Alumni Parents Honored at Mother Gamelin Event

PHS Alumni Parents Honored at Mother Gamelin Society Event

This is the first year that Providence High School took part in the Providence Foundation Mother Gamelin Society and Circle of Caring dinner by way of honoring donors from the PHS community. The ceremony took place on April 6, 2016 at the Universal Sheraton. PHS Head of School Joe Sciuto presented Carmen and Ray Ferrante with the 2016 Foundation Leadership Award, which is only a small token of gratitude for all that they have done, and continue to do, for the school.

The Providence High School community owes a debt of gratitude to the Ferrantes, who have been pillars of the Providence High School community for more than thirty-five years. In 1988, when under-enrollment threatened to close the high school, Ray, the Chair of the Parent Board and Carmen, the self-appointed Director of Development, helped to create and implement the Medical Focus Program, one of the first of its kind in the country, and the Cinema Arts Focus Program (formerly named the Media Arts Focus Program) to recruit competitive incoming students. As a result, enrollment increased, the high school did not close, and the Medical Focus Program and Cinema Arts Focus Program continue to be successful recruitment tools that prepare students for careers in healthcare and cinema arts.

As Ray continued on the Parent Board, Carmen co-chaired the high school’s successful capital campaign for the Fritz B. Burns Student Activity Center and Gymnasium, was a member of the Board of Regents, and officially served as Director of Development. In addition to his leadership at the high school, Ray had a successful 47-year career in financial services, working for IBM, American Heritage Bankcard Services and Century Bank Card Services. Prior to becoming a full-time mom of her three sons, Rick ‘85, Doug ‘86, and Bret ‘91, Carmen was a physical education and biology teacher for eight years.

Both natives of California, Carmen and Ray were married in 1966 at St. Finbar Catholic Church where they have remained active parishioners ever since. When asked what motivates their continued commitment and support of the high school, evidenced through their philanthropy, presence, and counsel, they said, “We wish to afford others the educational, religious, ethical, and moral teachings that were given to our sons.”