YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE A STUDENT'S LIFE.
The IYRS Power of 100 seeks 100 donors to change the lives of our students through a named scholarship gift. Power of 100 members pledge a miniumum $5,000 tax-deductible gift annually for three years from 2023-2025. $5,000 is the average amount a scholarship student receives and this amount will make an education possible for at least one student each year who otherwise could not attend.
70% of IYRS students require need-based scholarships annually.
Because IYRS programs are full-time Monday through Friday, students are not able to work while attending. Many leave full-time jobs to enroll and must pay tuition while not having a regular paycheck during their time at IYRS. Housing and living costs are also at a high.
With your support, these students will become the next generation of builders, makers, technicians, and designers. Through their IYRS education, they will gain hands-on skills, launch careers that preserve our maritime heritage and build our manufacturing future, and enrich their lives and those of their families. By becoming one of the 100, you will change these students' lives.
WILL YOU BE
ONE OF THE 100?
Power of 100 donors will be recognized through their named IYRS scholarship, will receive a personal thank you from their scholarship recipient, will be recognized as a member of the Power of 100 on the IYRS website, and will receive complimentary IYRS gear with our sincere thanks.
THANK YOU TO OUR POWER OF 100 DONOR MEMBERS (TO DATE)
Chris Cannon & Carol Hopkins
Duncan & Barbara Chapman
Pete & Audrey Denton
Kristal Dockery
Richard & Judith Dupre
Steve Glascock & Barbara van Beuren
Peter & Laurie Grauer
Jack & Anne Haley
Hamilton Family Charitable Trust
Joe & Louise Huber
Ed Kane & Marty Wallace
Peter & Cynthia Kellogg
Lisa & Jack LeFort
Dan & Susan Ogden
Change a student's life today.
As a member of the Power of 100, you will support students like Mike Feeley, Ariana Murphy, and Justin Chambers.
Mike Feeley '23
Mike Feeley knows hard work. For the 13 years prior to arriving at IYRS, Mike has been an EMT, a professional firefighter, and a contractor in the home construction industry—all at the same time.
With a dream of learning to build a Matinicus Peapod 16’ lobster boat and a desire to become a skilled professional craftsman, today Mike is one of our most exceptional students.
After graduation, Mike will open a wooden boatbuilding and custom furniture shop while continuing as a firefighter. The skills and knowledge he is learning at IYRS have given him the confidence to follow his dreams.
“Every day is a welcome challenge. Every project takes much longer than I anticipated but I am learning something important everyday that I will use tomorrow.”
Ariana Murphy '21 & '22
Ariana Murphy arrived at IYRS from Brooklyn, having spent 7 years as a middle school teacher. She says, “I had these question marks. I wanted to know how to do things...how to build things. When I arrived for a campus visit, I knew IYRS would play a role in my life.”
Ariana completed the two-year Boatbuilding & Restoration program, then, eager to learn more about hands-on marine skills, enrolled in the 6-month Marine Systems program. She excelled in both.
After graduating in spring of 2022, Ariana was hired to lead the development of a maker space at a local Newport school and lead a youth wooden boatbuilding program. She is thrilled to be educating the next generation of builders and makers using the skills she learned at IYRS.
Justin Chambers '23
At the age of 13, Justin became a foster child and ward of the State of Rhode Island. Justin entered the workforce at age sixteen. After graduating from high school and aging out of the foster care system, he worked to earn an Associate's degree in 2020. Since then, he has worked at UPS and currently works in the shipping department at Toray Plastics while attending IYRS.
"Working for a paycheck is not the objective for me. My goal is to work hard toward a meaningful and fulfilling career. My intentions while attending IYRS are to invest my time and effort into learning what it's like to truly be a part of a community full of caring and hardworking peers, becoming the best version of myself in an environment that promotes dedication and passion."