After finding her sense of belonging as an undergrad, Springer now works to ensure all students can overcome personal challenges with confidence

As part of Women’s History Month, we are profiling remarkable women within the Division of Student Affairs who contribute immensely to the fabric of our campus community and inspire others to push for gender equality and progress at URI and beyond.

KINGSTON, R.I. – March 29, 2026 – Jacqui Springer is a firs-generation college student who was born into a low-income, immigrant family in northern New Jersey near New York City. Despite these challenges, she learned anything is possible when you put your mind to it. 

She attended Wake Forest University, completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology while specializing in Spanish and international studies. Going to a prestigious private school taught her that even if everyone has access to the same information, not everyone knows how to get that information due to the way they grew up. Many students don’t consider how to find these resources as they don’t know what the resources are in the first place. 

Said Springer: “I remember arriving at my southern, private PWI [Predominantly White Institution] and meeting other students who had never attended school with ‘someone like me’ before. I didn’t know what to expect, but I immediately understood that there were things that I needed to learn quickly and that I needed to find others who ‘understood’ the unspoken language.” 

She built relationships that helped her to feel connected within the community and she strives to do the same for the students she works with.

As well as attending Wake Forest for undergrad, she completed her masters degree in general psychology at The New School for Social Research. She then found her home at the University of Rhode Island after completing her Ph.D. in school psychology and has been at the university since 2014.

At URI she is the assistant dean of Student Support and Advocacy Services. She also works as part-time faculty in the education department, is a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and is a co-facilitator for the URI Women of Color Network.

She describes her assistant dean role as supporting students when “life happens”outside of the classroom. Whether an unexpected health challenge, financial predicaments, changes in family circumstances, or interpersonal difficulty, she works tirelessly to support each student’s individual needs to help them work through the situation.

Experiencing setbacks in college are more common than people think, but they are not talked about widely as public focus is often put on retention and student belonging. The Student Support and Advocacy Services office helps students realize it’s okay to experience challenges and there are professional staff to help them find the best solution. If the student needs to take a pause from their education or be connected to different resources, their office is ready for whenever and whatever students need.

Learning from her own experiences, she works to ensure all students feel supported and ready to tackle any challenge headed their way.

What do you consider the best part of your job?

“Helping students realize that their worst circumstances can be overcome and they can learn valuable lessons from them; helping students know that they aren’t alone!”

How do you hope to inspire others?

“I strive to fill informational gaps that first-gen students may not receive in their K-12 education and prevent financial mistakes that can sabotage student success. In my office, I intentionally have representations of things that inspire me – travel artifacts, the Barbados flag (my dad’s home country), pictures of my family, professional accolades, tea, my sorority, etc.” 

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, is there anyone that has helped to make you the woman you are today?

“My grammy raised five children as a young (37-year-old) widow and she set the example that allowed my mother, aunts, and sister to thrive before me. Although we lost her last year two days shy of her 99th birthday, her lessons and encouragement are absolutely the reasons that I have been successful, even when life’s challenges made me want to quit.”

What is your number one piece of advice to anyone you meet?

“Find your person – someone that you can be your authentic self with and ask questions, no matter how big or small. That can be a staff or faculty member, sometimes in the places you least expect to find them.”

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Lyla Kiloski, intern for the URI Division of Student Affairs, wrote this news release.