The University of Rhode Island Talent Development program gives first-generation students an opportunity to attend college, which can have a big impact on the student’s career opportunities, their families, and the local community.
The program provides educational opportunities to students from underrepresented and educationally disadvantaged communities in Rhode Island.
In 2020, HarborOne Bank announced a $50,000 donation to the University of Rhode Island Foundation to promote the work of URI’s Talent Development program.
The funds provided help students with books, computer hardware, software and other important learning tools. Recently, we spoke with representatives from HarborOne Bank, as well as University of Rhode Island staff and students who have participated and benefitted from the Talent Development program.
For more information, watch the video at the top of the page or we’ve transcribed the video below (edited slightly for clarity). You can also visit the HarborOne Bank website and follow them on social media:
Facebook: Facebook.com/HarborOneBank
Instagram: @HarborOneBank
Twitter: @HarborOne
Giving Back to the Community
Phillip Kydd – Vice-Chairman, HarborOne RI Foundation (00:03)
HarborOne Foundation Rhode Island has a mission specifically to try to lift up and give wherever we can within this state. They’re looking at anything that could shift the balance in terms of folks who are suffering from economic depression.
The Talent Development Program here at URI is one of those places because these funds will go directly to assist students who are having difficulty with obtaining books, hardware, software that is necessary, especially in an environment that we’re in today or we found ourselves in the last year.
Kristina Moyet M.ED. – URI Assoc. Dir., Academic Programming & Assessment Talent Development (00:35)
The talent development program gives students and their families and loved ones a sense of hope that obtaining a college degree is possible. Providing access at a critical time to the institution supporting their transition, not only with peer support with academic support, and connecting with the TD advisor. It’s really about supporting an individual scholar, and really understanding them holistically.
Changing Lives by Providing Opportunity
Daniel Stubbs – Student/Talent Development Program (00:59)
The program is definitely important, just because the money situation is not there for everybody. Some kids are really smart, they just don’t have the money to go towards college or stuff like that.
It definitely has helped me become a better person and take things on with a positive attitude. It’s motivating for me to keep trying, and just keep going at it no matter what the situation is.
Phillip Kydd (1:26)
That’s what the talent development program is really about. It’s an extraordinary program that is in place that gives first-generation first-time folks in their families an opportunity to come to a university where they may not have had that before.
It’s changed their lives in the point of view where it not only has an impact on individuals, but it has an impact on your entire family, and the larger community at home.
Jennifer White – VP Communications and PR, HarborOne Bank (1:54)
One of the things that I love about this partnership is Harbor One Bank has an expertise in financial education. And we’ve been able to share that with the students. In the age of COVID, we had to do it virtually, but over 300 of the talent development students had the chance to just get a little bit about basic financial education.
Financial Education Webinars Helps Students Manage Money
Kristina Moyet M.ED. (2:16)
The Financial Education webinars help scholars to understand what it means to save money, what it means to accrue interest, what it means to spend with intention and with purpose, and that overspending and spending outside of the amount of money that students might have accessible to them.
And they really made a connection with understanding student loans and debt and what that means for their first year in college.
Victoria Rowley – Student/Talent Development Program (2:40)
Hi, everyone. My name is Victoria Rowley, and I’m a first-year TD scholar at the Talent Development Program at the University of Rhode Island. This summer, I participated in the financial education webinars that was hosted by HarborOne.
I learned how to start budgeting, how it’s important, how important it is to think about my financial goals, and how important it is to work on those goals for my future. Thank you Harbor One!
Kristina Moyet M.ED. (3:04)
After the financial education webinars, we followed up with scholars to really hear their voice, and (if this was) beneficial – what did they learn? They learned how to make good decisions on saving and good decisions on spending.
Proud to Support the Local Rhode Island Community
Steven Gibbons – Regional Vice President, HarborOne Bank (3:16)
At Harbor One, we are proud to work with the community. We’re so proud to be a part of the talent development program at URI. We’ve worked hand in hand with URI in the last several years, and our $50,000 donation on what we think is a tremendous program.
As a community bank, we represent communities all throughout the state of Rhode Island. So taking the educational process and running these kids through college and getting a completed education… we’re pretty proud of our community activity.
Phillip Kydd (3:45)
Harbor One Bank is very proud to be a sponsor, a supporter, but most importantly a friend to the University of Rhode Island.
