SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
( INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS HIGHLIGHT DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI)
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Since graduating from their respective schools, these eight accomplished alumni have pursued various career paths, from professional acting to teaching and public service. Despite their different professions, they all share a commitment to excellence and maintain close ties with their alma maters and their missions.
Nia Johnson, 2021
GORDON SCHOOL During eleven years at Gordon, Nia was a leader in and out of the classroom, and she continued this journey in high school, serving on the student senate, coleading the Black Affinity Group, and mentoring students at school and at the Refugee Dream Center, while also playing varsity volleyball and running track and field. Building on her experience singing with Gordon ' s G-Notes, Nia anchored her high school ' s a cappella group and sang lead in the jazz band. Each summer Nia apprenticed at Osamequin Farm, teaching organic farming techniques. Nia will attend the University of Notre Dame this fall, studying sociology and global affairs and pursuing a passion for social justice that began at Gordon.
Gil Silva Freitas, MD, 1999
LA SALLE ACADEMY Dr. Gil Freitas, La Salle Academy class of 1999, attended Morehouse College and earned his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. He is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at UMass Chan Medical School and practices at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Division of General and Laparoscopic Surgery, specializing in advanced minimally invasive and robotic surgery. A first-generation Cape Verdean American, Dr. Freitas has given back through medical missions with the Cabo Verdean American Medical Society( CVAMS) and Project Health Cape Verde. In 2025, he received the Brian E. Bednarz, MD Faculty Award, honoring his extraordinary dedication to mentoring surgical residents.
Donna Sowa Allard, 1999
SAINT RAPHAEL ACADEMY Donna Sowa Allard’ 99, President of Sowa Financial Group, Inc., is a dedicated alumna of Saint Raphael Academy, where she serves on both the Principal’ s Advisory Board and as Chair of the Finance Board. A graduate of Providence College with honors and a BS in Finance, she joined Sowa Financial Group in 2006 and assumed ownership in 2024. Donna is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ® Professional, specializing in wealth management for individuals, executives, and small business owners, providing a clear path toward their financial goals. A lifelong Rhode Islander, she is a long-standing member of the Financial Planning Association and has held leadership roles locally and nationally. Donna exemplifies the Saint Raphael values of Faith, Service, and Community through her continuous support and involvement. In recognition of her contributions and commitment, she will be inducted into the Saint Raphael Academy Hall of Fame in April 2026.
Governor Dan McKee, 1965
MERCYMOUNT COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL Dan McKee, the state’ s seventy-sixth governor and a lifelong Rhode Islander, is a proud alumnus of Mercymount Country Day School, graduating in 1965. He credits the lessons, and the demand for excellence, he learned at Mercymount with guiding his educational and political career. There, he interacted with students from neighboring Massachusetts, Cumberland, Pawtucket, Central Falls and other communities, learning from their diverse
backgrounds and cultures. McKee and his friends played football and basketball during recess. He pursued that passion through high school, eventually becoming a star basketball player for Cumberland High School and later a coach, guiding and mentoring youths just like himself.
Jennifer Duffy, 1981
THE WHEELER SCHOOL Jennifer spent 32 years as a nonpartisan political analyst for The Cook Political Report, where she was senior editor responsible for U. S. Senate and Governor ' s races. After serving as press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 1986 election cycle, she joined the Report in 1988 as its first assistant editor. In the years after, while continuing to work with the Report, she was also a senior account executive with Hill and Knowlton Public Affairs Worldwide and an associate with the lobbying firm of Cassidy & Associates. She often served as an off-air analyst for NBC News on election nights, was quoted in numerous publications, and appeared on all major television networks. In June of 2011, BusinessInsider. com named her one of the 13 savviest political analysts in the country. She has been a frequent public speaker on elections and national political trends. This year, the Wheeler Alumni Board recognized Jennifer with The Founder’ s Award for Achievement, which honors alumni whose outstanding accomplishments have made a meaningful impact in their fields and communities – and whose lives embody Wheeler’ s mission to“ learn our powers and be answerable for their use.”
118 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY I OCTOBER 2025