Ailton's  Story

I was born and raised in the Cape Verde Islands.  When I was 15 years old I moved to America to live with my mother and family relatives…. I also attended high school in Pawtucket, but I wasn’t really a motivated student….. 

Luckily, I did graduate.  But what could I do next?  So I started to work in different places.  Though I was making the money I needed to live by, I wasn’t happy…. Until one day, my mother told me to go to Dorcas Place to get help, to get some direction.

So I went there to attend classes for college.  We did projects like filling out college applications; we also looked for financial aid programs and scholarships.  We even went on trips to visit colleges. My classroom was made up of all different people, all eager to learn and to achieve their goals.  

In this environment of goal attainment, of diversity, I finished the Bridge Program.   And now, I’m on the verge of getting my associates degree from CCRI, and I’m also the present President of the Student Government of the Liston Campus….

My future plans are to be able to practice diplomacy all over the world. Though it seems to be a big dream, it will never be out of reach because of Dorcas Place and the faculty working there. The knowledge, support and friendship shown to me… taught me the benefits of helping other people along the way. 

Gunraya's  Story

I am from Laos, a small country in Asia.  I was sixteen, married, with a baby when I came to the United States in 1990.  I had never been to school before, and I always wanted to get an education.

One day, a friend of mine mentioned the good programs offered at Dorcas Place.  I spoke to my husband but he was totally against the idea of me getting educated - but I had already made up my mind to learn to speak, read, and write English. 

My goal is to get a GED and then go to school to become an interpreter.  I went to Dorcas Place and finally see myself getting closer to my goal. I kept going to Dorcas Place, hoping my husband would change his mind, but he never did. When we divorced two years later, I was left with three children to raise, more determined than ever.  

I was nervous at first.  My teacher and the Career Academy staff encouraged me to take a test to enter the program, but I was afraid.  Between my teacher and the staff, I could not run away. 

I finally got the strength and took the test.  I passed!!!

The staff of the Career Academy helped me with a part-time job at Macy’s while I work on my GED.  I was even nominated “Employee of the Month”, and am more confident now.  The staff at Dorcas Place has shown me that I can succeed. I will keep working because my children are my inspiration, and I want them to be proud of me.

Alexander U. Ndimele

"My first winter 2002, I worked shoveling snow in the Burger King parking lot. The snow was beautiful, but I nearly froze to death. Someone referred me to Dorcas where I met Sharon who explained the Bridge Program to me. This was something I wanted to do.

"My goals are to go to college and become a nurse or accountant. Financial aid and college admissions were completed and I was on my way. I participated in Dorcas' Summer College Prep Program and had the opportunity to visit colleges and cultural activities. What an outstanding program!

"This semester, I enrolled in the Bridge program, I work nights at the Providence Place Mall, and while my wife works as a CNA, I care for our baby son, George. It is extremely difficult managing my time, but I have perfect attendance in class and I'm passing! Without the Bridge Program, with all its supports, I would not be able to do it alone. Dorcas paid for my books and the class. My wife also wants to complete her GED and enroll in the Bridge Program."

Alexander is enrolled in College Bridge at CCRI and received a B on his first mid-term exam. His wife Tina is enrolling in GED classes at Dorcas Place in December 2003.

Justin Wu

"I work 7 days a week, for 4-5 hours per evening, delivering Chinese food orders throughout the Johnston area. I drove during the snowstorms, no matter how badI studied by 7 AM each day and 10 PM at night to midnightNo matter what kind of problem came up, Dorcas Place staff helped me a lot. I am very thankful for my teachers and tutors. They are not just my teachers and tutors; they are my life teachers and tutorsWhen I came to Rhode Island a year and a half ago, I could hardly read and write any English. Now, students in my class tell me I talk too much!I want to finish a college education in computer engineering. After I attend Community College of Rhode Island, I want to attend the University of Rhode IslandI wish to thank Dorcas Place staff and everyone for helping me!"

Justin completed our Bridge to College program, is now working full-time and plans to enroll in CCRI in spring 2004.

Maria Ramos

Maria credits saving her life to a couple of lucky breaks, a tenacious spirit, and a team of Dorcas Place staffers who refused to give up on her.

This 27-year-old single mother of three children, ages 7, 5, and 8 months, struggled through many years of hardship since she left school in 12th grade to live with her boyfriend. "When I separated from my kids' father, I thought my life was over. I was nearly homeless and then I got two lucky breaks—I got into public housing and I came to Dorcas Place."

Within months, she earned her GED. Dorcas Place's support services staff saw promise in Maria and encouraged her to continue her education by enrolling in the agency's Bridge program. The Bridge program is a collaborative with Community College of Rhode Island that provides a range of services designed to help students transition from Dorcas Place to college.

Since the Bridge program began three years ago, 24 students, including Maria, have completed the course and the majority is still enrolled in college. But Maria almost didn't make it. When she became pregnant with her third child, she dropped out of the program with no intention of returning.

But the support staff wouldn't let her quit. "Angie called me every day," Maria said of Angela Downing, Director of Admissions and Support. "My teacher, Kathleen (Howell) called almost every day to encourage me. 'If you don't come back,' she would say, 'we will come and get you.'"

With that kind of encouragement and support, Maria had no choice but to join the WinterBridge session where she threw herself into her studies. She gave birth to her third child two weeks before final exams and is now enrolled as a full-time student in CCRI's phlebotomy program.

Today, Maria is a shining example of what support and individual tenacity can do. While a mother of three, she also is the primary caregiver for her sister. And she balances three jobs, including working as a college mentor in Dorcas Place's College Preparatory Program, supervised by Sharon Alexander-Reyes, the program's coordinator.

"There isn't an excuse or a hardship anyone can tell me that I haven't experienced", Maria said. "When students give me excuses why they can't come to class, I help them find a way around it. And I tell them, 'Go to school. Do something with your life. Get an education so you can get a good job. Don't depend on anyone.'"

By refusing to give up on Maria, Dorcas Place support staff and faculty enabled her to stay the course.

"Dorcas Place changed my life completely. I'm more independent. I'm working. I am going to school. I have my own car. The support service staff helped me by telling me I could do it. They didn't take any excuses. They found a way. They encouraged me and now I am encouraging others."