Mel Rising Dawn Cordeiro
Editor-in-Chief
The Rhode Island College Alumni Association is excited to announce the upcoming RICFest Homecoming and Family Weekend Event on Saturday, September 30th, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the RIC Quad (Rain Date: October 1st). This family-friendly event invites RIC alumni to reconnect with old friends, make new connections, and celebrate the vibrant community of RIC.
President Jack Warner expressed his excitement, saying, “RICFest is a wonderful occasion for alumni to reconnect, celebrate their shared experiences, and create new memories. We are proud of our alumni and their impact on their communities. This event is a testament to the strong bonds and lifelong connections that are formed at Rhode Island College.”
The event offers a diverse range of activities, with most free and open to RIC graduates, friends of the college, and the campus community. From a “Return to RIC Reunion” reception to public receptions and lectures, attendees will have ample opportunities to engage with their alma mater and learn about recent campus developments. RICFest Homecoming and Family Weekend demonstrates RIC's dedication to fostering connections and supporting its alumni community of over 68,000 individuals, 65 percent of whom continue to live in Rhode Island.
“The alumni relations team is dedicated to reconnecting and engaging alumni while showcasing their achievements. We also have an interest in spotlighting our student talent through dance and music performances, providing networking opportunities, promoting campus pride, and encouraging alumni to support the university's initiatives, all within the vibrant atmosphere of RICFest, fostering a strong sense of community and continued involvement,” says Ambar Rosas, the Assistant Director of the RIC Alumni Association.
For more information about RICFest Homecoming and Family Weekend Event, including a detailed schedule of activities, please visit the RIC Alumni website.
The Alumni Association proudly serves our 75,000+ graduates of Rhode Island College by providing resources, events, and benefits exclusively to our alumni community.
According to Rachel Greenleaf ‘14, the Director of, Alumni Advancement & Engagement, “The goal of the RIC Alumni Association is to promote life-long involvement with the College and each other. We know that a RIC education has the power to transform the lives of our students and their families, and we work every day to share that message and celebrate our pride in RIC. RICFest is our signature Fall event. It is an opportunity for our entire community to come together – alumni, faculty and staff, current students, prospective students, and our friends and neighbors!”
The Alumni Association benefits RIC by “hosting many events to not only engage our alums, but also to engage the student population,” says LeeShonel Ayala, class of ‘17, the Program Coordinator for Alumni Engagement and Career Empowerment Opportunity. “We provide scholarships through our department, which are funded by our alums who wish to financially support our students at RIC. We also provide work-study opportunities in our office to help students gain the skills they need for the workforce as they assist us with our alumni events. Last but certainly not least, through the Alumni Association, we offer a program called the Career Empowerment Opportunity (CEO) Program, which is currently funded by the Papitto Opportunity Connection Foundation. It connects a current sophomore, junior, or senior with a 2.5 GPA or more with a RIC alum, who has experience in the workforce, as their mentor.”