We are Cranking

As spring gives way to summer, FabNewport is buzzing with hope.

Over the past few months, learners have been exploring new possibilities through programs like Sail Into Your Future, where young people took to the water while discovering careers connected to Rhode Island’s blue economy; Design Make Manufacture (DMM), where creativity and technology came together through hands-on projects; Open Art, where learners found new ways to express themselves; and our Navigators-in-Training program, where the next generation of youth leaders has been preparing for their first jobs and first opportunities to guide younger learners this summer. We also wrapped up the first edition of the Learner Centered Educator Circle.

As we prepare for another summer of exploration across our community ecosystem, we’ve also been reconnecting with FabNewport alumni to learn how their experiences have shaped their journeys and what they’re pursuing today. Their reflections remind us that while programs may end, relationships endure.

“Somehow, I can never stay sad when I’m with you guys,” reflected Ray, now studying Fine Arts at CCRI. “What I remember most isn’t a specific event—it’s a feeling. Joy. Comfort. Belonging.”

Lacie, having just finished her sophomore year at Mount Holyoke College, shared, “Fab gave me room to imagine possibilities for myself. It was one of the first places where I felt encouraged to explore who I was and what I cared about without being boxed in by expectations.”

And Teo, a Fordham University student preparing for a business consulting internship, reflected on a lesson that continues to guide him today: “One of the biggest things I got from FabNewport was an entrepreneurial mindset—not just in business, but in life.”

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing their stories in greater depth. We hope you’ll enjoy following their journeys and seeing the many different ways young people continue to grow long after they leave our programs.

Thank you for believing in this work and for making these opportunities possible. We hope you’ll stop by and see us this summer as learners explore, create, sail, build, lead, and continue discovering what their futures might hold.

Lacie: Still Exploring, Still Becoming

Some relationships at FabNewport grow into something that feels a lot like family.

We first met Lacie Brown when she was a 5th grade learner looking for a place to belong. Over the years, we watched her grow from a reluctant bicycle rider into a thoughtful, compassionate, and reflective young woman Today, she’s a  rising junior at Mount Holyoke College, still asking big questions about the world and her place in it.

“I’m still exploring my options for after college, and I’m okay with that,” she said in a recent conversation.

Lacie spends much of her time thinking about how to connect her interests in human behavior, psychological development, education, and ethnography. More importantly, she is thinking deeply about purpose.

“I want to find a way to intertwine those interests in a meaningful and creative way,” she told me. “More than anything, I want to do work that feels purposeful.”

Listening to her speak, we couldn’t help but think about how much of that mindset was nurtured years ago at Fab.

“Fab gave me room to imagine possibilities for myself,” she said. “It was one of the first places where I felt encouraged to explore who I was and what I cared about without being boxed in by expectations.”

That sentence resonated.

At FabNewport, we often talk about helping young people develop a Positive Future Vision. We believe that before a young person can pursue a future, they need opportunities to see possibilities, trusted adults who believe in them, and experiences that help them discover who they are becoming.

Lacie’s story is a reminder of what that looks like over time.

“The biggest thing is probably the confidence to explore,” she reflected. “Fab taught me that it’s okay not to have a perfectly mapped-out path.”

For many young people, the pressure to have all the answers can feel overwhelming. College majors. Careers. Life plans. Social expectations. Lacie offered a different perspective.

One of her professors shared a quote that has stayed with her:

“You are more than your capacity to generate value.”

She believes it’s a message young people need to hear more often.

“Your worth doesn’t come from your productivity, your grades, or what other people expect from you,” she said. “Explore the things that genuinely interest you. Follow your curiosity. Don’t be afraid to be unrealistic.”

Perhaps what struck us most was not what Lacie has accomplished, but how she continues to move through the world—with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to keep learning.

When asked if she still stays connected to people from Fab, she smiled.

“One of the best parts of Fab is that the relationships don’t just disappear when you leave. The people I met there continue to be part of my life. We talk all the time.”

That’s what community looks like. Programs end. School years pass. Young people grow up. But the relationships remain.

Before we finished our conversation, I asked Lacie what she would want young people at Fab today to know.

“It’s okay not to have all the answers,” she said. “I’m still learning, still exploring, and still figuring out what kind of impact I want to make in the world.”

Watching Lacie continue that journey has been a great joy. Her story reminds us that growth is not a destination. It’s a lifelong process of becoming.

And sometimes the greatest gift we can offer a young person is the confidence to keep exploring.