Twenty-Two Bristol Warren Residents Graduate from CCRI

On Friday, May 20, the Community College of Rhode Island handed out 1,563 associate degrees and certificates to the class of 2011.

The graduates celebrating commencement last week included 22 residents of Bristol and Warren. Of the Bristol and Warren students, five received highest honors, and six received high honors. The graduates from our towns are noted below.

Jennifer L. Jarvais of Warren, Alison-Joy Rose Levin of Warren, Sara A. Parks of Warren, Christine Sustakowsky of Warren, Kristen Lee Almeida of Bristol, Ashley M. Faria of Bristol, Kenneth R. Fiordelisi of Bristol, Nicole A. Pereira of Bristol, Nicholas John Poland of Bristol, Michael Reis of Bristol, and Shaun Michael Thurber of Bristol received their degrees or certificates on Friday.

Melanie Ann Chauvin of Bristol, Shawn Matthew Moniz of Bristol, Faith Elizabeth Negro of Bristol, Casandra Jean Pacheco of Bristol, Jeremy Benjamin Tolleson of Bristol, and Alisha Ann Andrade of Warren, received degrees or certificates with High Honors.

Paula Arsenault Hartley of Bristol, Laura Hirmas of Bristol, Stephanie Jean Power of Bristol, Donna Marie Butterworth of Warren, and Amanda J. Vollaro of Warren all received degrees or certificates with Highest Honors.

According to a release, CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale spoke at the commencement ceremony.

“CCRI graduates are everywhere and in every walk of life. And you are a part of the college’s 47 years of rich history. You are CCRI. And we know that you will go out into the world and touch the lives of your fellow Rhode Islanders the way that so many CCRI alumni have before you,” Di Pasquale said. “As I look across the sea of faces in the graduating class, I know that this day is life-changing and that you have such marvelous opportunities ahead of you.”

According to the release, commencement speaker Jael Acevedo, 23, of Providence, spoke about her life and gave tips to her peers. Acevedo was a General Business major who graduated with a 3.8 GPA and received a scholarship to continue her studies in accounting at Bryant University.

Born in the Dominican Republic, she immigrated to New York City with her parents when she was 8 years old. Despite the fact that she spoke no English at the time, her teachers thought it would be best to put her in a regular classroom and let her learn the language as she went.

Acevedo had high grades at Central High School in Providence, and her guidance counselors urged her to apply to college, but she lacked permanent residency in the United States. She graduated from high school in 2005 and, that December, learned that her petition had been accepted and she could attend college.

“The burdens that we have conquered make us unique and more capable of greatness than we know. We are resilient and built to overcome adversity. Didn’t it seem like there were so many instances where it could’ve been easier to stop? No one would have faulted us, given the circumstances. Nevertheless, here we are today. And because of this reason, we are all success stories,” Acevedo told her classmates.

She encouraged them to continue working toward their goals. “The last thing I want you to do is to settle. Remember, that you represent an institution where people are truly transformed. Therefore, you have the ability to change whatever you wish about your life. I want you to use the euphoria of this moment to seek out dreams in higher places. Too many people stop chasing dreams once they achieve one goal. It can happen so swiftly if you allow yourself to become complacent,” she said. “I know from personal experience that you always have more potential than you think. And that never stops being true. So always challenge yourself to be better and to do better – because you were built for it.”