This year’s finalists are dedicated to creating a welcoming environment where all can thrive, regardless of experience, while valuing individuality
Founded in 1989 in honor of A. Robert Rainville ’64, the University of Rhode Island’s A. Robert Rainville Student Leadership Awards, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and the Center for Student Leadership Development, are an annual celebration to honor students who are successful in a variety of leadership roles while remaining in good academic standing.
Kingston, R.I. – April 8, 2026 – Since 1996, the Rainville Awards have included a Student Employee Excellence Award recognizing student employees who demonstrate excellent employment traits and make a positive impact on the URI community. These students consistently provide high-quality service and make significant contributions to their work environment, advancing the group’s goals and mission.
In 2025, Evan O’Neill ’26 was the recipient of this award. The selection committee recognized his work as a program assistant for officials for URI’s intramural sports within Campus Recreation. He trained, developed, and supervised more than 60 officials, encouraged those around him, and demonstrated all aspects of this award. In 2026, a new student among the following finalists will receive the Student Employee Excellence Award.
Yanexa Almonte ’26
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
Majors: Communication and psychology
Minor: Leadership studies
Yanexa Almonte serves as the visitor experience coordinator on the Tour Guide Team and the programming coordinator on the Orientation Team. In both of her roles in New Student Transitions, she leads with confidence, patience, supportiveness, and vulnerability. As an employee in these relationship-heavy spaces, she has learned the importance of adaptability and communication and that self-empowerment allows her to be the best version of herself.
Almonte believes that leadership starts with interpersonal relationships and truly getting to know those around you. By building genuine relationships and fostering trust, she can offer meaningful support and create a community where everyone is welcome and feels valued. She hopes to create student success, safety, belonging, and engagement through her authenticity and mentorship. She believes that transparency helps her ensure her students feel prepared and supported, no matter their different life circumstances.
Integrity and transparency go hand in hand for Almonte. Recognizing challenging moments, learning from them, and then sharing her experiences and lessons with others supports her service and student-centered leadership. Learning from her experiences has also helped her gain confidence in her decision-making and abilities. Overall, she is proud of the impact she has made on her community and being the person for others that she didn’t feel she had when she came to URI.
In her student employee roles, she works with students who are at the very beginning of their time in college, but Almonte is now nearing the end of hers. Following graduation, she plans to pursue an MBA with a goal of working in project management or event planning. She credits the skills that she has learned from her experiences in shaping her into the leader she is today.
“As a proud Dominican American, I’ve been truly blessed to be part of a team that allows me to embrace that side of myself while connecting with students who share similar backgrounds or experiences.” – Yanexa Almonte
Angelyn Ciampa ‘26
Hometown: Wilmington, Mass.
Majors: Public relations and sports media & communications
Minor: General business
Angelyn Ciampa works for New Student Transitions as the program director for URI Tour Guides, as well as within Athletic Development, combining Alumni Engagement and Athletics. These opportunities provide her with space for growth and development. She has expanded her personal and professional capabilities, specifically noting her growth in overcoming obstacles and managing self-doubt.
Throughout her time in college, Ciampa has learned that a leader isn’t necessarily the loudest voice in the room. Being consistent and professional, rather than the loudest voice, allows her to foster an environment where everyone feels they have a voice. Whether in New Student Transitions or Athletic Development, she emphasizes that leadership is about doing what is right without expecting recognition – acting in the right way without wanting anything in return.
Both of her roles focus on students at different points in their journey, even those who have graduated, but no matter what step she is involved in, she always prioritizes understanding their story to help shape the experience she is part of. Ciampa ensures she is always looking at situations from others’ perspectives, not just her own, as she also helps others write their stories.
Leading teams and projects with authenticity and in a comfortable environment has allowed her to make her mark in all of the departments she works in. As she approaches graduation, Ciampa hopes to work in community relations or with a foundation within a professional sports team, and credits the skills she has learned through her roles in setting her up for success in these fields.
“I love how my roles reach URI students at every step of the way, from prospective students on tour, to current student ambassadors, to alumni looking to give back.” – Angelyn Ciampa
Riley Maynard ‘28
Hometown: West Warwick, R.I.
Majors: Communication studies and sports media & communications (pursuing engineering)
Riley Maynard works to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and confident to make their ideas come to life. Maynard is a production crew member with Rhody Athletics and the Harrington School, where he assists with courses and with video production for the Good Five Cent Cigar student newspaper.
He grounds his leadership in the idea that everyone works together and that just because he is in a leadership position, it does not mean there is hierarchy. He just happens to be the person in this position who can help bring different sources together to create a cohesive product. Maynard finds joy in seeing others succeed and creating something they are proud of.
Through leading by example and learning from others, Maynard has learned to better trust his abilities and decisions. While being personable, he tailors his decisions to those around him. He tries to understand how others think and learn best in order to individualize the experience. Through being personable and getting to know others, he hopes to form valuable relationships.
Maynard leads with a hope of stepping back. He begins each control room project by teaching individuals the equipment they are in charge of, and is often in the director and producer roles at the beginning of the process as others learn the ropes. He works to get to the point where he can step back and let those he is leading take the reins. As Maynard gains confidence in leading people, he works to apply that to his academics and work outside of the classroom – including with the U.S. Air Force – as he changes his major to Mechanical Engineering.
“I feel that I am a very personable person. I hope that my enthusiasm and authenticity allows others to realize that the control room is a welcoming environment where they can learn whatever they set their mind to.” – Riley Maynard
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Lyla Kiloski, intern for the URI Division of Student Affairs, wrote this news release.