KINGSTON, R.I. — April 23, 2024— The University of Rhode Island’s Feinstein College of Education held its inaugural Medallion Induction Ceremony honoring graduating seniors preparing to become teachers on April 22 in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

Dean Danielle Dennis introduced the event by saying, “Tonight we celebrate you, and welcome you to the teaching profession.”

Aimee Coutu ’96, the 2024 R.I. Teacher of the Year, and a first grade teacher at East Providence’s Whiteknact Elementary School, was the keynote speaker.

She recalled her mix of “excitement and nervousness” when she stepped into her first classroom, and reminded the soon-to-be teachers that the path that lies ahead may not always be an easy one.

“It is not enough to teach with our minds, we must also teach with our hearts,” Coutu said.

URI President Marc Parlange said the medallion ceremony was the kick-off to the commencement celebrations that will take place in the weeks ahead, before the students begin a new chapter in their lives.

“You have chosen not just a profession but a passion,” Parlange said. “We all had a teacher or a professor who impacted us. Soon you will be that person for your students.”

 Parlange and Coutu presented the medallions to the students, along with Dean Dennis.

The medallion, a disc bearing the state’s anchor seal and displaying the word HOPE surrounded by the words University of Rhode Island and College of Education, hanging on a navy blue ribbon, was placed on the students as they walked across the stage.

“As teachers, you are the hope for children,” Dennis said.

The 2024 graduating class of about 165 education students is the first from URI’s Feinstein College of Education since it became a stand-alone college last September. The college will hold its commencement ceremony on May 19 at 2 p.m. in the Ryan Center on the Kingston Campus.

The Medallion Induction Ceremony will become an annual event for the college.