Alumnus, former student ambassador De La Cruz thriving thanks to JAA program
Oct. 9, 2019
As a first-generation college graduate who took advantage of all the resources available
to her on campus, CCRI alumnus Mileiry De La Cruz is now pursuing a career in a field
designed to help students just like her reach their full potential.
The Providence native discovered her passion for helping others while enrolled at
the Community College of Rhode Island. Under the guidance of the college’s Access
to Opportunity and Joint Admissions Agreement (JAA) programs, De La Cruz flourished
as a Student Ambassador, graduating in 2018 and transferring to Rhode Island College
the following fall. Now a member of the nationwide Ronald E. McNair Achievement Program
– aimed toward helping first-generation and low-income students transition to graduate
school – De La Cruz will pursue her master’s degree in Higher Education Administration
upon graduating from RIC next fall.
The JAA program at CCRI is what really laid the foundation for De La Cruz, who admits
she’d have been “pretty lost” trying to navigate through the college process on her
own.
When she arrived at CCRI three years ago, she had no career choice in mind until she
got involved on campus, both as a Student Ambassador and student worker in the college’s
Enrollment Services office. She initially wanted to pursue Diagnostic Medical Sonography,
but her work as an ambassador ultimately sparked her interest in higher education.
De La Cruz soon met with Vice President of Student Affairs Sara Enright and Advising
and Counseling Director Lisa Mallozzi, who introduced her to JAA.
The program simplified the transfer process for De La Cruz by helping her identify
what field of study she wanted to pursue at a four-year college and then guiding her
down the right path to ensure all of her credits would be transferrable. Students
who participate in JAA also receive counseling each semester from advisors at both
CCRI and their four-year college of choice in addition to a tuition discount by graduating
CCRI with a 3.0 grade point average or higher.
“JAA gives you peace of mind knowing your credits will transfer, keeping you on the
path to a bachelor’s degree. And, the advisors helped keep me you on the right track,”
De La Cruz said.
De La Cruz ultimately chose to major in Communications at RIC with a concentration
in Public and Professional Studies, which, she says, will help her once she gets into
the field because she will need to be able to communicate effectively with students.
“If it wasn’t for JAA and my advisors, I would not have chosen a Communications degree.
They helped me understand how it would help with my future goals. They were truly
invested in my education and my future. It was the extra boost I needed.”
De La Cruz is applying to several graduate programs to begin the next phase of her
journey with the ultimate goal of one day working in higher education, where she can
assist similar low-income, first-generation students adjust to college life.
De La Cruz is confident her background will help her relate to students who need help
along the way, specifically those who are afraid to ask for it or aren’t comfortable
stepping out of their comfort zone. She’s the perfect example of a student who has
continued to persist with her education, and remains appreciative of her time at CCRI,
which forged her path to success. “What I’m doing now is a reflection of the lessons
I learned and the people I met at CCRI, who always believed I could achieve success,”
De La Cruz said. “My future is built upon the strong foundation I found at CCRI.”
In addition to being a full-time student, De La Cruz also works part-time as a bilingual
customer service specialist at the Santander Bank Call Center in East Providence.
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