Gabriel Aofolajuwonlo: 19 Who Made a Difference in 2019
GoLocalProv News Team
Gabriel Aofolajuwonlo: 19 Who Made a Difference in 2019
Gabriel Aofolajuwonlo, a freshman at St. Patrick Academy in Providence, allowed a player at Narragansett High School with special needs to score a goal at the end of a tied game — which ensured that Narragansett won.
Aaron Auslander is a seasoned soccer coach, who only just last year joined St. Patrick’s to help guide a newly formed club that did not often have enough players to field a team, practiced in a small field — not a soccer pitch — at a church adjacent to the school, and struggled to find teams willing to scrimmage them.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“When their other forward took a shot, I blocked it — I wanted to give him a chance to score, so I rolled the ball to him,” said Aofolajuwonlo, of setting up Narragansett’s Matthew Totten to score the game-winning goal.
“He was really happy, and his teammates, they’re all jumping on the sidelines. It was a joyous moment,” he added.
Aofolajuwonlo, who also enjoys playing basketball — and wants to study computer programming in college — said it was his mom’s words of advice that have served as an inspiration to him.
“My mom told me a few years ago that it’s not about winning — it’s about how you won, and how that win was achieved,” said Aofolajuwonlo.
“I was shocked, really,” said Auslander, of when a shot was taken at the end of the tied game on St. Patrick’s goal, and what happened next.
Kennedy said he certainly heard about the unexpected goal after the game, and spoke to the key role that Totten plays on the team.
“Matthew’s been with us for a few years, and I like to say he’s my player assistant coach,” said Kennedy. “We all love having him around and we all take care of him, and he takes care of us. We all laugh and have a great time when he’s around. You can’t have a bad day when you’re with Matthew.”
19 to Watch in 2019 - FULL LIST
Angie Armenise
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Marcela Betancur
Marcela Betancur, the new head of Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams University and will be the power behind Latinx think tank in 2019.
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Brian Goldner
No one will influence the psyche of Rhode Island more this year than Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner. After the loss of the PawSox to Worcester and the closing of Rhode Island’s beloved Benny's in 2017, Rhode Islanders are a bit raw.
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Cortney Nicolato
New United Way of Rhode Island President and CEO Cortney Nicolato succeeded Anthony Maione in 2018 — and takes on her first full year at the helm of the social service organization in 2019.
She is a Rhode Islander turned Texan returned back to Rhode Island. The Pawtucket native is all about Rhode Island and is passionate about helping to improve issues of housing affordability and the quality of education in RI. She is the mother of two elementary school-aged children. READ MORE
Sabina Matos
It is the rise of the Phoenix in Providence. On Monday, Sabina Matos won back the Presidency of the Providence City Council and returns to the top legislative position in the City of Providence.
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Jamie Bova
The Newport City Councilor At-Large lined up the votes to votes for Mayor after being elected to just her second term on the Newport City Council this past November.
Bova, an engineer who grew up in Middletown, attended URI, and moved to Newport in 2012, succeeds Harry Winthrop as the city faces major changes ahead for 2019, including the construction of a new hotel on Thames Street — and more hotel proposals in the pipeline — and READ MORE
Jennifer Wood
The former private practice attorney turned top government aide turned non-profit director might have her biggest — and most public — battle on her hands in 2019.
RI Center for Justice Executive Director Jennifer Wood joined GoLocal News Editor on GoLocal LIVE where she spoke to the next steps after filing a federal class-action lawsuit in late November on behalf of all Rhode Island public school students to establish the right, under the U.S. Constitution, to an adequate education to prepare young people for full civic education.
Catholic Church Sex Abuse Survivors
In 2018, Bishop Tobin with the Diocese of Providence landed on GoLocal's “18 to Watch” as the Catholic Church was — and continues to remain — at the center of lawsuits pertaining to the collapse of the St. Joseph pension fund.
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Matt Voskuil
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David Torchiana
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RI GOP Party Chair
Rhode Island Republican Party Chair Brandon Bell was defeated in his run for the General Assembly in 2018.
Republican Cranston Mayor Allan Fung lost in his second attempt at the Rhode Island Governor’s office, after a bruising primary that saw former opponent and House Minority Leader opt to endorse former Republican-turned-independent (and honorary chair for President Donald Trump’s campaign in Rhode Island) Joe Trillo. READ MORE
Anthony Baro
Anthony Baro heads Newport-based PowerDocks — one of Rhode Island’s most interesting startups. It is a market-making green tech company that, in many ways, combines the best of Rhode Island.
The emerging maritime renewal energy company is having an impact in the U.S. and globally. READ MORE
Blake Filippi
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Desmond Cambridge
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Sarah Markey
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Markey, a top labor leader for the RI National Education Association, has drawn criticism by Democrats, Republicans and multiple municipal attorneys because READ MORE
Peter Neronha
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Dylan Conley
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Mike McGovern
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