We were proud to hold the Women of Wisdom Celebration 2023, honoring Barbara Papitto and YSANEL Torres as this year's Women of Wisdom. Hundreds of people turned out for this joyful, heartwarming celebration of the Sophia Academy Mission and our school's loving, generous community.
Thanks to Kim Kalunian and Ted Nesi of WPRI, our fabulous event hosts, and all of the sponsors, volunteers, and committee members who made this evening so special.
The sixth grade has been creating masks in art class and recently took a field trip to the RISD Museum to explore exhibits highlighting different uses of masks throughout history and cultures. The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves as they got to learn about textiles and materials used around the world to create these beautiful pieces of art!
The galleries brought students through many historical moments, including an Ancient Egypt exhibit that held items from 2,300 years ago, Indigenous tribes in our modern history, and even artists from the local area within the past two years. During this trip, our tour guide, Marani, was intentional with her lessons for Sophia students. Students had fun drawing the animals they saw in the galleries and made clay masks together while analyzing an art piece by RISD student Rose B. Simpson.
Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos in attendance
At Sophia Academy’s second annual Career Symposium, our students spent half a day with a diverse group of women who visited our school. We were especially honored to welcome Lt. Governor Sabina Matos and Sophia alumna and public artist YSANEL. Medical professionals, attorneys, professors, judges, government leaders, police officers, fire fighters, event planners, journalists, and others—mostly women of color—demonstrated with their stories that our students have the inherent talent and wisdom to follow any pathway they choose.
The morning began with an introductory activity “ice breaker,” then panel discussions facilitated by Sophia eighth graders. Students and guests moved into small discussion groups, diving into deeper conversation. The morning's questions were pre-written by our 8th grade ambassadors and included: How did you learn about your current career? How do you deal with people who look at you and jump to conclusions about what you are capable of? Through your hardships, what keeps you going as a leader? What advice did your mentors give you to become who you are today?
In their post-event reflections, students wrote:
The most valuable part of this event was seeing how passionate these women were towards their job and their advice for us, because they made me realize the opportunities I have…
One of the most valuable parts was learning about each of the careers. The second thing that was valuable information for me was being one on one with the people to talk to them. The last thing was hearing others’ wonders and things they found interesting…
This experience was great for me because all the careers were great and got me thinking what I want to do when I’m older. I can be so many things when I’m older. This is the time for me to start thinking about what I am going to do when I’m older…
2023 Panelists:
Temi-Tope Adeleye, WJAR News Journalist
Judge Melissa DuBose, Associate Judge at RI District Court
Jessica Maxted, Fire Fighter
Aubrie Viera, Dental Hygienist and Assistant Professor at CCRI
Ysanel Torres ’11, Public Artist
Nirva LaFortune, City Councilwoman and Assistant Director at Brown University
Carla C. Moreira, MD, RPVI, Surgeon and Professor at Brown University
Officer Debbie Rosso, Providence Police Officer
Judge Elizabeth Ortiz, Rhode Island Family Court
Margaret Brassard, Small Business Entrepreneur
Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
Officer Dormica Waters, Providence Police Officer
Renowned jazz violinist Regina Carter spent a day working with our students and sharing her love of music, and emphasizing to our students that they can pursue any dream or passion they choose, and that when they are willing to immerse themselves in hard work, they will know they have found that passion.
With their voices, recorders, ukuleles, and drums, students and faculty followed Carter’s lead in a blues improvisation and then had the opportunity to ask questions about her music and her life.
Known for exploring the power of music through the voice of the violin, she performs in many styles, including jazz, R&B, Latin, classical, blues, country, pop, and African. A recipient of the MacArthur “genius” award and a Doris Duke Artist Award, Carter is currently attending a residency at the RI Philharmonic. She is also a Grammy Award nominee. Carter started her violin journey at the age of 4, and is deeply inspired by Ella Fitzgerald. Her wide range of experience includes teaching violin in public schools, touring widely, performing at numerous jazz festivals, and making history by being the first nonclassical violinist to play Niccolò Paganini’s Il Cannone (“The Cannon”), the legendary violin built by Giuseppe Guarneri in 1743.
Sophia students were utterly inspired. What an honor to have such quality time with this incredible musician!
Sophia Academy students had an awesome day with Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, author of our all-school summer read Operation Sisterhood. She traveled from her home in New York City for a day that included a school tour with 8th grade ambassadors, reflective literature circles with 5th and 6th graders, and an all-school assembly for Sophia students and mentors.
In addition to writing several children’s books, she has written for various outlets, including PBS Parents, Read Brightly, American Baby, Healthy Kids, and some of her childhood favorite hip hop fanzines. Olugbemisola has worked extensively in youth development and education, and was twice awarded a public service fellowship by the Echoing Green Foundation for her work on a creative arts and literacy project with adolescent girls.
This amazingly prolific author of wonderful fiction and nonfiction books for young people inspired us with her story and her journey, and by candidly answering students' insightful questions, from "How has being a published author changed you as a writer?" to "Is it challenging to be a woman of color in publishing?" to "What does it take to effectively market a book?" The visit was made possible by a grant from Rhode to Success through our partnership with MentorRI. Thank you, Olugbemisola, for joining our sisterhood! We can't wait for you to come back!
Sophia Academy is thrilled to celebrate Barbara Papitto (above left) and Ysanel Torres (above right) as our 2023 Women of Wisdom. This honor recognizes women who exemplify Sophia’s social justice mission and core values of courage, responsibility, respect, and peace.
“With their shared dedication to empowering communities of color in Rhode Island, Barbara and Ysanel are innovators for social justice, and we are delighted and honored to celebrate them,” said Maura Farrell, Head of School. “In very distinctive ways, they light a path for Sophia students and other young people with their lives of passion, service, and advocacy.”
Barbara and YSANEL will be honored at the Women of Wisdom Celebration event on May 8, 2023, at the WaterFire Arts Center. They join a group of impressive Women of Wisdom from previous years, including Suzanne Murray, Joan Wernig Sorensen, Anne Szostak, Liz Chace, Suzanne Magaziner, Sister Mary Reilly, Stacey Abrams, Toots Zynsky, and Latsany Lopez.
Please visit the Women of Wisdom Celebration page for event updates and, beginning in April, to purchase tickets.
Barbara is the founder and a trustee of the Papitto Opportunity Connection, (POC) a non-profit private foundation dedicated to listening and working together with Rhode Island’s Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to empower and create individual success stories by investing in education, job skills training and entrepreneurial ventures. A core focus of POC’s work is supporting children impacted by systemic racial injustice in Rhode Island. She also founded and leads Read to Succeed, whose mission is to imbue young people with a love of reading, and motivate them to maintain literacy skills over the summer months. Since its establishment in 2008, Read to Succeed has funded $2.2 million in scholarships for young Rhode Islanders. Since Sophia joined Read to Succeed in 2021, Barbara has visited the school many times to deliver the students’ Read to Succeed books and to honor those who complete the program each year. Her generosity, sense of humor, and humility have touched the Sophia community.
YSANEL, a 2011 Sophia Academy graduate, is an Afro-Caribbean artist who advocates for social justice and gives voice to unsung communities of color—particularly women—through public art, performance, and installations. YSANEL grew up on the South Side of Providence in a community of people from Dominican Republic, where most of her is family is from. “Lucky for me, Providence was (and still is) entirely a melting pot of various diasporas, so I learned arts and culture through both a personal and collaborative lens,” she reflects. Her career as a public artist started at 16, when she began transforming utility boxes on Providence streets with her project Sound the Alarm on Female Empowerment, portraits of inspirational women. In 2017, the City of Providence awarded her its first Public Art residency. Working with youth and staff at the Madeline Selim-Rogers Recreation Center, YSANEL designed and painted Madeline, a permanent mural at the Rogers center.
This event supports Sophia Academy’s tuition-free program, whose mission is to engage girls from low-income families on a joyful quest for self-discovery and opportunity through a middle school education grounded in social justice. If you are interested in sponsoring the Women of Wisdom Celebration, please email Heidi at hfraitzl@sophia-academy.org to learn more.
SOPHIA ACADEMY ANNOUNCES
MARIE D. MYERS AS NEXT HEAD OF SCHOOL
PROVIDENCE, RI – Sophia Academy, an independent all-girls middle school in Providence (grades 5-8), recently announced Marie D. Myers will be their next head of school, beginning July 1, 2023. She is currently Director of Enrollment Management at Concord Academy in Massachusetts. Myers will be taking the reins from Maura Farrell, who is leaving Sophia after five tremendous years of growth for the school.
Founded in 2001, Sophia Academy’s mission is to engage girls from low income families on a joyful quest for self discovery and opportunity through a middle school education grounded in social justice.
Read the full community announcement here: https://www.sophia-academy.org/hossearch/#december_16
Sophia Academy students recently shared a unique opportunity to meet Quinn Mason, a visiting composer at the Rhode Island Philharmonic, engaging in conversation to learn about his journey as a 26-year-old Black composer and conductor.
Now an internationally published and celebrated musician, Mason offered his personal story as a young man of color in the classical music field, and encouraged students to remain humble no matter their level of success. Students and faculty were delighted to be treated to an improvisational piano performance by Mason, at the request of a student. Later, many of the students attended the Philharmonic’s season opening performance that featured Mason’s work, "A Joyous Trilogy."
“It has been an honor to work with Sophia Academy in our multi-year partnership…Music is now a part of the fabric of the Sophia experience…with classes ranging from general music to ethnomusicology to various ensembles. Both Sophia and the RI Philharmonic are committed to removing opportunity gaps for students through excellent programing grounded in social justice, which makes for a special partnership,” said David Beauchesne, Executive Director of the RI Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School.
Sophia Academy students with RI Philharmonic visiting composer Quinn Mason (center).
The next time you visit the Roger Williams Park Zoo, be sure to drop a donation of nonperishable food in the new Community Food Pantry installed at the entrance!
As part of the Environmental Justice Academy cofacilitated by Roger Williams Park Zoo & Carousel Village staff and Sophia Academy, and made possible with support from United Way of Rhode Island, last year's seventh grade designed the Food Pantry to combat food insecurity. The finished product was unveiled on November 3.
“…Our class was discussing social and environmental justice. We decided to make a food pantry for everyone. We wanted people to not starve from hunger and make them feel safe in this community,” said eighth grader Peniel Saidon at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The students created initial designs in four small groups. “Each group made a decision of what the pantry would look like. We had to measure the length, the width and height. Then we all got together and put the design as one, using half of each design and measurement,” explained eighth grader Evelyn Tillman.
This year’s seventh grade will participate in the Environmental Justice Academy as well, and produce their own project on an issue of their choosing.
Pictured left: Science teacher Alyssa Wood, Dean of Students April Samuels, 8th graders Peniel Saidon and Evelyn Tillman, and Meg Archer from the RWP Zoo cut the ceremonial ribbon on the new food pantry (pictured right) installed at Roger Williams Park Zoo.
In Year 2 of Sophia’s partnership with Read to Succeed, all students took part in the summer reading program, and 29 earned a $1,000 college scholarship by reading all of the required six books and passing a comprehension quiz for each.
Each spring, Read to Succeed generously provides Sophia students with six summer reading books each student chooses, and in the fall hosts an awards assembly to recognize students who completed the program. In each of their four years at Sophia, students have the opportunity to earn $1,000, which is invested in the Rhode Island 529 college scholarship program.
"We are incredibly proud of our students for taking this opportunity to not only maintain their reading and comprehension skills over the summer, but also work towards their future college careers. After this year's awards ceremony, the entire school is motivated to keep reading and earning!" said Melissa Moniz, Director of Middle School.
Reach to Succeed was founded by Barbara Papitto and her late husband, Ralph.
Fifth Grade: Arianna, Milanya, Jade, Giulia, Javeria, Eliana, and Jadelynn
Sixth Grade: Herianna, Michaela, Shasta, Mariah, Zinnia, Ahmari, and Maria
Seventh Grade: Kamil, Arlenys, Zion, Ivanna, Alivia, Azmyralda, Jaslene, and Tehillah
Eighth Grade: Kashley, Saige, Kelsy, Nayelys, Aurie, Peniel, and Evelyn
