Christine Marrapese
Class of 2005 SCE

When I had my first meeting with Anne Daley, I felt like I was talking with an old friend.  She made me feel so comfortable while explaining about the School of Continuing Education.  After our initial meeting I still went on to explore other options. I inquired into a State College as well as a couple of on-line universities.

A couple of months past while taking it all in, when I was drawn right back to Providence College.  The school had all the qualities that I was looking for.  The staff, the Liberal Studies curriculum, the professors and even the cost for the classes were all inviting.   In other college campuses, parking always seems to be a problem.  It wasn’t the case at PC.  It seemed to me that there were only enough students at the campus at one time to provide a space for everyone.  The general staff, from Deans to office or computer help were always o willing to help.  Even a couple times when I had to call student accounts about my bill, they were always so friendly and efficient.

The education I’ve received has been enlightening.  I feel I am much more prepared to apply for various jobs than I ever was before.

The Overall atmosphere at Providence College shines.  The other adult students that I’ve met here have had many good qualities as well. I have only positive feelings about my year and 1/2 here at PC.  I graduate with gratitude and pride for this college.  My experience here will affect me for the rest of my life.

Fondly Yours,
Christine Marrapese

Julie M. Ferrini, RDH
Class of 2005 SCE

Naturally when making the decision to return to college, I, as we all have done, questioned whether or not I could do it… could I manage to juggle my work obligations and personal commitments while attempting to read a book a week, or write a paper without distraction, and still manage to pull off that “A” that we obsessive compulsive adult students feel compelled to do?
 
When Anne asked me to share with you my Providence College experience, I reflected upon the many courses that I have taken and it seems as though each and every one of them have fulfilled me either personally or professionally in some way. There are two that seemed to have really defined my experience here…

First, Anne had suggested that Professor Bedard’s, Philosophy of Death and Dying may be the place to begin at SCE. With great apprehension, on September 10, 2001 I entered her classroom. Unfortunately, the day after receiving the course syllabus on this difficult subject, the most tragic and frightening experience of our lifetime occurred- September 11. Although I did not have anyone personally affected by 9/11, it was for certain that we were all touched by this tragedy and would deeply mourn the loss of people we did not even know. I remember walking into class that next week thinking that it was going to be so difficult to listen to Prof. Bedard discuss death and dying when we all are trying to process what had happened the previous week. I recall seeing her eyes and recognizing that it was even painful for her to discuss death and dying that evening, but she managed to do so in a delicate, caring, manner providing her knowledge and expertise so that we could learn to cope with our grief. I left that evening knowing that my decision to attend Providence College was not only what I wanted, but truly needed at this time.

Next, being an absent Catholic for the majority of my adult life made selecting the Theology requirements a bit challenging. I had two of the four requirements completed when I looked to Anne for guidance. Again, she had made a great suggestion. Dean Marina was teaching Evangelization and Catachesis. She stated that he was an incredible speaker and I should not miss out on hearing what he had to say. So I made the decision to attend his class. On the first evening we began by going around the classroom sharing of our faith practices. It seemed that everyone in the class were very good Catholics, participating in their church functions, teaching CCD, another worked for the church, at the very least they all went to church on Sunday…meanwhile, I am dreading my turn thinking “good grief” I don’t even know my priest’s name! Well, I was comfortable enough with Dean Marina and the rest of the class to express the truth about my delinquent Catholic status. Dean Marina did not make me feel uncomfortable with who I was or where I was with respect to my faith. As an absent Catholic, never really experiencing the depth of my religion, I began feeling that I was indeed missing out on spiritual fulfillment, as well as an inner peace that Dean Marina and many of those in class seemed to have. As the semester progressed, he helped me to see that it was okay to return to my church after many years of absence…his commitment to guiding me back to faith and prayer helped me to realize what true evangelism meant. I will be forever thankful to Dean Marina as he, along with those 15 classmates were leading me on a journey back to my faith. And thanks to Dean Marina, by the end of class, I was pleased to say that I knew the name of my priest.

Thank you to the staff and formidable Professors here at Providence College and especially to Anne Daley, the hidden treasure of SCE.

As you can see by the experiences I have shared with you, my decision to pursue my Baccalaureate degree at PC was a match made in heaven.

Honors Night Speech - Janet Masso
Class of 2005 SCE

Good evening, everyone.

It is an honor and a privilege to be here tonight and share my experiences as a student in the Providence College School of Continuing Education.  I can hardly believe it now, but there was a time in my life when I thought I would never earn a college degree.  It just never seemed to be the right time for me to return to the classroom.  Then, when both my children were well on their way to achieving this very goal, I decided that I wasn’t going to be left behind.  I wanted a college education, and so my journey began.

I enrolled in my very first class in the spring of 1999.  The course was Freshman Writing Seminar with the late Bob Dalton.   I can still remember how nervous and uncomfortable I felt sitting in the classroom again for the first time after so many years, and I wasn’t sure I could handle college level writing.  Well, I survived that first course and by the time the semester was over, I was hooked. 

Over the following summer, I met with Anne Daley, my academic advisor.  Together Anne and I began to chart the path for my journey, and it is because of Anne’s encouragement and confidence in me that I made the decision to pursue Bachelor’s Degree.  I chose Liberal Studies as my concentration because I felt it offered me the greatest opportunity to take courses that would enrich my life and expand my horizons, and I was right.  Over the next six years, I would take courses in many different areas including World Religions, Death and Dying, Leading Change, Philosophy of Violence, Aging and Health, Journalism, Life in the Great Depression, Shakespeare, Children’s Literature, Rhode Island Biology, and many, many more.  Along the way, I wrote a children’s book, I prepared a brochure and photo guide to exploring a conservation area in my hometown, and I covered a town meeting and wrote an article with a two-hour reporter’s deadline looming over my head. 

However, one of my favorite courses was Wisdom Literature taught by Sr. Carolyn, and it was actually the very first time Sr. Carolyn taught the course for SCE.  She piled on the work and critiqued our writing as well as the content of our papers, but I learned a lot from her.  Sr. Carolyn took our hands and walked us through the Book of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastics, Psalms, and for that journey I will forever be grateful. 

Every graduate in this room knows that a major part of being a successful student is having a good support system at home, and I certainly had my family’s support.  So to my husband, Tom, I say thank you for taking care of dinner so I could always get to class on time.  I know he and my son are glad this journey has finally come to an end so they can talk at the dinner table again instead of listening to me lecture about whatever I happened to be reading or writing that semester.   

On Sunday, May 15, 2005, I will reach the end of my journey and achieve my goal, and I will be in very good company.  So to my fellow graduates here tonight and those who couldn’t be with us, I say congratulations!!   I commend you for your hard work, your dedication, and your success now and into the future. 

Finally, I would like to thank all of the professors who challenged me week after week for their dedication to the education and success of all the SCE students here at Providence College.  I will forever be indebted to Providence College for this priceless gift and to the faculty, advisors, and SCE staff for helping me to realize my dream.

Thank you. 
Janet Masso

Michelle T. Fleury
Class of 2005 SCE

My experience at Providence College has been truly rewarding for me both academically and personally.  I like to think that I am a better person because I had the pleasure of attending a prestigious Catholic college.  The outpouring of support from PC faculty, my classmates, my family and the staff of SCE has been an integral part of my success and everyone’s encouragement has been an internal driving force for me which gave me the determination to forge through the difficult times. 

Taking a variety of courses for my Liberal Arts degree has given me a greater appreciation for different religions, issues relating to death and dying as well as logical thinking.  I also enjoyed learning about our presidential election process.  The diversity of students at Providence College has opened the door and allowed me to see viewpoints from other perspectives. 

From the moment I stepped foot on campus, I felt that I found a home at Providence College but little did I know just how much my life would be touched and changed by the friends I have made along my journey.   Attending PC has been an incredible experience and I would encourage others to consider pursing an education at PC. 

It has been an honor for me to follow in the footsteps of many great individuals who are PC alumni---some of those individuals are a part of PC faculty!
  
In closing, I’m proud to say “I graduated from Providence College!”

Michelle T. Fleury