BY SARAH C . BALDWIN I PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENNETH C . ZIRKEL
Rosenny Taveras and Dioscaris Garcia are devoted to one another , and to supporting underrepresented students at Brown .
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Partners in
Mentoring , Inclusion , and Life
n the tropical town of Tenares , in the Dominican Republic , two young mothers were helping each other through their schooling . When babysitters were scarce , they would gather at the Taveras home for study sessions . While the young moms hit the books , their children would play together .
With school behind them , the women lost touch , but in 2006 , after both families had moved to the United States , they found each other again — thanks to an online platform dedicated to reconnecting emigrants from their small Dominican town . Rosenny “ Rosey ” Taveras ’ s mother asked her to contact Dioscaris “ Dio ” Garcia , PhD , to inquire after his mother . That fateful request kicked off a conversation that is still going on today .
At the time , Taveras was living in Queens , NY , while Garcia was working toward a doctorate in molecular pharmacology and physiology at Brown . Over the years , as the two became friends and , eventually , more , Garcia provided advice to his younger compatriot . “ Part of the reason I came to Rhode Island for college ,” Taveras says , “ was because of his help and guidance . As a first-gen student , I had no idea what a college application looked like or how to navigate the admission process . It was great having that support system .”
The couple , who married in 2016 , have been lending their
16 HEALTH DISCOVERIES @ BROWN l WINTER 2025