CRANSTON, RI—Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung joined more than 240 people at Cranston Country Club on Sunday to congratulate five new inductees to the Cranston Hall of Fame.
The annual ceremony honors people who attended Cranston Public Schools and went on to serve the community in their public, private and professional lives while embodying the values instilled in them when they were students.
“This is always an exciting time of year to recognize those who have bene part of our fine education system here in Cranston,” said Mayor Fung as he addressed the audience. “Each one of them distinguished themselves not just in their careers, whether it’s in the field of education, nonprofits or medicine. Each of them has given of themselves, taking time away from their families, to give back—to make sure the next generation has the same opportunities.”
This year’s inductees include:
Michael F. CrudaleMichael Crudale is a 1980 graduate of Cranston High School West and a life-ling resident of Cranston. After high school, he attended the University of Rhode Island and got a degree in physical education and health. His teaching career began in 1994 at Western Hills Middle School before he moved to Park View Middle School in 1996, where he taught physical education and health for 14 years. He then was appointed assistant principal in 2010 and later, principal in 2012.
An active member of the community, Crudale created an annual celebration at Park View to honor the United States military, boosted the school’s annual 5K Veteran’s Day fundraiser, helped raise nearly $20,000 for local veterans organizations, raised more than $10,000 for the Tomorrow Fund and inspired countless others to join him in other charitable efforts.
Crudale is also a coach, husband and father of three children, all who attend Cranston schools.
Dennis S. DeJesusDennis DeJesus is a 1974 graduate of Cranston High School east and is a recognized community leader and organizer with numerous accomplishments in the private and public sectors.
A 1978 graduate of Rhode Island College, DeJesus served as Executive Assistant to the Mayor from 1985 to 1992 and later served as Director of Parks and Recreation from 1991 to 1999. During that time, he helped lead the department during the “golden years” period when Cranston saw an expansion of city parks and play fields.
DeJesus was also the director of the recycling program at Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation from 1999 to 2001, the Executive Director of the Federal Hill House from 2001 to 2006 and Vice President of Advancement at Bishop Hendricken from 2006 to 2009.
Since 2009, DeJesus has been the CEO of the Rhode Island Special Olympics, which provides year-round training and athletic competition for 3,000 athletes with disabilities.
DeJesus is also a legendary figure when it comes to local sports. He’s been a coach for Cranston Western Little League, the CLCF Basketball Program in addition to serving on numerous boards and committees.
Wanda S. DeRouinWanda DeRouin is a 1980 graduate of Cranston High School East and had a distinguished career as an accomplished educator focused on teaching students English as a second language.
DeRouin began her career in 1990 in the Providence School District before coming to Cranston in 2005 where she taught at Park View Middle School where she worked for nine years. In 2014, she moved along with the ESL program to Bain Middle School where she embraced new challenges with vigor and enthusiasm.
Despite her workload and commitment to students, DeRouin still found time to further her education, earning a Master of Education degree from Providence College in 1997. She was highly certified and earned “Highly Qualified” status from the Rhode Island Department of Education.
While she wasn’t in the classroom, DeRouin devoted countless hours as a volunteer, working on behalf of theTomorrow Fund, The Assumption of the Virgin Mary Church and as a Docent at the Roger Williams Park Zoo.
She was also an advocate for healthy living and stressed the importance of good eating, exercise and appreciation of the natural world to her loving students.
DeRouin passed away in 2015 and will be forever missed and revered by her family, friends and the thousands of young minds she touched and nurtured during her career.
Ronald DiOrioRonald DiOrio is a 1971 graduate of Cranston High School West and has served admirably and with distinction as an educator for more than 32 years.
After high school, DiOrio earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from the University of Maine before getting a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and Human Development at the University of Rhode Island and a Master of Education/education Administration from Rhode Island College.
His remarkable career began in 1976 when he became an elementary teacher in both Cranston and Coventry. In 1978, he became the Director of Professional Development Institute for the Cranston School District. From 2013 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 in developing and enhancing training programs for future teachers.
Today, DiOrio is the Program manager for the Providence green pathways Program, which offers job training and employment programs. He’s also a member of the adjunct faculty at URI’s school of education and a proud husband, father and new grandfather of four months.
Susan M. SosciaSusan Soscia was graduated from Cranston High School West in 1986 and has distinguished herself as a skilled professional physical therapist and athletic trainer.
Her career began after attending Quinnipiac College in Connecticut where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in physical therapy. Right after graduating in 1990, she was granted a fellowship to study Advanced Sports Medicine at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, where she served as assistant to the National Director of Research and was responsible for the treatment of injuries to professional national and international athletes.
Soscia returned home to Cranston to found her own practice, Alpha Physical Therapy and can be found on the sidelines of both the Cranston High School East and West’s football games in support of the coaching staff. She provides the latest research, treatment and preventative care of injuries and serves as the liaison between coaches, parents and doctors when injuries occur.
Her career is marked with numerous awards and accolades and she has been asked to present research to professional bodies in the field. In 1993, she was presented with the prestigious Berg Award in Research at the National Sports Physical Therapy Conference. In 1999, she presented research on shoulder injuries. And in 1994, her work was published in The Journal of Orthopedic Physical Therapy.
Soscia is the member of numerous professional organizations and frequently asked to offer insight and expert advice to organizations and colleges around the country. She also sits or has sat on several boards and committees, including Newbury College and the Alumni Board of Directors at Quinnipiac University.
