Meet Iris Ribeiro, a graduate student from East Greenwich and the Fall 2025 graduate student commencement speaker, earning her Master of Arts in English. Twelve years after finishing her bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii, Iris came to URI with a deep love of writing and a new academic focus: exploring how neurodiverse characters are represented in literature. Inspired by her experience as a mother to twin daughters, both of whom are neurodiverse, her research led her to present at the Beyond Labels International Conference for Disability, Different Ability and Neurodiversity in London in September. A former actress and current real estate professional, Iris says her first day back in the classroom felt like a “new beginning,” transforming her into a better version of herself. “What I realized at URI is that there is a world outside of this bubble we sometimes live in,” Iris said. “Sometimes, when you’re surrounded by big thinkers and thought leaders, you just push limi...