College Unbound

We're only a few weeks away from CU's Unbound Remix Vol. 5 on Thursday, July 9th, and we're ready to receive your work through our submission form: https://forms.gle/ygZe8552ckXCNauS8! 🪩

This year's Remix event will showcase a video montage of recorded performances, readings, digital stories, and more submitted by our CU community (students, alumni, faculty, staff) across all sites nationwide.

For friends in Rhode Island, we'll be hosting an in-person watch party at AS220 in Providence. We're encouraging the rest of our community to gather together in their own special ways: think coffee shops, backyards, and community spaces!

Take a moment to review the guidelines as you work on your 2-5 minute submission! The deadline to submit is Friday, June 26th at midnight.

Keep brainstorming, keep creating, and be on the lookout for reminders and updates over the next few weeks! 📽️

It's graduation season at College Unbound, and we're proudly celebrating our Class of 2026 graduates across all CU sites! With over 170 students earning their degree this year, 2026 marks the largest graduating class in CU history. 🌱

We kicked off our commencement ceremonies in early May with a powerful celebration in Chicago, felt the energy of a full auditorium in Rhode Island as we honored 100+ graduates, and witnessed a beautiful gathering of families and loved ones in Philadelphia.

This weekend, we celebrate the graduates in our South Carolina region before we head to Washington the following week! Our students inspire us every day, and it's such a privilege to have a commencement season that spans coast to coast.

We can't wait to share more photos, videos, and joy later this summer. In the meantime, leave a shoutout in the comments for all of our incredible graduates.

A deep HEARTFELT congratulations to our Class of 2026! 💚 🎉

We're counting the days until CU's Unbound Remix Vol. 5 on Thursday, July 9th, and we're ready to receive your submissions! 🪩

This year's Remix event will showcase a video montage of recorded performances, readings, digital stories, and more submitted by our CU community (students, alumni, faculty, staff) across all sites nationwide.

For friends in Rhode Island, we'll be hosting an in-person watch party at AS220 in Providence. We're encouraging the rest of our community to gather together in their own special ways: think coffee shops, backyards, and community spaces!

Take a moment to review the guidelines as you work on your 2-5 minute submission! The deadline to submit is Friday, June 26th at midnight.

Keep brainstorming, keep creating, and be on the lookout for reminders and updates over the next few weeks! 📽️

Check us out! 📺 In April, College Unbound Lab Faculty Shawndell Burney-Speaks was joined by CU students Sheila and Kevin on The Jim Vincent Show!

Shawndell, Sheila, and Kevin discuss the importance of higher education that is accessible and affordable, a degree plan that meets students where they are, and the impact a student's Core Project can have on their community.

Learn more about their collective experience at CU and watch the full episode of The Jim Vincent Show online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGrsuGes8Kc Thank you for sharing your stories!

The Jim Vincent Show - College Unbound Recorded on April 22nd, 2026 Guests: Shawndell Burney-Speaks - Lab Faculty Sheila Livingstone - Student Kevin Barrett - Student - College Unbound 'The Jim V...

Friends! We recently released a new episode of our College Unbound podcast. Check out episode 12 of We CU Stories Unbound here: https://college-unbound-podcast-wecu-stories-unbound.simplecast.com/episodes/we-cu-stories-unbound-episode-12-unbound-journey

In our latest episode, soon to be graduate Renee Folsom and second-semester student Harrison Tuttle reveal the grit behind non-traditional education, showing how adult learners evolve into architects of community change. Renee shares her twenty-year journey from the restaurant industry to the classroom, detailing the delicate balance of three jobs and motherhood while pivoting toward a Master’s in Educational Leadership.

The duo explores the "Unbound" culture, where their student cohort acts as a chosen family—offering radical support through personal tragedies and sharing dinners with the college president. From the transformative lessons of a "Reframing Failure" course to Harrison hiring a classmate for his Providence warming center initiative, this conversation illustrates how academic growth fuels immediate social impact. Ultimately, as Renee prepares to graduate alongside her brother, the episode serves as a powerful testament to reclaiming identity and leadership potential at any age and any stage.

Happening today! Free and open to the public, there is still time for you to join our Luncheon Conversation with author Ben Austen and DOC Chief of Staff Ryan Crowley.

This special event begins at 12:00pm EST at the Nonviolence Institute in Providence. All attendees will leave with a signed copy of Ben's book "Correction". 📚

No RSVP required. We'll see you this afternoon!

Our students inspire us every day!

In late April, CU students Autumn Johnson and Jabraya Tanksley hosted a watch party and panel discussion reflecting on the documentary Crip Camp and the ongoing fight for disability justice.

Featuring a powerful mix of veteran advocates and local youth leaders, the conversation highlighted the vital importance of "nothing about us without us," emphasizing that true inclusion means having people with disabilities in the room as decision-makers, not afterthoughts. From tackling the systemic barriers of ableism in healthcare and education to discussing the strength found in intersectionality and shared community.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special event. We are so proud of our students and guest speakers for leading this revolution of empathy and advocacy! 💚

“Success isn’t about keeping up—it’s about becoming.” 🌱

In this earnest interview, CU's Assistant Vice President of Community and Belonging Jose Rodriguez shares how his path challenged traditional definitions of achievement and centered something deeper: belonging, purpose, and community.

Check out the full conversation on rewriting the narrative here: https://influentialpeoplemagazine.com/jose-rodriguez-on-becoming-over-comparison-a-new-vision-of-success-at-college-unbound/.

José Rodriguez on “Becoming” Over Comparison: A New Vision of Success at College Unbound/INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE NEWS José Rodriguez on “Becoming” Over Comparison: A New Vision of Success at College Unbound Posted by Tammy Reese | Apr 27, 2026 | Exclusive Interviews, INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE NEWS, Popular Choice, Top Featured News, Trending | 0 | Meet José Rodriguez, the Assistant Vice President for Community & Bel...

We love our College Unbound Alums! 💚

This past weekend, CU Alumni in our Mid-Atlantic region gathered together for a special Saturday brunch! 🍊 Attendees were able to connect with fellow alums, share career and professional resources, win prizes, and more. It was a moment to be in community that we were extremely grateful for.

For Alums near Rhode Island, there's still time to signup for our Annual Alumni Dinner planned for Friday, May 1st! (We shared the registration link in a reminder email that went out yesterday.)

We're hoping to see as many friends as possible at this next special event!