Christopher Lionel Calderón of Providence. Civil Engineering. 2010 Valedictorian of Central High School; next up: grad school at URI.
“I have been challenged more than I expected by both my field of study and by the hardships in my life, one of which includes the loss of my parents. Everything is what you make of it. The gift I received from my mother: The importance of preparing for the future.”
Sylvia Bogusz of South Kingstown. Communication Studies. Survivor of near-fatal hit from drunk driver in 2007; advocate for tougher drunk-driving laws.
“I don’t get too excited about graduating because it’s always been my goal to be successful. I’m not scared even when I speak before hundreds, but sometimes I cry because it’s still emotional. I persevere. I don’t want anyone to pity me. There’s more to life.”
THE ANNUAL EXTRAORDINARY: Maria Briones of East Providence. Civil Engineering and Spanish. Built wastewater treatment facility in Guatemala with student group; next up: grad school, Peace Corps.
“Maybe I’ll work for a government agency or maybe I’ll establish my own organization to help people get access to drinking water. I understand the technical side of the issue and the health-related aspect, and I know I can help.”
Dave Powers of Cumberland. Mechanical Engineering and German. Saxophone player, Ultimate Frisbee competitor, grad school candidate for industrial engineering.
“I don’t want to make the motor of a car; I want to make the seats. It’s more interesting to make something that has to account for the human, that works the way you want it to. When the average person uses a product, do they have to read the manual first?” Compiled with the help of Todd McLeish, Dave Lavallee, Elizabeth Rau, Sylvia Bogusz and Janet Kerlin. 6 QUADANGLES SUMMER 2014
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PHOTOS: MICHAEL SALERNO, NORA LEWIS, COURTESY MARIA BRIONES, NANCY WILSON, BRIANNA BLANK.
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