Out of a search that ballooned to nearly half a hundred qualified candidates, the state Council on Postsecondary Education thankfully decided they already had the best candidate right under their noses and agreed unanimously to make Rosemary Costigan the sixth president of the Community College of Rhode Island.

This decision is a win not only for Costigan, who basically had been performing the role in all but title for more than two years as its interim president, but for the thousands of Rhode Islanders who will ultimately benefit from her stewardship of the state’s only public community college.

The importance of CCRI to Rhode Island is hard to overstate.

As a bridge between the end of high school and the beginning of careers, the college plays a vital role in providing a place for young people to get their bearings. Here, they can figure out what they are passionate about and pursue pathways and real opportunities to hit the ground running in that field.

At CCRI, students can invest in themselves and their futures without going into life-altering debt for decades to come. They can work transitionary jobs to support themselves and attend classes flexibly, working towards a goal and always feeling as though they are progressing toward it, rather than feeling stagnant and stuck.

Thanks to forward-thinking programs such as the Rhode Island Promise and the Hope Scholarship, people without deep pockets or connections can feasibly forge a path toward a four-year degree. Those that take their studies seriously and seek opportunities for experience will find they have an advantage over those competing for the same jobs.

Costigan’s ascendancy to the role of full president is significant for another reason.

It shows every CCRI student that the preceding paragraphs aren’t just a bunch of inspirational cheerleading.

Costigan is proof positive that someone with a drive to succeed and a Rhode Island education – which included a post-secondary start at CCRI – can rise to an important position requiring vision and excellence in judgment.

Such a leader is essential not only to implement, manage and carry out a community college’s mission, but to make the students believe that mission is worth their investment of time and money.

We congratulate Ms. Costigan on her success and look forward to seeing what important position in Rhode Island will next belong to a Knight.