Advocates, Educators, Creatives, and Collaborators—Trailblazers are Made at URI

“Today we bring together a group of individuals who have turned their passions into purpose and their dreams into achievements,” Stone Freeman ’19, M.A.’21, chair of the Young Alumni Council, said to the crowd of talented alumni and their proud supporters.

The Young Alumni Council, in partnership with the University of Rhode Island Foundation & Alumni Engagement (URIFAE), hosted the annual 10 Under 10 Awards on February 26, 2025, honoring graduates from the classes of 2015 through 2024 for outstanding professional achievement and dedication to the URI community.

The 2025 recipients included Abigail Hasenfus ’20, M. S.’21, Amy Page DeBlasio ’15, Carlie Minghella ’23, Colin Burns ’14, DNP ’19, Ethan Melillo, Pharm.D. ’17, Isabella Silverman ’20, M.S., Mahlik Handley ’18, Michael Molinski ’19, M.B.A ’23, Sarah Dudinski ’21, and Shade Olowookere ’17. Each academic college, the athletics department, and the office of the provost chose one individual to honor.

Surrounded by fellow alumni, family, and friends, the recipients spent the evening reconnecting with their Rhody roots and were publicly recognized during halftime at the URI men’s basketball game following the awards ceremony.

University leadership was proud to recognize each recipient for embodying the core values of URI, as students and community members.

“We celebrate the freedom to learn, teach, create, and conduct research with integrity in the pursuit and dissemination of new knowledge aimed at contributing to the public good,” said URI Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Wolfe during the ceremony.

URIFAE launched the 10 Under 10 Awards in 2018. In addition to their personal achievements and contributions to the community, all recipients demonstrate the University’s core values of creativity and scholarship; diversity, fairness, and respect; engaged learning and civic involvement; and intellectual and ethical leadership.