Success Stories
Mecca Smith '12
Mallory Stedman carefully packed a medicine bag with a sacred feather when she traveled to Nepal this March. The bag, blessed by the Narragansett tribe’s medicine man, contained cultural gifts from the tribe to give new friends—a kernel of corn to represent a source of nourishment, a seashell from Narragansett beach representing the tribe’s homelands. Then as is tradition, Stedman incorporated her own gift, choosing a glass peace sign in honor of her tribe....Read the article...
Reudi Correia '12
Reudi Correia said she has always had "the caring gene," and she proved it by taking care of her family in good times and bad while she was growing up. As a nursing student at the University of Rhode Island, she continued in that role as an ambassador for prospective students and their parents, welcoming them to the University and sharing her experiences so they would feel comfortable in the next stage of their lives. Reudi Correia has been inducted into the Onyx Honor Society. Read the article...
Danielle Henderson '11
Since October 2011, she has been writing the blog Feminist Ryan Gosling pairing images of the star of The Notebook, Crazy Stupid Love, and Blue Valentine with witty captions drawing on feminist theorists such as Julia Kristeva and Judith Butler. The blog follows a popular meme (a concept that spreads via the Internet) that features Gosling saying something cute beginning with "Hey girl." Read the article...
Brandon Brown '10
Brandon received the William Gould Award for All-Around Outstanding Achievement in 2010. He was recently featured in a Quad Angles article about his all around community service, and his dedication to supporting his former school, Central Falls High School, in the wake of last year's firing of its teaching staff. Read the article...
Jessica Adefusika '10
Jessica received the Benson Award for Academic Achievement in 2010. She was featured on the cover of the 2010 URI Viewbook (see page 24 for the article), after writing her Senior Honors Project about the exodus of professionally trained workers from her native Nigeria. Read about her project here.
Sara Green '09
Sara Green was inducted into the Onyx Honor Society. She majored in elementary education and communications at URI, and after graduation went on to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer. Read more...
Martha Ofeibea-Tenkorang '09
Martha won the Saint Elmo Brady Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science, and graduated with a Nursing degree.
She was featured in a 2009 Quad Angles article.
Kalyana Champlain '08
Kalyana Champlain received the William Gould Award for All-Around Outstanding Achievement in 2008, and graduated with a degree in communication studies. She was featured in a 2008 URI news article.
Whitney Hollis '08
Whitney Hollis received the Althea Gibson Scholar-Athlete Award in 2008. A standout basketball player, she was a double major in communications and sociology. She was featured in a 2008 URI news article.
Safi Mojidi '08
Safi Mojidi received the Althea Gibson Scholar-Athlete Award in 2008, and was also named the Rhode Island Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year. Read the article...
Sharon Isom '07
Sharon Isom, a cancer survivor, received the Arthur L. Hardge Award for All-Around Outstanding Community Service in 2007. Read her inspirational story in this 2007 Quad Angles article.
Destiny Woodbury '07
Destiny Woodbury received the Saint Elmo Brady Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science in 2006. She graduated in 2007 with a B.S. and B.A. in Chemistry, a B.A. in Secondary Education and a minor in Leadership Studies. She was featured in a 2005 Pacer article.
She is currently working as a teacher in Texas, and training for the 2012 Olympics. Find out more about what Destiny is doing now.
Pascale Delaunay '05
Pascale received both the William Gould Award for All-Around Outstanding Achievement and the Althea Gibson Scholar-Athlete Award in 2005, and graduated with a degree in Engineering.
She was featured in a 2005 Quad Angles article.
Freddie Shipworth '04
Freddie received the Benson Award for Academic Achievement in 2004, and graduated with a degree in English.
He was featured in a 2004 Pacer article.
Babatunde Ologun '02
Babatunde won the Benson Award for Academic Achievement in 2002, and went on to attend Brown Medical School.
Read the 2002 URI News article about Babatunde.
Marlon Mussington '01
Marlon won the Harvey Robert Turner Award for Outstanding Service to the URI Black Community in 2001. A communications and psychology major, he now teaches physical education at the Paul Cuffee Charter School in Providence. Read the article...
Kimberly Anderson '01
Kim won the Benson Award for Academic Achievement in 2001. She is now Assistant Dean of the College of Environmental and Life Sciences.
Read the 2001 Pacer article about Kim.
Solomon Comissiong B.A.'97, M.S.'00
Solomon won the Hardge Award for All-Around Outstanding Community Service in 1998. He is now the President and co-founder of SCMB Educational Consulting, a company that uses mediums such as Hip Hop Culture to educate poorly motivated students. Read more
Jonathan Lewis '00
Jonathan Lewis received the Harvey Robert Turner Award for Outstanding Service to the URI Black Community in 2000. He is now a social activist, and was recently featured in a Quad Angles article.
Preston Murphy '99
Preston Murphy received the Jackie Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award in 1999. He was a standout basketball player at URI, and he recently returned to become an assistant coach for his former team. Read the story.
Darran Simon '98
Darran won the William Gould Award for All-Around Outstanding Achievement and the ASBS President's Award in 1998. He is now a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the newest member of the Black Scholar Awards Committee.
He was recently interviewed on MSNBC about a story he covered on police layoffs in Camden, NJ. Watch the interview
Read the 2008 Quad Angles article about Darran.
in the news
Darran Simon '98 Weds
Black Scholar Awards Committee member Darran Simon married Karin Pryce at the Oceancliff Hotel in Newport, RI on July 6, 2011. Karin will enter the MBA program at the University of Michigan in the fall, and Darran will continue working as a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Booker Urges Class of 2011 to Stand Tall
Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker (pictured above with BSA winner Danielle Henderson) delivered an inspiring message to graduates as the 2011 URI commencement speaker. Read the full story
