RIC Students Recognized as Leaders for Serving the Greater Good
What was notable about them all was the driving force behind their achievements – the desire to serve something greater than themselves. Here are this year’s recipients:
For 15 years Night Jean Muhingabo lived in a refugee camp in the Republic of the Congo, following the 1994 Rwandan genocide. In 2015 his family was granted asylum in the United States. At that time, Muhingabo was 16. He faced the challenge of assimilation, learning English as a “fifth” language, succeeding in school despite limited resources for English language learners and supporting his family – all of which he overcame.
Today he is a poet, activist, human rights advocate, motivational speaker and co-vice president of Harambee, a black student organization at RIC.
Like many leaders, Muhingabo discovered it is through pain that we find our purpose. Due to his personal experiences, he mentored fellow refugees and helped them adjust to America, avoid truancy and gang-related activities, become educated in substance use and teen pregnancy, and apply to college.
As a sophomore, he helps refugees transition to Rhode Island College. He also testified at the Rhode Island State House in front of the House Finance Committee in support of the RI Promise scholarship.
In the summer of 2018 Muhingabo became creative director of the Refugee Youth Summit, where he empowered youth to use music, poetry and visual art for personal expression. That same year, he was made coordinator of Refugee Youth Dream, a youth mentoring program.
For his work, Muhingabo received the 2018 Exemplary Youth Service Award by the Refugee Dream Center. He has also received citations from R.I. Gov. Gina Raimondo and other elected officials. In 2018 Plan International USA appointed Muhingabo as a member of their Youth Advisory Board and the Friendship Ambassador Foundation selected him as youth delegate to the United Nations, where he will advocate for youth around the world.
For using his life experiences to make the future better for others, Muhingabo was presented the Rising Star Award at the Student Leadership Awards ceremony.
The Vital Contribution to the Community Award was presented to Anthony Maselli, a junior and founder of the RIC-COEXIST Peer Education Team. RIC-COEXIST is a student-led organization that promotes sexual health education and HIV and STI testing on campus.
According to Tonya Glantz, director of the Institute for Education in Healthcare at Rhode Is-land College, RIC-COEXIST wouldn’t have happened without Maselli. “In 2017 I was look-ing for students to participate in a grant-funded project to work with individuals who are living with, or who are at risk for, HIV,” she said. “Anthony interviewed for the project and encouraged me to consider the campus as a project site.” As a result, the peer education team was formed.
For the past two years, RIC-COEXIST has hosted numerous sexual health events, resulting in “over 100 HIV tests on campus and an increase in STI testing at College Health Services,” said Glantz. Moreover, the RIC-COEXIST team expanded their educational programming to high schools.
During the second year of the two-year grant, Maselli participated in an international peer education forum in Namibia, Africa. There, he worked with physicians, community and state government leaders and Namibian youth living with HIV. He shared RIC-COEXIST resources with Namibian peer educators and worked with them to create a support group for youth living with HIV.
“Anthony leads by example and seeks out opportunities to invite others to become leaders,” said Glantz. “His leadership style involves collaboration and shared power. I’ve come to appreciate the gentle and intentional way he moves through the world as a leader.”
When Glantz’s grant ended this year, Maselli and his team members advocated to make RIC-COEXIST a permanent RIC student organization, which they accomplished. Maselli has proven by example that a community can be transformed through strong leadership and active involvement.
A second recipient of the Vital Contribution to the Community Award is junior Raquel Montero, an honors student, treasurer of the Health Care Administration Club and a research assistant in the Department of Health Care Administration at Rhode Island College.
As a student researcher, Montero is working on a grant to evaluate medication-assisted therapy for opioid addiction in Rhode Island. She is also the only undergraduate on the research team, which consists of professional staff and graduate students.
Along with gathering data, setting up meetings and following up on tasks, Montero has become the point person for 14 health-care sites involved in the grant across Rhode Island.
“Our grant never asked an undergraduate to take on this level of responsibility,” said RIC Associate Professor of Marketing Constance Milbourne, co-principal investigator on the grant. “But her work ethic is unsurpassed.”
Montero’s dedication showed itself again in a community service learning project. She and her classmates served at a nursing home as part of their coursework. The facility was so impressed with Montero’s maturity, sincerity, dedication and commitment that she was offered a part-time job when the project ended.
“Regardless of the opportunities – paid or volunteer – Raquel gives 100 percent and consistently exceeds expectations both personally and professionally,” said Milbourne.
Senior Ian Beganski is recipient of the Student Employee Award.
“I first met Ian when he was an incoming freshman in the Department of Health Care Administration,” said Marianne Raimondo, associate professor and executive director of the Institute for Education in Health Care at RIC.
“He stands out in my mind because he had such excitement about being a health care administration student,” she said. “As a research assistant tackling work on our grants, he showed the same enthusiasm and passion.”
“On many days, he arrived early, eager to get a jumpstart on his assignments or to devote extra time and effort to a project. He would even show up on days that he wasn’t scheduled to work to offer help. No matter the task, he delved in with an eagerness to learn,” said Raimondo.
Beganski’s assignments included data analysis, coordinating trainings, preparing materials for meetings and writing reports.
“Working with him was tantamount to collaborating with a skilled colleague,” said Glantz.
“He demonstrated tremendous leadership and initiative,” Raimondo noted. “On his own, he conducted research related to the grants that became invaluable to the project team.”
“His work ethic, dedication and enjoyment of what he does brought pleasure to the work environment,” said Glantz, “and it was contagious.”
Since his arrival at Rhode Island College, Leandro Alvarez has taken on greater levels of responsibility and leadership, all while maintaining a near-perfect GPA. The senior is a recipient of the Alan Chille Leadership Excellence Award.
His academic accomplishments include Dean’s List every semester, induction into RIC’s 3.5 Society and he is a recipient of a Hispanic Scholarship Fund award, the Beverly L. McGinnis Scholarship and a scholarship from the Alumni Office at Rhode Island College.
Alvarez’s activities both on and off campus speak for themselves. He has participated in Rhode Island College’s Emerging Leaders Program, Leadership Weekend 2017, a Leadership and Values Conference hosted at Providence College, and Student Community Government.
Currently, Alvarez is president of the Accounting Association; treasurer of the Class Council of 2019; and he participates in the College Crusade of Rhode Island, Leadership Rhode Island’s College Leadership Program and the Latin American Student Organization.
Honored with the Outstanding Graduate Award is Kristyn Furtado, a school psychology major who is regarded as a model graduate student. Furtado has maintained a perfect GPA of 4.0, works as a graduate assistant at the Women’s Center and has excelled at research and applied field experiences. She graduates this May.
During her field experience interning in a public school, Furtado took the initiative to make systems-level improvements, said Jenlyn Furey, assistant professor of school psychology. “These accomplishments would be impressive for a seasoned school psychologist, but Kristyn was only half-way through her internship year,” said Furey.
An avid researcher, Furtado co-presented her research at the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) annual convention in 2018 and 2019. This year she was nominated by school psychology faculty as a NASP Student Leader.
Seizing opportunities to help others, Furtado has worked as a graduate assistant at the Women’s Center for the past three years, serving as mentor/tutor to undergraduate students visiting the center and connecting students who are underrepresented or marginalized with services (mental health services, health services, academic supports and social services). She also initiated and organized RIC events, including De-Stress Fest, Community Closet, Silent Witness Vigil and Clothesline Project.
The Campus Spirit Award goes to two seniors – Claudius Cooper Jr. and Derek Sherlock.
“Claudius is one of my all-time favorite students at Rhode Island College. He is beloved by all in the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance,” said RIC Professor of Music Teresa Coffman.
A music major, Cooper is a member of the RIC Concert Chorus, a pianist in the RIC Concert Jazz Band, a professional pianist/keyboardist in an independent jazz combo and a minister of music at Christ Center of Praise Full Gospel Church. He also composes and creates professional music videos. Cooper does all this while maintaining high academic standards, said Coffman.
Coffman has been Cooper’s advisor during most of his tenure at Rhode Island College; she describes him as simply an exemplary human being. “He’s kind, helpful, generous with his time, encouraging to other students, talented and hardworking.” she said.
Cooper is also the recent recipient of a Lin Manuel Miranda scholarship. “He’s a true musician,” said Coffman. “I believe no one is more deserving.”
You may not see Derek Sherlock sporting a RIC T-shirt or doing selfies as he poses with the RIC mascot, but according to Women’s Center Coordinator Lisa Hoopis, he is “the most school-spirited person” she knows. Sherlock was also honored with the Campus Spirit Award.
“Derek has extreme passion for the college,” said Hoopis. “He is always ready to offer assistance and is eager to get involved and sign up. Anyone who has planned an event on campus knows that it can be a hit or miss as far as attendance, but we know we can always count on Derek to be there and engaged.”
“He is an important voice in the room,” Hoopis said. “School spirit is more than just wearing RIC gear, it is a commitment and shared passion for helping the campus community be the best that it can be.”
Accepting the Organization Outreach Award for the Games and Meriment Entertainment (G.A.M.E.R.) student organization were seniors Alexis Polonsky and Halie Rhone and sophomore Casey Williams.
Polonsky
This organization was nominated by Director of the Student Union Kristen Salemi for the work they do in hosting their biggest event of the year – Game Night.
She said the money made on this annual charitable event goes to an organization voted on by members of G.A.M.E.R. Last year they raised $1,300 for Able Gamers, the year before they raised $1,450 for Extra-Life and they have donated to Make-A-Wish.
“It’s not just the significant money raised that determines this event’s success, it’s the thorough preparation, wide collaboration, attention to detail and selection of activities that make it noteworthy,” she said.
Game Night brings in an average of 80 to 120 RIC students and encompasses the entire third floor of the Student Union, with 10 TV monitors and two projectors. Activities include drafts, tournaments and board games.
Student Leadership Awards give faculty, staff and students the opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of Rhode Island College students. RIC cheers this year’s honorees.