Majors: English and Political Science 

Minors: Italian and Statistics

Hometown: Cranston, RI

What research projects, internships, and/or study abroad programs did you participate in at URI? 

I participated in both the MTI (mentor/tutor internship) program and the summer Arts & Sciences Fellowship program in my time at URI. Both of these programs were extremely valuable to my education. In the MTI program, I got the chance to volunteer at a charter school for at-risk middle school students, and in doing so, assisted the teachers there who are doing incredible work in helping those kids succeed, while learning more about the challenges that face our education system. In the A&S Fellowship program, I got the opportunity to participate in a long-term research project as an undergraduate with funding over the summer, which was integral to my decision to pursue a PhD after graduation.

What do you value about your liberal arts education?

I value being part of an environment that tells us it is useful for us as individuals, and for society at large, to spend time thinking about ideas that really matter, even if they don’t have an immediate practical purpose. In a time of increased emphasis on the “job training” or “vocational” aspects of higher education, we need to remember that deep critical thinking is not only important for our own self growth, but for the maintenance of an educated democratic society. My liberal arts education in the URI College of Arts & Sciences has reinforced that for me.

If you were to offer advice to an incoming first year student, what would you say?

I would tell them first, don’t be afraid of your professors, and second, don’t be afraid to take courses in areas that are new and different to you. The vast majority of professors want to help you learn, and if you show some interest in the subject they have spent so much of their life studying, they will usually be receptive to you! This means that you should go to office hours!  Further, some of the most enjoyable courses I took in my first years of college were totally unrelated to what I ended up studying, and they counted for general education: History of Jazz and an honors program course on genomics.