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Dakota Williams ’17 is one of 10 students selected as a Rhode Island Changemaker Fellow for the 2015-2016 academic year. An initiative of Social Enterprise Greenhouse and Founders League, the Changemaker Fellowship Program’s mission is to support entrepreneurship among students and recent graduates while uniting Rhode Island’s diverse student bodies.

Fellows were selected based on their demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship and leadership experience. Williams, from Palmdale, Calif., is working toward a B.S. in accounting with minors in business administration and philosophy. He is an inaugural scholar of the Nuala Pell Leadership Program, vice president of membership for the University’s Toastmasters chapter, and a founder and leader of Trustfall, an organization that provides a safe and supportive environment for young people going through hardships.

“I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur and I’ve always wanted to make a change in the world,” Williams said. “[As a fellow] I’m able to do something that combines both of those and also allow me to meet with like-minded people.”

As a Changemaker Fellow, Williams hopes to show his peers that entrepreneurship doesn’t need to be a scary venture. “A lot of people are shy and timid about being an entrepreneur because they fear it’s something they can’t do,” Williams said. “If you can work for yourself, and you can find a way to make a change in the world, that’s as self-gratifying as it gets.”

Through his organization, The Cause, Williams has created and marketed custom-designed socks, with half the proceeds benefiting the Salve Regina scholarship fund. The other half is invested in taking donated T-shirts to help fight homelessness as well as using the recycled shirts to make paper. One of his long-term goals is to help families who otherwise wouldn’t be able to pay for college.

Williams and the other Rhode Island fellows were honored at a Sept. 14 ceremony co-hosted by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. “Investing in the talented leaders of tomorrow is essential for our state to stay competitive in the global economy,” Whitehouse said. “The Changemaker Fellowship will help talented student entrepreneurs start and grow businesses here in Rhode Island, and I congratulate those who have been selected to participate.”

The Changemaker Fellowship Program is made possible by a $200,000 Innovation Grant from the Blackstone Charitable Foundation. The purpose of this initiative is to better integrate students and recent graduates into Rhode Island’s startup ecosystem, open entrepreneurship opportunities to new populations, and strengthen the flow of talent that drives startup success.

As compensation for their service, Changemaker Fellows receive one-on-one mentorship support, recognition as a student leader and a cash stipend.

The Dorrance H. Hamilton Gallery has announced the opening of “BOSS Show 2015,” an annual survey of outstanding student artwork drawn from the full spectrum of visual art courses taught on campus.

This juried exhibition showcases creative achievement at all studio levels, from introductory to advanced, in a wide variety of media. This year’s show features photography, painting, drawing, ceramics, graphic design, illustration and sculpture.

• See the list of this year’s award winners and exhibitors.

An awards ceremony and reception for the artists will be held in the gallery from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17. The Department of Art and Art History will also hold a new student orientation during the evening’s events.

The juror for “BOSS Show 2015” is John Colan, associate professor and coordinator of graphic design at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Mass. In 1996, he founded Hallspace, a Boston-based gallery that supports the work of emerging and under-recognized artists.

“BOSS Show 2015” runs through Wednesday, Sept. 23.

The Dorrance H. Hamilton Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The gallery is closed on Mondays.

Photo courtesy of Marrissa Ballard ’17 (Oxford, summer 2015)

The Office of International Programs will host its annual Study Abroad Fair from 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16 in Ochre Court. Students can learn about study abroad options, try international food and enter to win raffles with prizes such as travel journals, euros and T-shirts from the University’s international partners. The first 100 attendees will receive travel-themed gift bags.

Students from all academic majors and class levels will be able to find options that fit their interests and needs. Program options span six continents and more than 40 countries and range from two weeks to entire academic years.

Representatives from 14 study abroad providers and Salve Regina exchange programs will be on hand to provide information about their programs. The Study Abroad Student Association and other study abroad alumni will also be available to answer questions. Representatives from French and Spanish Language House will be available to talk to students as well.

Salve Regina faculty who are leading winter, spring and summer short-term study away and study abroad programs will be on hand to provide information about their programs in Austria, northern Spain, southern Spain (Seville), Ireland, Oxford, Rome, Belize, Morocco, and the United States (the Charleston Field School and the Civil Rights Bus Tour).

The Office of Community Service is seeking volunteers for its Semester in Service program, which connects dedicated and motivated Salve Regina students with nonprofit organizations in need of long-term volunteers.

For the fall 2015 semester, Semester in Service will run from Sept. 22 through Dec. 11. During these 11 weeks, students will volunteer 2-3 hours per week at the nonprofit organization of their choice. Transportation will be provided to all service sites.

• Semester in Service registration form

Interested students should register for the program by Thursday, Sept. 17. For more information, visit the Semester in Service webpage or contact the Office of Community Service at (401) 341-2440 or community.services@salve.edu.

Available programs include:

• Child & Family: Students are needed from 7:30-10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and/or Thursdays to serve as additional staff support in Child & Family’s early care and education center. Volunteers will work in classrooms with teachers to support all aspects of the day-to-day duties within an early childhood classroom setting.
• Girls on the Run: Students are needed from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays to foster the healthy development of young girls. Volunteers will receive training and detailed lesson plans, materials and guidance.
• Head Start: Students are needed from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays to work with children 6 weeks to 5 years old in the East Bay Community Action Program’s Head Start program. Volunteers may also have the opportunity to work with on-site nurses. Nursing students are highly encouraged to apply.
• Potter League for Animals: Students are needed from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and/or Thursdays to assist with daily morning cleaning, obedience training for dogs, training and socialization for cats, bunny socialization, clerical assistance, and outdoor projects such as landscaping and painting.
• Norman Bird Sanctuary: Students are needed from 3-5 p.m. Mondays to assist with education programs by tending to the fall garden. Volunteers will help finish up vegetable harvests, tend garden beds, add mulch to cover beds for the winter, and sow seeds for the winter in the greenhouse.