LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile
Deanna Camputaro
Position: Art and Dance Teacher
School: Central Falls High School
School District: Central Falls School District
City, State: Central Falls, RI
Deanna Camputaro was nominated by her colleague, David Upegui.
Ms. Camputaro, or Ms. Camp, as she is better known, is truly a LifeChanger in the Central Falls community. She has been a staple in her school for the last thirty-one years.
"I first met Ms. Camp, the “art teacher,” when I was a ninth-grader and she was taking photographs," said Upegui. "I had suffered a devastating loss in a grueling wrestling match where I was defeated by over 15 points. She came over to me and said, 'You are tenacious!' I spoke limited English and didn't understand what she meant, so she went on to say, 'You have tenacity, like a tiger. You never gave up, even when your shoulders were being pinned to the ground. You showed great determination today.' That day, Ms. Camp taught me several significant lessons, including a new vocabulary word, a sense of community and belonging, and more importantly, that it was up to me what I made of any situation. I went on to become an All-State wrestler during my senior year in high school. Many years have passed since my wrestling days in high school and college, but the lessons I learned from Ms. Camp are still vividly important to me."
Aside from being inspirational and motivating, Ms. Camp has also started and directed several significant endeavors in her school, including the annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, the dance academy, and the photography classes. Ms. Camp has learned along with her students and has demonstrated great interest in allowing students to develop a sense of purpose and empowerment. As the demographics of her school have changed over time, Ms. Camp has continued to incorporate new ideas, dances, routines, artists, and histories into her classes.
Central Falls High is the most economically disadvantaged school in the state of Rhode Island. It doesn't have any formal music classes or spaces for practicing dance, but Ms. Camp has figured out creative ways to keep students learning and engaged. For example, she has coordinated with a multitude of artists to come and volunteer their time and expertise on a regular basis with her students. She has also transformed hallways into dance studios, and the classrooms into performing stages. In short, she has made the best of the situation. Her enthusiasm and love for the arts are only matched by her compassion and dedication to her students. She is loved by her students, and many of them come back to show her how inspirational and influential she continues to be.
"Without a doubt, Ms. Camp is a LifeChanger, and I am living proof," said Upegui. "Ms. Camp is tenacious, and the world is better because of it."
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