Driven to Lead: How Gianna Rose Became the Voice of Thousands

There are student leaders and then there’s Gianna Rose, who takes the term “student leader” to an entirely different level. Few students ever reach the boardrooms where decisions are made, but Rose not only earned a seat at those tables, she made sure every voice she carried was heard.

From being the sole student representative on a committee of high-level RIC administrators shaping the college’s strategic direction to being the only RIC student voice at the table of the commissioner of the Board of Education influencing decisions that impact thousands, Rose’s accomplishments could fill a book.

This year the 22-year-old will earn her B.A. in political science and public administration, along with a Certificate in International Nongovernmental Organizations and Nonprofit Studies. Looking back, from 2022 to 2026, her public service trajectory has been extraordinary.

Beginning in her freshman year, she has held multiple leadership roles in Student Community Government Inc. – first, as representative at-large, voicing student issues and concerns at parliament meetings, and later adding on the title of student organizations coordinator and executive council secretary. Student Community Government would be her first step into the world of advocacy.

In her sophomore year, Rose revived the Political Science Club, taking on the role of president. She secured academic and professional development opportunities for club members and led campus-wide events, such as debate watch parties and voting registration drives. Today, the previously inactive organization, has 20 members strong. 

That year, Rose also became the sole student representative on RIC’s College Missions and Goals Committee. There, she collaborated with faculty and administrators on issues surrounding the college’s status as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Her focus was to ensure that the college’s commitment to HSI remained an institutional priority.

By the end of her sophomore year, she was on a plane headed to Washington, D.C., to engage in a week-long congressional internship in the office of U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner. There, she conducted policy research, drafted memos, attended legislative briefings and assisted constituents who called in with concerns. The experience, she says, was “life changing.”

“Being raised in a lower-to-middle class home and being a first-generation college student, I never thought I would be able to sit in those spaces where important decisions are made,” Rose says. “It was amazing to walk through the halls of the House and the Senate and to see the legislative process up close.”

Not only did she witness the day-to-day operations of a fast-paced congressional office, she learned how congressional leaders are informed of issues – through policy memos and briefings. “I learned from the policy specialist how to draft memos and briefings and how to handle phone conversations with constituents,” she says.

In her junior year, Rose was selected to serve a two-year term on the Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education. Being the sole student representative for Rhode Island’s public higher education system and continuing to hold that position today, Rose ensures that student voices are accurately represented at the state level. In effect, she represents thousands of students across multiple institutions.

“I cannot overstate how impressive this is,” says Professor of Political Science Robyn Linde. “Representing the college student body on this very important commission is an incredible achievement for any student, let alone a first-generation college student. Gianna sits at the table where important decisions are made in higher education and holds her own on a committee filled with politicians, lawyers, college presidents and other educational leaders.”

From the council she was appointed to a two-year term on the Rhode Island Board of Education. She is one of two students currently serving and the only representative from RIC. There, she provides the postsecondary commissioner and council chair with student-informed perspectives that impact statewide decisions.

“Being a member of the Board of Education has had the biggest impact on my personal and professional growth,” says Rose. “My biggest challenge was imposter syndrome. I’d ask myself, ‘Am I really supposed to be at this table with important people?’ But then I’d remind myself that I was invited to this table.”

In her senior year, while holding these commissions, Rose became a student advisory fellow in RIC’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), serving on the Federal Ad-Hoc Committee on Presidential Directives. As a fellow, Rose tracked federal legislation on HSI and DEI and its impact on higher education. She even lobbied in Washington the following year in support of federal funding for HSI institutions.

These political activities over Rose’s four-year tenure at RIC are not exhaustive. When asked what drives her to get involved. What is the big “why” behind all that she does? She replies that it’s her personal story. The story of a little girl adopted from one of the poorest regions in Guatemala.

“I was born in Mazatenango, Guatemala, and adopted as a three-month-old by my American parents,” she says. “It was a closed adoption, so I don’t have many details about my birth mother. The adoption agency itself doesn’t exist anymore. But according to my adoption records, my mother was less than 25 years old when she gave birth to me. She worked as a washerwoman, using washboards to clean clothes by hand.

“In her town, no one would have had the opportunity to do the things that I’ve been blessed to do. I grew up with privileges my birth mother never had, such as access to quality education. That weighs very heavy on me. It used to weigh on me negatively, but I found power through my story and a reason through my story.

“My adoption story is the ‘why’ behind what I do. I do it for other Guatemalans and other Latinos who immigrate here and just want a chance at a better life. I do it for my adopted mom and dad, especially my dad, who worked multiple jobs and sacrificed so much just to put me through school. My dad is Italian and my mom is Irish. He always wanted to go to college but he never had the opportunity. And I do what I do for my biological mom, a poor washerwoman who didn’t have the opportunities I’ve been blessed with. I think about her every single day. Even if she’s not with me physically, she’s with me in my heart.”

After graduating from RIC, Rose plans to attend law school to study immigration law, equity and adoption. She is a member of RIC’s Prelaw Society and was awarded the Bertha Christina Andrews Emin Award for Outstanding Achievement. This award recognizes a woman in the graduating class who has attained an honors baccalaureate and demonstrated meaningful leadership in student affairs.

“If my birth mother were to meet me today, I think she would be proud of me,” says Rose.