will be directed by Jonathan Pitts-Wiley. The first show is scheduled for August 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET, with additional showings set for August 22, 23, and 24.
The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is proud to announce the launch of a new Mammography Certificate Program beginning in Fall 2025. Developed in response to growing demand across Rhode Island and Massachusetts for certified mammography technologists, the program offers registered radiographers the opportunity to gain specialized training in breast imaging and prepare for careers in this high-need area of healthcare.
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly announces that Business and Professional Studies Associate Professor Maureen A. Murray, of Exeter, RI, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Teaching Excellence Award by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). This prestigious honor recognizes educators who exemplify excellence in teaching and dedication to student success within business education.
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The Lowe’s Foundation awarded $1 million to the Community College of Rhode Island as part of a select group of community and technical colleges receiving Gable Grants. Since awarding its first grants in 2023, the foundation has expanded skilled trades career pathways through its growing roster of funded partners of 60 community colleges and nonprofit organizations across 28 states.
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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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July 17, 2025
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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July 15, 2025
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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July 08, 2025
The Community College of Rhode Island is proud to announce that longtime coach and athletic director Vin Cullen has been named a recipient of the NJCAA Coaches Association Legacy Award, a national honor recognizing individuals who have made a lasting impact on two-year college athletics and demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student-athletes throughout their careers.
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June 27, 2025
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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June 23, 2025
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).
CCRI Joins Achieving The Dream Network To Advance Student Success And Community Impact
June 16, 2025
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.
On February 24, 2025, the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) recognized CCRI alumni Francine Jackson’s contributions to astronomy education and outreach by naming an asteroid in her honor.The designation was announced in WGSBN Bulletin 5, No. 3, under new names of Minor Planets.
How Theater Alum Max Hayden Earned CCRI's Fifth Gamm Fellowship
June 11, 2025
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.
CCRI Students Blending Art And Science In Unique Exhibition Funded By NSF Grant
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.
May 24, 2022
