Lisa Macaruso is a first-generation student. She knew she would have to approach education independently.
At the University of Rhode Island, Professor Macaruso teaches a class called “Mental Health First Aid.” This class provides certification in becoming a mental health first aider, and it teaches its students the early signs of mental illness, and ways to help support it. Teaching this class and teaching special education was the reason she got started in the first place.
Growing up in a low socioeconomic household, it was clear to Macaruso from a young age that education was tied to success. She knew college would be the pathway for her to get there. Macaruso seized every opportunity she had in order to be successful.
Ever since she was little, Macaruso knew she wanted to help people because of how much she saw her family members struggling with mental illness and disability. This drive and passion from her childhood is what sparked this interest for Macaruso. From a young age, she was able to see that access to education was one of the most important things. When Macaruso saw how her family members struggled with mental illness and disabilities, she was inspired to become more informed in it so she could provide other people with support they needed.
Dr. Macaruso attended two colleges. She started her education at the Community College of Rhode Island. CCRI has an open-door policy, meaning they let anyone in regardless of their socioeconomic status. For a while, she had aspirations of becoming a teacher’s assistant with an associate degree in special education. However, as she was nearing her associate’s degree and working as a TA, she realized that she could do more. She decided to go to Rhode Island College. Every day, Macaruso worked and commuted in order to put herself through college. One thing she took advantage of was the access to resources that Rhode Island College had to offer. She always asked for help when needed and used all the student resources that were available to her.
“I used everything that was accessible,” she said.
After attending RIC, she received her doctorate in higher education, leadership, and a dissertation in anti-racist practice in predominantly white institutions. Growing up in a low-income household, Macaruso learned that if she wanted to become a teacher, she had to find alternative ways to achieve that goal because of her own circumstances. She realized that there would be no easy pathway to achieve her goal, so she had to make one herself. Macaruso grew up in a family that was severely impacted by mental illness and disability. This led her to want to focus on special education and disability in her teaching practices in grades K-12.
Outside of the classroom, Macaruso loves to travel with her family. She recently went to Greece with her family. She raised her kids to value culture and travel rather than materialistic things. Her family enjoys playing board games and spending quality time together. Even before Macaruso became a mother, she learned how to celebrate the little wins in life. This has carried over from her teaching career to being a mother. Another hobby of Macaruso’s is that she loves watching “Saturday Night Live.” On top of all of this, she is assistant director of the Academic Testing Center within the Office for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. Macaruso worked her way to where she is now. She is the perfect example of how hard work and determination can lead to success, despite her own circumstances.