Class of 2018 shares success stories
From advanced degree programs to positions with Fortune 500 companies to competitive internships, members of the Class of 2018 are finding success in their chosen fields. Graduating students and their faculty members were recently invited to submit success stories to SALVEtoday, which are listed below.
Editor’s note: Members of the Class of 2018 are invited to share additional success stories in the comments section of this page.
Kim Beaton
B.S. in biology, concentration in microbiology
Beaton will pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology at Pennsylvania State University.
Ian Bomely
B.S. in biology, minors in chemistry and neuroscience
Bomely will teach biology and coach football, wrestling and track and field at Franklin Road Academy in Nashville, Tennessee.
Angela Bonavita
B.A. in psychology, minor in biology
Bonavita will join Autism Allies as a behavior technician, making home visits to families of children with autism and implementing behavior plans under the supervision of board-certified behavior analysts. She has also been conditionally accepted to Bay Path University’s accelerated master’s program in applied behavior analysis.
Kevin Brocks
B.S. in economics, B.A. in philosophy
Brocks will join the portfolio strategy team at Evercore ISI, an investment bank advisory firm, as a research analyst. The team performs a combination of macroeconomics and fundamental factor research.
Sara Bucking
B.A. in American studies, minor in history
Bucking will participate in the Disney College Program, working as a merchandise cast member at Walt Disney World. “I applied because I thought it would be an amazing experience to work for such a prominent company and gain invaluable skills for the professional world along the way,” she said. “After writing my senior thesis about Disney’s impact on American history, I think it will be interesting to make those real-world connections while working for the company.”
Kendra Cimaglia
B.A. in psychology, minor in creative writing
Cimaglia is applying to Rhode Island College’s master’s degree program in social work.
Brooks Cobb
B.A. in studio art
Cobb has been accepted to Salve’s MFA in creative writing program, which will allow her to further develop her writing skills while maintaining a close relationship with her studio art professors, who can continue to guide her visual work.
Alexandra Curtis
M.S. in administration of justice and homeland security, concentration in cybersecurity and intelligence
A former Miss Rhode Island, Curtis enlisted in the National Guard in March 2017 but began considering a career in the military three years ago after interning with Running Start, a nonprofit that trains young women for political leadership. She is currently a public affairs specialist and officer candidate with the Rhode Island Army National Guard.
Anna Dawson
B.S. in elementary and special education
Dawson completed the ROTC program at Salve and will be commissioned into the Military Police Corps. She plans to teach elementary school while serving as an officer in New Jersey’s Army National Guard. “I decided to pursue the ROTC program because I love this country and what it stands for,” she said. “It is also a long-standing family tradition. My great-grandfather, grandfather, father, uncles, siblings and cousins were or are currently serving in the military.”
Jacqueline Del Prete
B.S. in nursing
After graduation, Del Prete will join the labor and delivery unit at Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut as a registered nurse. She plans to remain in the maternal nursing field throughout her career and further her education by obtaining a master’s degree after a few years of experience. “I was also inspired by my senior capstone preceptor and plan to become a certified lactation consultant as well,” she said.
Timothy Ferraro
B.S. in business administration
Ferraro will complete a summer internship at Reebok’s world headquarters fitness center in Boston. “I came to Salve to play basketball but quickly realized I wanted to explore the world, so I studied abroad in London instead of returning to the team,” he said. “When I came back, I decided to take action, plan for my future and set myself up for success. Salve provided me with the necessary tools to do so, from learning in the classroom to attending seminars. Salve has been one of my greatest experiences and I will be forever thankful for what the University has allowed me to do.”
Brittany Fox
B.A. in history
Fox will pursue the dual master’s degree program in history and archives management at Simmons College. “Two degrees will make me extremely competitive in the job market,” she said. “It also enables me to strengthen my historical background while providing me with practical skills that will enable me to step out of the academic field if I choose to do so. I am looking forward to cultivating a professionalized career at a school that has a wonderful atmosphere for learning with peers who express similar desire for knowledge.”
Effie Gianitsos
B.A. in English literature and religious and theological studies, minor in creative writing
Gianitsos has received a teaching assistantship at Syracuse University, where she will teach undergraduates and work toward her master’s degree in English literature.
Allyson Gilbert
B.S. in biology, minor in chemistry
Gilbert will teach in American Samoa through World Teach, a non-governmental organization that provides volunteer teachers to low- and middle-income countries around the world. “I was looking for ways to combine education and international experiences,” she said. “I am not yet sure what I will be teaching since the program is based on need. I will have my own classroom with about 20 students, but I could be teaching anything from kindergarten to 12th grade science. It’s all up in the air which makes this experience all the more exciting.”
Joseph Goff
B.S. in marketing
Goff will pursue graduate study in holistic counseling and holistic leadership at Salve Regina. He also plans to open a health and wellness facility to bridge the gap between mental and physical health. He intends to offer private and group training in fitness, athletics and leadership, as well as professional speaking and consulting.
Blanca Guzman
B.A. in English communications and global studies
Guzman will join the Boston University College Advising Corps, which seeks to increase the number of low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students entering and completing college. She will be based at Dorchester’s Dr. William W. Henderson Inclusion School, helping students plan their course to higher education. Guzman also hopes to pursue a master’s degree in global policy and development at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies.
Andrew Harmon
B.S. in biology
Harmon will attend the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. “A lot of the values they embody resonated with me,” he said. “I think the foundation Salve helped me build will be most useful going forward with my medical school education.”
Kerry Hayes
B.A. in English communications, minors in global studies and women, gender and sexuality studies
Hayes will spend a year in the Dublin, Ireland with the University of Notre Dame’s House of Brigid program. Through this program, recent graduates live in the community and dedicate themselves to service in the Irish Catholic Church. Service includes liturgical music ministry, youth and adult catechesis, diocesan education and outreach programs.
Autumn Houghton
B.A. in European history and sociology and anthropology, minor in cultural and historic preservation
Houghton will pursue a master’s degree in Roman archaeology at the University of Kent. Through this program, she will spend one semester at Kent’s campus in Canterbury, England, with a second semester in Rome. “I decided I wanted to go to Kent when I realized that my heart was in Europe,” Houghton said. “I studied in Rome the fall semester of my junior year, and it was by far the greatest experience I’ve ever had.”
Alexis Jankowski
B.A. in psychology
Jankowski will spend the summer working as a graduate assistant in Berklee College of Music’s Office of Residential and Campus Life. This fall, she will pursue a master’s degree in mental health counseling at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education.
Jacob Lang
B.A. in philosophy and political science
Lang will attend Boston College Law School this fall. “I saw it as an opportunity to expand my knowledge in an area that I am deeply passionate about,” he said. “I hope to enter school with an open mind and determine my eventual career plans while in school.”
Jennifer Laramie
B.S. in elementary and special education
Beginning in August, Laramie will be working as a special educator at Dothan Brook School in Wilder, Vermont, servicing students in second and third grade. She also plans to pursue a master’s degree in the coming years, possibly in educational leadership. Laramie said she most enjoyed her coursework in behavior management and assessment. “It gave me the opportunity to dive into material that I will one day be using,” she added. “This program is in a league of its own. I am a better educator because now I am capable of reaching all students of all academic and functional ability.”
Cynthia Lill
B.A. in administration of justice
Lill will attend Quinnipiac University School of Law on a merit scholarship. Motivated by an opportunity to tutor adjudicated youth at the Rhode Island Training School, she hopes to eventually use her degree to advocate for youth in the criminal justice system.
Bernadette Maligranda
B.A. in administration of justice
Maligranda will attend the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University on a merit scholarship.
Morgan McBrier
B.S. in elementary and special education
McBrier is working as a long-term substitute at Newport’s Pell Elementary School for the remainder of this academic year while pursuing a full-time teaching position in general or special education for the 2018-2019 academic year.
Amanda Miller
B.S. in biology, minor in chemistry
Miller received the health professions scholarship from the U.S. Navy and has committed to the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences. After graduating, she will serve as an active-duty lieutenant in the Navy as a physician, either at a naval base domestically, abroad or on a ship. “I’m extremely grateful for the knowledge and support that Salve has provided me these past four years in my journey to entering the world of medicine,” Miller said.
Jenna Paradis (valedictorian)
B.S. in nursing
Paradis will join the intensive care unit at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut as a registered nurse.
Aaron Prendergast
B.S. in business administration
Prendergast will join Clements Marketplace as a network and retail account manager, assisting the local favorite with its expansion into the Plymouth, Massachusetts area. He will also complete his MBA as part of Salve’s combined bachelor’s/master’s program.
Julia Royce
B.S. in elementary and special education
Royce will attend Suffolk University Law School and pursue an interest in special education law. “As a teacher, the responsibilities do not stop at writing lesson plans or grading papers,” she said. “I came to know these students, their strengths, what made them laugh and their struggles. I saw firsthand what some of these children went through and how their home lives could affect their ability to succeed academically. By pursuing a law degree, I hope to be able to advocate for, protect and open the doors for these children to live the most fulfilling life.”
Darwin Salazar
B.A. in administration of justice
This summer, Salazar will intern with Ford Motors as a red team penetration tester. Following the internship, he will return to Rhode Island and join Johnson & Johnson’s medical device subsidiary as a cybersecurity analyst.
Connor Schuerlein-Bailey
B.A. in American history
Schuerlein-Bailey will pursue a master’s degree in war studies at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. “After graduate school, I have given thought to joining the Peace Corps,” he added. “I have a sister who’s a corps member stationed in Ghana, Africa, and so far she’s loved every second of it. I believe that because of my love of traveling and my extensive charity work, the Peace Corps is the next logical step.”
Helen Shiepe
B.A. in studio art, concentration in painting, minor in psychology
Shiepe is the first studio art major to gain acceptance to Lesley University’s master’s degree program in clinical mental health counseling with a specialization in art therapy. “My goal in life is to help as many people as I can,” Shiepe said of her decision to pursue the program. “People who are struggling, people who are hurting inside, even people who can’t outwardly express themselves through speech. If I can help better at least one person’s life, I feel that I have fulfilled my life’s purpose.”
Jennifer Sutherland
B.A.S. in secondary education and Spanish
Sutherland will pursue a master’s degree in Spanish at Middlebury College’s and study in Madrid, Spain for an accelerated academic year. “This semester, I have been completing my student teaching at East Providence High School and am extremely passionate about sharing my love of language and learning with my students,” Sutherland said.
Mallory Tassone
B.S. in nursing
Tassone will join the medical oncology floor at Duke University Hospital in North Carolina and plans to eventually become an oncology nurse practitioner. “Specializing in oncology will allow me to provide my patients with more informed and focused care,” she said. “I believe that in my role as a nurse practitioner I will be able to further support my patients and assist them in pursuing the care that is appropriate for them as individuals.”
