KINGSTON, R.I. — Nov. 7, 2023 —  Do you ever just sit back and wonder if there is a way to start building your professional network now, before you graduate? 

If you are a student at the University of Rhode Island, you might want to see what the Student Alumni Association has to offer. The association provides members with opportunities to run charitable events, work with professional staff on URI events and help connect them to more than 140,000 alumni around the world. Also, the association allows students to meet a diverse group of students from different class years.

“The URI Student Alumni Association was founded in 1985 as SAA and is sponsored by the URI Foundation & Alumni Engagement and fosters a sense of pride and tradition in the University,” said Juan Loayza-Miranda, a resident of West Warwick and the graduate adviser. “As a group, it collectively promotes an active program of recruitment and commitment among students and alumni.”

Kyersten Frabizio is in her second semester as president of the Student Alumni Association. A senior who is graduating in December, Frabizio is majoring in psychology and human development and family science. She also has a minor in English. 

Frabizio’s responsibilities include overseeing all facets of the organization whether that be executive board meetings or just general club meetings. “I want to enhance our collaborative work with other organizations on campus,” said Frabizio, a resident of Middle Island, New York.

“Kyersten is a visionary. She thinks outside the box, and she is very open-minded to social injustices that are happening in society,” said Loayza-Miranda. “Kyersten advocates for others in the URI community and she also values diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

One of Frabizio’s main goals as president is to work on adding a diversity, equity, and inclusion chair to the organization’s constitution. All 48 members of the organization feel comfortable going to Frabizio when they need help or need advice.

“Kyersten is really motivated and thrives from social interaction with the group,” said Loayza-Miranda. 

The organization runs or helps support events such as Oozeball, Family Weekend, Homecoming, Student Alumni Networking Dinner, and the Nearly Naked Mile Clothing Drive Fundraiser. 

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Benjamin Smith, a senior sports media and public relations major at the University of Rhode Island and an intern in the Department of Communications and Marketing, wrote this press release.