Meet Milly De La Cruz

A new College of Business administrator helps build partnerships with community organizations and promotes the college’s graduate and professional development program.

Milly De La Cruz is making her mark at URI’s College of Business. A Rhode Island native, De La Cruz is a first-generation college graduate who was raised by a single mother in the Manton Heights area of Providence.

De La Cruz earned an associate’s degree from the Community College of Rhode Island, a bachelor’s degree in communications from Rhode Island College, and a master’s degree in higher education from Providence College.

“I hope to serve as an inspiration to other first-generation college students at URI and beyond and prove that you can succeed, regardless of your background,” says De La Cruz.

De La Cruz has worked in higher education for six years and has been at URI for just over a year. We sat down with her to talk about what led her to URI, what drives her, and how she’s helping shape the next generation of College of Business students.

You started working at URI in January 2025. How would you characterize your first year?
It’s been phenomenal. I’ve connected with faculty and staff from the College of Business and from other colleges and departments as well. Everyone I’ve met has been incredibly welcoming and inclusive, which truly makes the campus community special.

This is the first job in which I feel I have the autonomy to build meaningful relationships and see my ideas come to life. I am grateful to my supervisor, Jackie Christophe-Hayot, who is the executive director of professional and executive business education. She was instrumental in helping me land this job at URI.

How would you describe your role to an outsider?
In my role as assistant director of professional and executive business education, I’ve promoted the College of Business’s graduate programs at a variety of events, both on and off campus. These experiences have allowed me to guide prospective students toward a graduate degree in business that best aligns with their goals, while also learning about their professional journeys. I’ve also had the pleasure of facilitating professional development workshops to Rhode Island employees across all sectors, including nonprofits, for-profits, and the military. Some of these organizations include the Rhode Island Free Clinic, the Surface Warfare Officers School Command at the Navy base in Newport, the Community Action Partnership of Providence County, Newport Harbor Island Resort, and AstroNova.

These partnerships impact the University by generating job and internship opportunities for our students and allowing companies to invest in URI. Some of the organizations I’ve built relationships with end up participating in College of Business career fairs, increasing students’ chances of securing employment after graduation.

What advice would you give future students?
My advice to future students enrolling in the College of Business or URI more broadly is to trust your intuition, get involved on campus by joining a club or organization, and actively network both on and off campus. An experience that inspired me to pursue a career in higher education was joining the student ambassador program at CCRI. As a student ambassador, I gave tours of the Warwick campus, supported prospective students in the enrollment services office, and assisted with a variety of campus events.

Because I truly enjoyed my role and had the opportunity to support other first-generation students like myself, I decided to pursue a career in higher education, and I hope to continue to make a positive impact. If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: Put yourself out there. The opportunities that can emerge when you step outside your comfort zone may surprise you.

—Interview by Nicholas Phillips

Photo: Courtesy Milly De La Cruz