URI College of Education’s medallion ceremony honors students entering teaching, education-related professions
KINGSTON, R.I. — April 22, 2025 — “Every year, URI graduates the most new teachers in Rhode Island,” University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange told an audience of about 300 people as he welcomed the Feinstein College of Education’s graduating seniors preparing to become educators at the second annual Medallion Induction Ceremony on April 21 in Edwards Auditorium.
Jessica Chapman, recipient of the 2024 Milken Educator Award and a social studies teacher at Norwich Free Academy in Connecticut, was the keynote speaker for the event that celebrated 120 elementary and secondary teacher candidates, along with students in other education-related majors.
Chapman is also a participant in this year’s Feinstein College’s Multilingual Learners (MLL) Endorsement for School Leaders cohort.
“You are about to step into one of the most meaningful, impactful and important careers that there is,” she said. “With so many opinions these days of how education should be run, your commitment matters now more than ever.”
“We’ve all heard the saying; it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it also takes a village to raise a teacher,” she told the students.
Chapman urged the students to find a mentor who can provide guidance, a colleague with a different role to offer varying perspectives, and “to admit this work is incredibly hard,” but to do it anyway.
“Welcome to our small but mighty village,” Chapman said, ending her address, just before the students approached the stage to receive their medallions.
Danielle Dennis, dean of the Feinstein College of Education, presented the students with the medallions, a disc bearing the state’s anchor seal and displaying the word HOPE surrounded by the words University of Rhode Island and College of Education, hanging on a navy blue ribbon. The anchor, she noted, symbolizes the “unwavering dedication to our profession.”
Also in attendance were about 25 clinical educators from schools around the state who have supported URI teacher candidates in practicums and student teaching experiences throughout the year.
The Feinstein College of Education will hold its commencement ceremony on May 17 at 2 p.m. in the Ryan Center on the Kingston Campus.
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