Michael is an HDF student and one of this year’s scholarship winners! 

I was a shy child growing up and still am as an adult to this day, so in order to get to where I want to go, I needed the guidance from my professors and fellow classmates to help me feel comfortable and build those skills within the program. And I couldn’t be more grateful for their support these past couple of years. So be patient, be courteous, ask questions, and make friends along the way, because you’ll never know what a friendship can gift you in your next steps towards graduation.

Michael

What year are you?

I am currently enrolled in my Senior year, here at URI looking to complete my undergraduate Bachelor’s Degree in May of 2025 for Human Development & Family Science.

Where are you from?

I am originally from Hope Valley, Rhode Island and have been moving independently off campus for the past few years. I now currently reside in Narragansett, Rhode Island and commute 4 days a week.

What activities or research are you involved in?

Some activities and work I participate in here at URI involves working at the Child Development Center as an assistant teacher. Beginning with my field placement, I was recommended for part time work and have been helping there since the start of the Fall Semester of this year. My other field placement work involves working at the Jamestown Senior Center as an IPad tech assistant to help older individuals with their devices and technology questions. 

What are your career goals?

My current subplan at URI is counseling and I look to build upon my repportuoit in strong communication skills and listening techniques that will allow me to accurately help those who seek help the most. But I do have a background in working with children, I used to work at a daycare center that provided camps during summertime and after school, working and helping children with their homework, while also playing with them throughout the time period until their parents came to pick them up. So that essentially led me to want to pursue a field where I could work closely with individuals of all ages and be able to assist them to strive to help them be as happy as me one day.

What do you like most about the HDF program?

The HDF program at URI allows me to build upon my current skill set of working with people and be able to communicate in a professional and ethical manner in multiple settings. The program focuses on understanding the different ideas and theories about how humans develop and function through different points in our lives, and how professionals can use that as a means to help place structure within one’s personal life, along with their family dynamics as well. I want to put myself in the best situation needed to feel more comfortable in professional settings that accurately let me help people and display the right demeanor and dialogue needed to do that successfully. Which has made me feel confident in looking back that I made the right decision being an HDF major.

How did you hear about the program?

I originally began my collegiate journey after high school unbeknownst about what I truly wanted to do, even having poor grades in most of my classes. I would’ve ended my journey shortly after graduating high school until CCRI offered free tuition for students to explore their interests and gain their Associate’s Degree, which is what drove me to explore many different options. After taking multiple helping and counseling classes there, I knew based on my background and interests that I wanted to find a major at URI along with this idea, but didn’t know where to start. After searching and searching what the HDF program can provide to their students and the knowledge they’ll gain from completing this program, that’s when I knew I wanted to transfer my credits to this school and hone the necessary skills in learning human development and family dynamics from professors and figures that I admire and respect.

What does having the scholarship mean to you?

Having a scholarship like this would greatly benefit my educational journey, future professional development, and also create opportunities for me to improve my financial situation post-college and enter the workforce fully financially stable. Not only do I have job opportunities on campus in working at the CDC, but I also have off campus part time work in order to support myself and be able to fund my payments for this program. Despite all of this, while being able to take on my coursework for the past few years, this scholarship will provide me with the proper tools and steps needed to effectively take on new opportunities with internships and occupations in the future.

Words of Wisdom for other HDF students

Some advice I would give the HDF students in this field is to be patient and open to experiencing new situations that are out of your comfort zone. We all believe we know what we want to do with our lives, but it can be nerve wracking and scary to take that step when it’s finally presented in front of you. It’s good to be nervous, that’s how you know you’ll be ready to take on the next step of your development and condition yourself into situations where you’ll be able to feel positive about taking on scenarios within your field of work.