CUMBERLAND – Constance Servizi never had a chance to go to college, even though, say her family members, she would have loved it more than anything. It wasn’t a financial or practical reality for her family.
Not getting the chance to proceed with her education in school never stopped her from furthering it on her own every chance she could get, they said, and she was a devoted reader, devouring books more quickly than she could replenish them. Her personal favorite genre was mysteries.
Her all-time favorite book was one she read in her youth titled, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” Her granddaughter, Sarah King, said this is particularly powerful considering her life and journey. The protagonist in the story, Francie, uses reading to escape her difficult reality, showing profound resilience.
“Education was ultimately the tool that allowed her to rise above her reality,” she said. “That was my Nonni.”
The family has chosen its first winner of a new scholarship named after Servizi, awarding it to Janiyah Campbell, a Woonsocket High School student graduating this year.
“It is an incredible honor to award the first Constance Servizi Memorial Scholarship,” said King of the $1,000 award. “My family and I are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this opportunity possible.”
She added, “My Nonni believed wholeheartedly in the power of education and worked tirelessly to ensure her children and grandchildren had every opportunity that she never had. The fact that her legacy will now become part of other young women’s stories is a testament to a life lived well and in service of others. Janiyah is the perfect inaugural recipient whose resilience, compassion, and commitment to helping others reflect so many of the qualities that defined my Nonni.”
Campbell plans on pursuing a degree in pre-medical health studies.
In her application, Campbell speaks of her own grandmother and how she inspired her through her life, including during her a decline in health that put her on the career path she’s pursuing now.
“She wasn’t just her illness; she was my motivation and source of confidence, the woman whose life was a testimony to my identity,” she wrote. “While I enjoyed playing doctor by taking her vitals and organizing her medication, making her loud belly laugh come back and helping her forget about all the pain will always be my favorite memory. She made me realize how powerful simple laughter can be after months of desperate tears. I found my purpose: to help others in their most vulnerable moments and to give back what their illness has taken from them.”
She said her goal is not merely to say she helped her patients stabilize their health, but to be the reason they feel hope in the times that test it the most.
“Having your health stripped from you can feel defeating; I don’t want that to be anyone’s last feeling,” said Campbell. Being in the medical field isn’t just about how you can help your patient, but how you can build trust, connection, and faith with them,” she said. Trust that this isn’t the end, and faith that this isn’t all they are.”
Servizi was born on Jan. 25, 1942, to Louis Girard and Helen Girard. She was a lifelong Woonsocket resident, attending Saint Clare’s school in Woonsocket where she made honors.
She was a bookkeeper, and a highly organized and detailed one at that, said King. She worked for companies such as Arro Engineering and then ultimately spent many years as the public works clerk at Woonsocket City Hall where she retired from.
She married Ronald Servizi and they spent 58 years married before her passing in December 2024.
She left two children, Michelle King and Peter Servizi ,who both graduated from Woonsocket High School, and also three grandchildren, Sarah King, Michael King, and Morgan Servizi
Life was not always easy for her, but she always found a way to work through it, said King, who works in the Cumberland mayor’s office.
“Whether through faith, tenacity, a strong work ethic, and a belief that when a family works together, there is very little they can’t do,” she said.
She was also a woman of deep faith. She said the rosary every night for long list of loved ones. She wouldd make frequent check-in calls to her family and if she sensed someone needed it, she’d say an extra prayer for them too.
Connie was fun, said King, as evidenced by the time she dyed her hair pink.
“She loved to laugh and tell stories,” she said. “She was a social butterfly and made friends wherever she went. She never said no to a shopping trip.”
This is an annual scholarship, made possible by generous friends and family. Thirty people donated and have funded the scholarship for the first two years, said King, and they will raise funds again to try and continue it.
The scholarship is intended for a female student who is a graduating senior from Woonsocket High School intending to pursue higher education.
Preference is given to individuals who would be first-generation college students, such as Campbell. There is no minimum GPA requirement.
Here’s why the family chose Campbell:
- As a first-generation college student, they said, she represents the very opportunity that Constance Servizi worked so hard to create for future generations.
- Her essay demonstrated remarkable self-awareness and growth for a person so young. She candidly reflected on her evolution from viewing college as a performative achievement to embracing education as a pathway to discovering her authentic self.
- Through her experiences caring for her grandmother during illness, she developed a deep understanding that healing involves more than medicine alone.
- Her aspiration to work in healthcare is grounded not only in a desire to improve physical health, but also in her commitment to building trust, connection, and faith with those she serves. These qualities mirror the compassion, empathy, and personal relationships that defined Servizi’s life.
- And she understands that stronger, healthier individuals contribute to stronger, more resilient communities. She views healthcare as a means of supporting not only patients, but also families and neighborhoods, creating positive ripple effects that extend far beyond a clinical setting.
