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The Rhode Island Foundation is sending high school seniors from East Greenwich, Newport, Portsmouth and Providence off to college with Carter Roger Williams Scholarships, which honor the spirit of the state’s founding father. The awards are worth up to $320,000 over four years.

This year’s recipients are Mauricio Argueta of Newport, Skylar Flynn of East Greenwich, Ellary Kinnane of Portsmouth, Sara Morente of Providence, and Abraham Oshinkanlu of Providence.

“A door to a world of opportunities just opened for these students. Thanks to the continuing support of the Carter family, we can help these young people turn their hopes about college into a springboard to an even brighter life,” said David N. Cicilline, president and CEO of the Foundation.

Argueta will graduate from Rogers High School. While in high school, he was a member of the football and track teams and participated in the Rogers Construction Technology Program. He plans to attend the University of Rhode Island, where he will study mechanical engineering.

“I hope to contribute to the human race through science. My ideas may seem radical and extreme for the current time, for they are ideas that don't bring immediate benefit and satisfaction for those who might have the authority to exercise them. A college education would give me the tools necessary to begin that goal and support these ideas with logic and proven research.”

In his application, he shared how he relates to Roger Williams’ values.

“Much like Roger Williams, I was forced into a form of exile and depended on the compassion of others at times for my success. He chose to help others instead of continuing the cycle of pain and hatred, something I aspire to do. I seek to further my knowledge because many great men, including Roger Williams, believed truth to be the highest authority in this world. The price of greatness is responsibility,” said Argueta

Flynn will graduate from East Greenwich High School, where she was captain of the girls soccer team and a class officer. In addition, Flynn was a first-place winner in Rhode Island’s 2025 HOSA Medical Innovation Conference. Outside of school she volunteers with the East Greenwich Soccer Association, Helping Hands of East Greenwich Rhode Island, Golden Hearts Club and the Avenger Inclusion Revolution Camp. She plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison and study medicine with the goal of becoming a doctor.

“I have always been passionate about helping others. Whether it be participating in my school’s Special Olympics programs, or starting up a nonprofit fundraising group, the reward to me came through the benefit of others. That is why, since the second grade, I knew I wanted to be a doctor,” said Flynn.

In her application, Flynn shared how she relates to Roger Williams’ values.

“Like Williams, I do not intend to wait for circumstances to align perfectly before I pursue my future because, through life's testaments, I know that nothing is guaranteed and there is no time better than the now,” she said.

Kinnane will graduate from Portsmouth High School, where she was a member of the Green Club, Mock Trial, and Community Service Club. While in high school, Kinnane also was a youth ambassador for A Foundation Building Strength for Nemaline Myopathy, completed a Prepare RI internship, interned at state Office of Rehabilitation Services and competed with the Rolling Warriors Volt Hockey Team.

Her documentary about the adaptive sport team won the Portsmouth High School Film Festival's Best Documentary award and was nominated for Best Documentary at the STN Film Excellence Awards, placing second in the nation. She also was awarded the state Department of Education’s Rhode Island Silver Seal of Biliteracy and participated in New England Tech's Early College Program, studying Digital Media Production. Kinnane plans to attend Roger Williams University to study marketing and business.

“Throughout my life, I have rejected the oppressive norms often imposed on people with disabilities. I am an athlete, a filmmaker, and a singer. By pursuing the things I love and sharing them publicly, I want to challenge assumptions and educate others about disability. I also strive to elevate the voices of others within the disabled community,” she said.

In her application, Kinnane shared how she relates to Roger Williams’ values.

“Roger Williams forged a new path after exile, building a colony grounded in liberty of conscience and separation of church and state, ideas that would later influence the United States Constitution. In my own way, I hope to forge paths for others who feel excluded by societal norms. If one person sees my videos and feels less alone, or feels empowered to share their own talents, then I have helped widen the space of inclusion,” she said.

Morente will graduate from Mt. Pleasant High School, where she is a member of the National Honor Society, the girls softball team, the World Language Club and the Robotics Club. In addition, she participated in the Rhode Island Civic Leadership Program and Prepare RI, where she received the State Recognition Award. She plans to attend Providence College and major in pre-engineering with a minor in data science.

“After receiving the news, I felt incredibly blessed to be one of the people who got it; I was so happy that I started crying while sharing it with my mom,” said Morente.

In her application, Morente shared how she relates to the values of Roger Williams.

“The value Roger Williams placed on moral courage — the willingness to stand firm in your convictions, even when it means standing alone — is, for me, the most powerful model to follow for. He believed that every person deserved freedom of conscience,” said Morente.

Oshinkanlu will graduate from Classical High School, where he was on the track team. In addition, he was a program leader with College Visions, interned with the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island, tutored at the Providence Public Library and launched the Abraham Foundation, an after-school program that introduces students to technical fields, include engineering, welding and robotics. Oshinkanlu plans to attend the University of Rhode Island to study finance and business management.

“By bringing my diverse cultural experiences, open and curious mind, and loving self, I believe I will enjoy the diversity and inclusiveness of college, and in turn contribute back into the community, with the ultimate goal of having financial freedom so that I may better the life of my family, and the community of people with upbringings similar to mine,” he said.

In his application, Oshinkanlu shared how he relates to Roger Williams’ values.

“Akin to Williams, I believe in free existence and liberty; appearances, values or beliefs differ from my own. In fact, embracing diverse perspectives has allowed me to broaden my education and allowed me to learn from diverse sources,” he said.

The Carter Roger Williams scholarships are among more than $4 million in assistance that was available through the Foundation this year. Hundreds of students will receive help with the cost of tuition, room and board in the fall semester. The Foundation expects to begin taking applications for the 2027-28 academic year in January.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Through civic leadership, fundraising and grant-making activities, together with neighbors and partners, the Foundation is helping to create progress that lasts.