Hands-on learning, close-knit environment guide Physical Therapy student to success
March 24, 2022

For several years, Alissa Prew bounced between two cities and two different colleges
as she tried to balance her schoolwork with her husband’s military schedule.
When she finally had the opportunity to settle down and focus exclusively on her education,
Prew choose the Community College of Rhode Island to pursue her career in physical
therapy.
The 25-year-old Prew, a Scituate, RI, native graduates this spring with her Associate
Degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant, where she will work under the direction
of a licensed Physical Therapist to help patients suffering from injuries or disease
improve their strength, mobility, and overall quality of life.
Prew enrolled at CCRI in the Fall of 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic forced
many institutions, including CCRI, to transition to remote learning. The change was
difficult at first for Prew, who describes herself as a “hands-on learner,” but she
adapted and maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout her time at CCRI and joined
the college’s Pi Omicron chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for
two-year colleges.
As a result of her success in the classroom and her score in the All-USA Academic
Team competition, which was the highest in the state, Prew recently earned a $1,250
New Century Workforce Pathway Scholarship, an award that recognizes the most outstanding
workforce-bound student from each state.
Prew credits much of her success to CCRI, whose Physical Therapy Assistant program
offers the necessary hands-on training and ample one-on-one time with professors and
industry experts to ensure students get the direction they need to effectively treat
patients.
“The individuality of the program is what makes CCRI so special,” Prew said. “I had
such a small class, so I was able to work directly with my teachers and classmates.
That intimate atmosphere helps you develop a relationship with all of your classmates.
You bond through such a challenging program.
“I really enjoyed that sense of community at CCRI.”
A standout athlete most of her life, Prew played volleyball and softball at Scituate
High School, where she developed a passion for helping others. The desire to work
in both sports and healthcare made physical therapy an obvious choice.
After high school, Prew attended the University of Rhode Island for one semester,
then transferred to Craven Community College in North Carolina when her husband, Santiago,
a member of the United States Marine Corps, was reassigned to Camp Lejeune.
Within two years, Prew and her husband moved back to Rhode Island to be closer to
family, finally allowing Prew to pursue her degree at CCRI without any interruptions.
She began her clinical work at The Miriam Hospital when the state began lifting COVID
restrictions and continues working part time as a Physical Therapy Aide at Sport &
Spine Physical Therapy in West Warwick, where she assists a variety of patients in
need of physical therapy.
Some clients are recovering from surgery and need help regaining mobility or range
of motion. Others are athletes rehabilitating from an injury. Sport & Spine has an
additional location in Coventry and allows for direct, one-on-one interactions with
the patients and therapists, which is a more comfortable setting for Prew.
“I’ve always preferred that environment over much larger hospitals or clinics,” she
said. “You can spend more time with the patient to fully understand his or her limitations
and it allows you to provide the best care possible.”
While her ultimate dream is to one day open her own practice, she has happily found
her niche in a critical, competitive industry where she can apply her personal and
professional skills to help those who need it most.
“You see it all in this industry,” Prew said. “It’s a difficult, but rewarding, field.”
Share this story
Latest News
Fragility of faith, morality come to life in Players' production of Hand to God
December 06, 2023
The Community College of Rhode Island Players close out the first half of their 2023–24 theater season this weekend with a production of Hand to God, an irreverent, dark comedy that touches upon themes of death, depression, religion, and the battle between good and evil through the lens of a crude sock puppet.
Read More
CCRI, RI Latino Artists come together to celebrate Latinx culture
November 24, 2023
In celebration of Hispanic heritage and its Latinx students, the Community College of Rhode Island is hosting “A Celebration of Latinx Culture” Wednesday, November 29 from 4–5:45 pm at CCRI’s Liston Campus in Providence featuring artwork and special presentations from members of Rhode Island Latino Arts, the state’s leading nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to the promotion, advancement, development, and cultivation of Latino arts.
Read More
CCRI, U.S. Department of Energy teaming up to help Rhode Island manufacturers
November 20, 2023
CCRI’s efforts to assist local businesses with energy savings is getting a major boost thanks to the Biden Administration selecting CCRI as one of seventeen new Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) nationwide.
Read More
Off The Cuff: Becka Carroll
November 17, 2023
Assistant Director of Brand Marketing & Advertising Becka Carroll, who recently earned her MPA from the University of Rhode Island, is working overtime as the Co-Director of the Buy Nothing Day Coat Exchange and a 2023–24 Women’s Policy Institute (WPI) Fellow.
Read More
CCRI, Gov. McKee, and state leaders celebrate opening of offshore wind safety training center
November 16, 2023
Governor Dan McKee and Speaker Joseph Shekarchi today joined CCRI’s Interim President Dr. Rosemary Costigan, Revolution Wind's joint-venture partners Ørsted and Eversource, along with Rhode Island state agencies and labor organizations, for a “topping-off” ceremony of the state’s first offshore wind safety training center at the Lincoln Campus.
Read More
First-Generation Spotlight: Digna Arias
November 10, 2023
CCRI’s own Digna Arias, a One-Stop Student Services Office Manager who has worked 13 years at the college, is one of many first-generation students who took advantage of CCRI’s vast resources while earning her associate degree in 2012.
Read More
CCRI alum, professor connects Shakespeare and social justice through hip-hop
November 09, 2023
The Community College of Rhode Island Players are teaming with the What Fray Was Here?: Social Justice Shakespeare theatre company and the Reverie Theatre Group this weekend for a free workshop presentation of Act 2 of I’m at Your Window, a hip-hop adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, at the Warwick Campus’ Bobby Hackett Theatre.
Read More
CCRI, Delta Dental team up to address dental hygienist shortage
November 01, 2023
Through a partnership with Delta Dental of Rhode Island, CCRI's Dental Hygiene Clinic in Lincoln receives much-needed renovations to support a 25-percent increase in the number of dental hygiene students, thereby addressing the state's workforce needs.
Read More
Advanced manufacturing program at CCRI allows high school students to earn certificate
October 31, 2023
Eleven juniors from North Kingstown High School (NKHS) are taking advantage of a unique learning opportunity through the Community College of Rhode Island’s latest High School Enrichment Dual-Enrollment initiative.
Read More
Off The Cuff: Ben Miller
October 30, 2023
A recent nominee for the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) Adult Educator of the Year Award, CCRI’s Benjamin Miller is an outstanding leader and advocate for adults looking to reimagine the education experience.
Read More
CCRI earns designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense
October 25, 2023
The Community College of Rhode Island has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) through academic year 2028, completing the second step of a two-step accreditation process by the National Security Agency (NSA) that began in March.
Read More
Off The Cuff: Brianna Cox
October 12, 2023
Communication and Media Assistant Professor Brianna Cox has been selected as a recipient of the Alex Trebek Legacy Fellowship for the Television Academy Foundation’s 2023 Media Educators Conference in Hollywood later this month.
Read More
Aspiring theater student thrives despite visual impairment
October 04, 2023
Being visually impaired has presented myriad challenges for Community College of Rhode Island Theater major Jalen Rodriguez, but limitations haven’t stood in the way of the 22-year-old Woonsocket, RI, native pursuing a career in performing arts – both on and off stage – while one day hoping to become an advocate for those following in his footsteps.
Read More
CCRI Players launch 2023-24 season with production of The Laramie Project
October 02, 2023
On a day that has become synonymous with the American gay rights movement, the CCRI Players launch their 2023–24 theatre season with a production of The Laramie Project, a revealing look at the reaction to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard.
Read More
Getting to Know: Ashley Casiano
September 25, 2023
CCRI's new Director of Athletics, Recreation and Wellness is looking to foster a culture of respect, communication, inclusion and competitiveness, while nurturing wellness and fitness programs that will support life-long health practices at the college.
Read More
Upcoming Events
Oct.
23
October 23, 2023 All Day
Online
Oct.
23
October 23, 2023 All Day
Online
Oct.
23
October 23, 2023 All Day
Online
Oct.
30
October 30, 2023 All Day
Online
Oct.
30
October 30, 2023 All Day
Online
Oct.
30
October 30, 2023 All Day
Online
Nov.
6
November 6, 2023 All Day
Online
Nov.
6
November 6, 2023 All Day
Online
Nov.
6
November 6, 2023 All Day
Online
Nov.
13
November 13, 2023 All Day
Online