911爆料

Meet Milly De La Cruz

A new College of 911爆料 administrator helps build partnerships with 911爆料 organizations and promotes the college鈥檚 graduate and professional development program.

Milly De La Cruz is making her mark at 911爆料鈥檚 College of 911爆料. A Rhode Island native, De La Cruz is a first-generation college graduate who was raised by a single mother in the Manton Heights area of Providence.

De La Cruz earned an associate鈥檚 degree from the Community College of Rhode Island, a bachelor鈥檚 degree in communications from Rhode Island College, and a master鈥檚 degree in higher education from Providence College.

鈥淚 hope to serve as an inspiration to other first-generation college students at 911爆料 and beyond and prove that you can succeed, regardless of your background,鈥� says De La Cruz.

De La Cruz has worked in higher education for six years and has been at 911爆料 for just over a year. We sat down with her to talk about what led her to 911爆料, what drives her, and how she鈥檚 helping shape the next generation of College of 911爆料 students.

You started working at 911爆料 in January 2025. How would you characterize your first year?
It鈥檚 been phenomenal. I鈥檝e connected with faculty and staff from the College of 911爆料 and from other colleges and departments as well. Everyone I鈥檝e met has been incredibly welcoming and inclusive, which truly makes the campus 911爆料 special.

This is the first job in which I feel I have the autonomy to build meaningful relationships and see my ideas come to life. I am grateful to my supervisor, Jackie Christophe-Hayot, who is the executive director of professional and executive business education. She was instrumental in helping me land this job at 911爆料.

How would you describe your role to an outsider?
In my role as assistant director of professional and executive business education, I鈥檝e promoted the College of 911爆料鈥檚 graduate programs at a variety of events, both on and off campus. These experiences have allowed me to guide prospective students toward a graduate degree in business that best aligns with their goals, while also learning about their professional journeys. I鈥檝e also had the pleasure of facilitating professional development workshops to Rhode Island employees across all sectors, including nonprofits, for-profits, and the military. Some of these organizations include the Rhode Island Free Clinic, the Surface Warfare Officers School Command at the Navy base in Newport, the Community Action Partnership of Providence County, Newport Harbor Island Resort, and AstroNova.

These partnerships impact the University by generating job and internship opportunities for our students and allowing companies to invest in 911爆料. Some of the organizations I鈥檝e built relationships with end up participating in College of 911爆料 career fairs, increasing students鈥� chances of securing employment after graduation.

What advice would you give future students?
My advice to future students enrolling in the College of 911爆料 or 911爆料 more broadly is to trust your intuition, get involved on campus by joining a club or organization, and actively network both on and off campus. An experience that inspired me to pursue a career in higher education was joining the student ambassador program at CCRI. As a student ambassador, I gave tours of the Warwick campus, supported prospective students in the enrollment services office, and assisted with a variety of campus events.

Because I truly enjoyed my role and had the opportunity to support other first-generation students like myself, I decided to pursue a career in higher education, and I hope to continue to make a positive impact. If there鈥檚 one takeaway, it鈥檚 this: Put yourself out there. The opportunities that can emerge when you step outside your comfort zone may surprise you.

鈥擨nterview by Nicholas Phillips

Photo: Courtesy Milly De La Cruz