Cranston Hall of Fame set to welcome class of 2016

The Cranston Herald ·

Continuing an annual tradition, five distinguished graduates of the city’s public schools will be inducted into the Cranston Hall of Fame this weekend.

Michael F. Crudale, Dennis DeJesus, the late Wanda S. DeRouin, Ronald DiOrio, and Susan M. Soscia make up the Hall of Fame’s class of 2016.

The induction dinner – the Hall’s 36th – will be held Sunday, Oct. 16 at the Cranston Country Club, located at 69 Burlingame Road. The event begins at 5 p.m., and is sold out.

Fred Vincent, president of the Hall of Fame, said the ceremony has in the past been held at the West Valley Inn.

“We, like many, were caught off guard” by that facility’s recent closure, he said. “We’re happy to be able to come back to Cranston, although we had many good years at the West Valley Inn.”

Vincent said this year’s honorees were selected from a pool of roughly 20 nominees. He called them “fine individuals,” and noted that many have a background in education.

Sticking with recent tradition, Vincent said each honoree will be introduced with a personal testimonial from a family member, friend, or colleague.

“It makes our evening more personal,” he said.

Below are biographies of each of this year’s honorees, as provided by the Hall of Fame Foundation and edited for publication:

Susan M. Soscia

A 1986 graduate of Cranston High School West, Soscia has distinguished herself as a highly talented professional physical therapist/athletic trainer.

She enrolled and graduated from Quinnipiac College in Hamden, Conn. There she was awarded a bachelor of science degree in physical therapy in 1990.

The following year, the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Ala., granted he a fellowship to study advanced sports medicine. In this capacity, she served as assistant to the national director research, James Andrews, MD. She was responsible for the treatment of injuries to professional national and international athletes. Her duties also included being the athletic trainer for the local high school football team.

Returning to Cranston, Soscia began her own practice as a physical therapist under the name of Alpha Physical Therapy Inc. As a member (1996-2000) of University Orthopedics Inc. in Providence, she founded and served as coordinator of the High School Sport Medicine Clinic. Since early 2000, she has been a volunteer certified athletic trainer at both Cranston High School East and Cranston High School West home and away football games. She provides the coaching staff at each school with the latest research, treatment of injuries, and preventative care of athletes. She also serves as the liaison between the coaches, physicians, and parents when injuries occur.

In 1993, Soscia was presented with the prestigious Berg Award in Research at the National Sports Physical Therapy Conference. She has presented her research to several professional bodies. In Philadelphia, Pa., in 1993, before the National Conference for Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers, she presented research on knee and shoulder injuries. As co-author, her research has been published in The Journal of Orthopedic Physical Therapy (1994). A very highly certified professional, she has licenses from the state of Rhode Island Department of Health both as a physical therapist and athletic trainer.

Soscia is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Physical Therapy Association, the National Athletic Trainers Association, the Rhode Island Physical Therapy Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, the Rhode Island Trainers Association, and the National Sports Safety Association. She has held several academic appointments, including at Newbury College in New Bedford, Mass. She also served as the Rhode Island representative for the Alumni Board of Directors at Quinnipiac University.

Ronald DiOrio

As senior member of this year’s induction class, DiOrio has been a lifelong resident of Cranston. A 1971 graduate of Cranston High School West, he has distinguished himself as an educator for more than 32 years.

DiOrio matriculated at the University of Maine, where he received a bachelor of science degree in education. He also earned a master of arts degree in counseling and human development from the University of Rhode Island, and he is also a recipient of a master of education/educational administration from Rhode Island College. He has also achieved from the Rhode Island Department of Education certificates as a principal, guidance counselor, and profession teacher.

From 1976 to 1978, DiOrio served as an elementary teacher in both the Cranston and Coventry school districts for grades four, give, and six. In 1978, he became the director of the Professional Development Institute for the Cranston school district. From 2003 to 2010, he served as director of teacher education at URI, where he worked with the School of Education Program Teams networking with local, state, and national agencies developing and enhancing training programs for future teachers.

At present, DiOrio is the program manager for the Providence Green Pathways Program. This city-based agency manages a comprehensive job training/employment program with a budget of $2.4 million.

DiOrio continues to be a member of the adjunct faculty at URI’s School of Education. He has been recognized with several prestigious awards. In 2001, he was presented with the Cranston School District’s Meritorious Service Award. Also in 2001, the Community College of Rhode Island presented him with the Distinguished Student Athletic Alumni Award. In 1993, he was honored by being selected as Adult Educator of the Year.

DiOrio also serves as a youth coach and eucharistic minister. He and his wife, Joanne, are the parents of two children, Nick and Adrianna. Wanda S. DeRouin

Graduating in 1980 from Cranston High School East, DeRouin distinguished herself as a woman of remarkable character, strength, and compassion. Her life was truly about giving.

DeRouin began her post-secondary education at the Community College of Rhode Island, where she was named to the dean’s list and was awarded an associate of science degree in 1983. Enrolling as an upper-class student at the University of Rhode Island, she completed all the necessary general education requirements, transferring to Rhode Island College where she was named to the dean’s list and received a bachelor arts degree in elementary education with a major in social science.

DeRouin began a very illustrious teaching career in 1990 as a teacher of English as a second language at the elementary and middle school levels. With a full-time teaching schedule, she found time to do graduate studies at Providence College, where she was awarded a master of education degree in 1997. She was highly certified as a teacher and achieved the prestigious certificate granted by the Rhode Island Department of Education, being “Highly Qualified” teacher status.

From 1990 to 2005, DeRouin served as a teacher in the Providence school district. In 2005, she came to the Cranston district and was assigned to Park View Middle School in grades six to eight, teaching English as a second language. She remained at Park View for nine years.

In 2014, the English as a second language program was moved to Hugh B. Bain Middle School. DeRouin found a new challenge at Bain. She was “so many things to so many people” of all ages and diversities. She volunteered for many causes, be it church, school, or charitable organizations. She was always there giving her all to each endeavor.

Her volunteerism included The Tomorrow Fun, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Church, and as a docent at Roger Williams Park Zoo (where she was voted “Outstanding Docent”). Her commitment to zoo education was contagious and helped build the great reputation that the zoo enjoys today. She also had a great passion for the Pennies for Patients program, where she raised many dollars for blood cancer research.

Among other interests, DeRouin was a strong advocate for living a healthy lifestyle. She would emphasize daily to her students to ear a healthy diet, to get out and exercise, and to appreciate nature. She felt that “a community is only as good as the people who live in it.” Though her life was short, she gave so much of herself to the children and adults of this city. She made Cranston a more vibrant place to live.

Dennis J. DeJesus

A 1974 graduate of Cranston High School East, DeJesus has distinguished himself as an outstanding community leader and highly competent organizer in both the public and private sectors.

DeJesus graduated from Rhode Island College in 1978 with a bachelor of arts degree in education, with a concentration in history. From 1985 to 1992, he served as executive assistant to the mayor’s office in Cranston. He was then appointed director of parks and recreation and served in this capacity for nine years (1991-1999). These were the “golden years” in the creation and development of outstanding parks and playing fields in our great city. DeJesus was responsible for a $1.1 million budget to maintain and supervise 140 recreational sites in the third largest city in Rhode Island, supervising a full-time staff of 20 and a summer seasonal staff of 90.

From 1999 to 2001, DeJesus was appointed by the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation as director of the recycling program. He then became executive director of the Federal Hill House (2001-2006), where he administered an annual budget of $1.5 million to provide social services to area residents. From 2006 to 2009, he served as vice president for advancement at Bishop Hendricken High School, where he supervised a staff of four, overseeing development, alumni affairs, and public relations.

Since 2009, DeJesus has been chief executive officer for the Rhode Island Special Olympics, providing year-round training and athletic competition for more than 3,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities while hosting more than 40 local, regional, and state tournaments and competitions each year. He leads a staff of 10 full-time employees and two part-timers with an operating budget of $1.5 million.

DeJesus has several professional affiliations. He has been president of the Board of Directors for Special Olympics Rhode Island (1996-2000), a member of the Rhode Island Parks and Recreation Association (1979-1998), a member of the Rhode Island Parks and Recreation Association (1979-1998), chair of the Providence Children’s Cabinet (2002-2003), president of the Cranston Western Little League (2002), a member of the Cranston Mayor’s Senior Advisory Council (2002-2006), and a coach for the CLCF Basketball Program (2005-2008).

Michael F. Crudale

Graduating in 1989 from Cranston High School West, Crudale, a lifelong resident of the city of Cranston, has distinguished himself as an education and administrator.

After high school, Crudale enrolled at the University of Rhode Island, where he majored in physical education and health and was granted a bachelor of science degree in 1993. He is also the recipient of a master of education degree in secondary administration from Providence College.

Crudale began his teaching career in 1994 when he was appointed as a physical education and health teacher at Western Hills Middle School. In 1996, he was transferred to Park View Middle School, where he taught physical education and health for the next 14 years. As a dedicated educator and fixture in the Park View community, he was appointed assistant principal in the spring of 2010. He served in that capacity for two years, and was then named principal in 2012.

Crudale is an active member of the Rhode Island Middle Level Educator Association and the Rhode Island Association of School Principals. Outreach and community service has been an important part of his professional life. He has created yearly Park View memorial celebrations honoring the United States military. The Park View Veterans Day 5K running event has grown during the past four years and has raised close to $20,000 to help various veterans organizations.

During the past five years, under Crudale’s leadership, the yearly basketball tournament held at Park View has raised more than $10,000 for The Tomorrow Fund. He has also organized “Pennies for Pasta,” which is an event that has raised $6,000 for the Leukemia Society, and the Hasbro Children’s Hospital supplies collection event where coloring and activity books and other items are forwarded to children receiving care at the hospital.

These and other events are directed by Crudale, resulting in the Park View community cultivating strong relationships among teachers, students, and parents. In this regard, he is a role model to students, teachers, and colleagues.

Crudale is also a very active member of the Greater Cranston community, especially with youth sports programs and leagues. He has coached for the past 24 years at both Cranston High School East and Cranston West. He also volunteers time with several non-school related sports organizations. He is a member of the Santa Maria DiPrata Society, serving on its Scholarship Committee.

Crudale and his wife, Kerri, are parents of three children, 14-year-old Nicholas, 12-year-old Sophia, and nine-year-old Mia, who each attend Cranston Public Schools.