Papitto scholarships and $1 Million investment in idea of Cranston’s Melissa Gonzalez Gutierrez

2025 Transform RI Scholarship Cranston High School West Senior Melissa Gonzalez Gutierrez Wins  2025 Transform RI Scholarship

$100,000 in scholarships given to 10 students from across Rhode Island 

For the fourth straight year, the Papitto Opportunity Connection (POC) is listening and investing in young people in Rhode Island.

Through the 2025 Transform Rhode Island Scholarship (TRIS), POC announced tonight it is investing $1 million in a Cranston student’s inspiring idea aimed at improving the lives of those who need it most in the Ocean State.

Cranston West senior Melissa Gonzalez Gutierrez stood out among 600 plus applicants as the winner of the 2025 Transform Scholarship. Melissa’s winning idea addresses the lack of access to books faced by low-income families in Rhode Island. Melissa’s hands-on program – Little Libraries – aims to foster a love of reading by combining creativity and community engagement. By putting books directly into the hands of those who need them most, Melissa’s idea promotes literacy and a brighter future for Rhode Island’s youth.

“By providing continuous access to books, we promote long-term literacy improvement, empowering children to become lifelong learners while making a tangible impact on their communities,” said Gutierrez, who will attend Providence College in the fall.

For her transformative idea, Melissa will receive a $25,000 scholarship and will have a seat on the Board of the  Papitto Opportunity Connection  as they invest $1 million to make her idea come to life. 

This year, 637 students representing 64 public, private, charter and parochial high schools from across Rhode Island responded, sharing personal essays, thoughtful research, dynamic videos and multimedia presentations showcasing how excited they are about creating real change in their communities. 

$100,000 to 10 High School students

Overall, POC awarded $100,000 to 10 high school students tonight through the Transform RI Scholarship. Since TRIS was established in 2022, POC has invested more than $4.6 million in this program. Overall, 36 students from RI’s public, private and charter schools have received TRIS scholarships. 

“When we started the Papitto Opportunity Connection, we often heard from young people. They wanted to share the ideas they thought would better Rhode Island, but no one would listen to them. That’s why we created the Transform RI Scholarship – to give young people a voice. We know teens have good ideas to create real change here in Rhode Island and we want them to know we’re listening,” said POC Founder Barbara Papitto. “The Transform Rhode Island Scholarships aren’t just changing students’ lives—they’re helping shape the future of our small, but mighty state. The thought, creativity and passion each student brought to the table this year was truly inspiring.”

All Top 10 TRIS student finalists received scholarships as a result of their transformative ideas. They include: 

$15,000 Scholarship: Haven Hoenick, Senior, La Salle Academy

BIG IDEA: A Youth Leadership and Civic Engagement Program for Rhode Island’s underserved communities. This after-school initiative will provide students with training in leadership, public speaking, advocacy, and civic engagement. 

$15,000 Scholarship: Jace Goldstein, Senior, Moses Brown

BIG IDEA: An intergenerational program that connects youth with seniors in RI communities, to combat loneliness and isolation amongst seniors. Jace will attend New York University.

$10,000 Scholarship: Rocco DeMartino, Senior, Cumberland High School

BIG IDEA: Rocco’s Big Idea is to clean up the Blackstone River, a historic waterway that flows through some of RI’s most underserved communities. His plan aims to address education, job skills training and fostering a healthier environment. Rocco will attend Bridgewater State University.

$10,000: Scholarship: Safiyatu Gassama – Junior, Blackstone Valley Prep

BIG IDEA: SmileRI is an app that would allow low-income families in Rhode Island to connect and set up free appointments with funded local dentists.  

$5,000 Scholarship: Quadratullah Omari, Sophomore, The Met School

BIG IDEA: Quadratullah’s Big Idea is to turn local laundromats into community learning hubs. While waiting for their laundry, patrons can participate in free English language classes, turning everyday chores into opportunities for growth.

$5,000 Scholarship: Nachiket Patel, Junior, Barrington High

BIG IDEA: A community-based approach to alleviate systemic inequities that includes building bonds in the community to brighten the prospects of those in poverty.

$5,000 Scholarship: Jessiret Pena-Gomez, Senior, Central High

BIG IDEA: Jessiret’s Big Idea is to build food pantries in Rhode Island schools, so no student in school has to feel the pain of hunger while trying to learn.  Jessiret will attend Amherst College.

$5,000 Scholarship: Kendra Ramirez, Sophomore, Central Falls High

BIG IDEA: Kendra’s Big Idea is a Mobile Student Support Lab designed to meet students where they are and give them the tools they need to succeed.

$5,000 Scholarship: Suhani Srivastava, Freshman, North Kingstown High School

BIG IDEA: Suhani’s Write for the Stars program offers writing workshops to youth living in Rhode Island’s underserved communities. Youth will build confidence in their writing and develop essential skills for success in school and beyond. 

About the Papitto Opportunity Connection: 

The Papitto Opportunity Connection (POC) is a non-profit private foundation dedicated to listening and working together with Rhode Island’s communities in need to empower and create systemic change by investing in education, job skills training, health care and entrepreneurship. Established in December 2020, POC has provided support to hundreds of non-profit organizations across the state and invested nearly $100 million dollars to support programs that provide crucial services to uplift Rhode Island’s communities in need. Learn more at POCFoundation.com.