Electronics Grad/Veteran/Writer

Vinny Scirocco is a 1995 Electronics Technology graduate who has had a very successful career in the electronics field working for companies such as American Power Conversion, Hanna Instruments and Teradyne. While a student at NEIT, Vinny was also very active with SkillsUSA (formerly VICA). He won the state gold medal for Electronics Technology and went on to place in the top ten in the country at the 1995 VICA SkillsUSA Championships.

Since 1987, he has been a proud member of the Rhode Island Army National Guard. In January 2004, his unit was deployed to Iraq, and in July 2004, Vinny returned home to Woonsocket due to injuries. Vinny wanted to do something to honor the efforts of the United Veterans Council of Woonsocket. With the help of the City of Woonsocket, the Veteran’s Council, local suppliers and the generosity of the members of his community, through their purchases of engraved bricks, a stone memorial monument was created to honor veterans. It was dedicated on Memorial Day 2005 in Woonsocket’s River Island Park.

Since Vinny returned home, he has had difficulty sleeping, and needed an outlet to communicate his feelings about his experiences in Iraq. Vinny stated, “I had written a couple of poems abroad and found it seemed to somehow comfort me.” Vinny wrote additional poems during the time he organized the veterans’ memorial. “I sent a few poems to a publisher, Publish America, who offered me a contract.” The poems were compiled into a book entitled “Seasons of Reasons”. He said the title reflects his need to answer the question he found himself asking a lot: “Why?”.

Vinny’s book is available on Amazon.com, and he can now add “writer” to his list of accomplishments. Since his book was published, Vinny has heard from military personnel around the world expressing how his book has helped them get through some of the tough times that go along with being enlisted. We wish Vinny continued success and good health for many years to come.

After 12 years of running her own home day care business, Dottie Rudolf went on to be the director at London Bridge Daycare Center, where she oversaw 15 staff members. She supervised the accounts payables and receivables, wrote grants, and managed the curriculum.

Hired six years later as a senior secretary at Women and Infants’ Hospital, she worked for three doctors in Reproductive Medicine. In July of 2002, she enrolled in the Computerized Business Management (CBM) program at New England Tech. Within one year she was promoted to Executive Secretary to the Division Director. She created an Intranet website called REI SharePoint, which was used for communication between members of the division to track meetings, surgeries, and forms. She helped the division director prepare his PowerPoint presentations, and he went on to win second prize at an Annual Symposia for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). Dottie credits the skills she had as well as the skills she was developing at New England Tech to her promotion. In December 2004, Dottie graduated with an Associate in Science Degree in Computerized Business Management.

In early 2005, about a year and a half after her promotion, Dottie noticed a job posting for an office manager on the Care New England website. She applied, and was offered the job even though the position required a Bachelor’s Degree. Her skills and the fact that she is presently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management at NEIT got her the job.

On March 1, 2005, she was promoted to office manager of VNA of Care New England, which includes Kent County Memorial Hospital, Butler Hospital, VNA (Visiting Nurses Association), and Women and Infants’ Hospital. Currently, she oversees three departments: medical records, reception, and maintenance. Dottie is responsible for all building operations including the purchase and inventory of all office supplies and equipment.

“I love my job! I use everything I learned in CBM including all of the Microsoft Office software applications: Word, Access, PowerPoint, and Excel. I also train staff to use the applications more efficiently.” Equally rewarding is the fact that as office manager she has the know-how to make necessary changes to keep the office running smoothly. “I’ve found my niche!” Dottie says.