Graduate Stories

“My internship at the Rhode Island State Psychiatric Hospital helped me take what I learned from the classroom and apply it to real world settings. I learned how to conduct competency to stand trial evaluations with individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses. In my Law and Mental Health class, I learned about the issues the criminal justice system and mental health care faced. At my internship, I witnessed how those issues affected the patients that I worked with.”  

"Trust yourself. The decision to attend graduate school is extremely difficult, so trust yourself that you will make the best decision possible. When in doubt, ask questions and seek advice. No one is in this process alone; there are so many support systems available for students, so take advantage of those and ask any and all questions (even the smallest ones) because you never know if someone else has that same confusion."

Shakour Abuzneid, the new Director of Cybersecurity and Networking at RWU, says he’s ready to build on an already solid program.

Lyndsey Sheldon grew up in a small town in Ohio where everybody knew everybody. After undergraduate life as a Buckeye, she knew it was time to find a tight-knit experience for grad school. “When I knew it was time to get my masters and really buckle down, I knew a small community with interactive professors is what I needed,” she said.

After 19 years as a respiratory therapist, Marjorie Drew ’19 wanted a change. Graduating with a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from RWU, Drew set out in December of 2019 for a new adventure working as a Historic Preservation Specialist for FEMA in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Juan Osorio ’19, ‘20M was inspired to enter the field of architecture by his grandfather and his Colombian roots. Now, he works as an architectural designer at Summit Design and Engineering Services in Cary, North Carolina. 

The AACSB-accredited Master of Business Administration program offers convenient and time-efficient ways to earn a bachelor's degree and MBA in just four or five years. A joint JD/MBA program option is also available. Abigail Clermont got ahead of the competition through the 4+1 MBA program at RWU. She achieved her childhood dream of working for NASA and works as a Financial Analyst within the NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.

Morgan Branco graduated from RWU in 2018 with a Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology in the Forensic Licensure track (currently the M.A. Forensic Mental Health Counseling program). Now, she is in her third year of the Clinical Psychology doctoral program at Nova Southeastern University. She is studying to be a forensic psychologist, and hopes to work in assessment and evaluation upon her graduation. 

Working as an Architectural Designer at KITE Architects, Capicotto makes her artistic visions come to life. 

Growing up, Dorca M. Paulino never imagined she would one day work for the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Now, she serves as the Diversity Director of our state’s judicial branch of government.