About Sabina Matos

FAMILY:
Married to Patrick Ward
Children: Diego and Annemarie
Parents: Dionne & Miguel Matos

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
B.A Public Relations, Rhode Island College
General Studies, Community College of Rhode Island

BIO

Sabina Matos was born in the province of Barahona located in the southwest of the Dominican Republic. At an early age her family moved from Barahona to Santo Domingo where she fulfilled her elementary education. She went to high school at the only public high school in el barrio "Los Alcarrizos" which had just one schedule available, nighttime.

On April 1994 she moved with her family to the United States arriving in New York city where she lived for only two months because the family preferred the more calm and like-home life style of Providence RI.

In the fall of 1996 she entered the Community College of Rhode Island where she took some ESL classes and transferred to Rhode Island College shortly after. She graduated in May of 2001 with a BA in Communications, Public Relations.

Since her early college years Sabina showed interest in working with the community. When it came time to choose where her work-study would take place, Sabina opted for a local social services agency to fulfill her requirement. From that time continuing to the present she has maintained her involvement with issues and organizations that work towards the betterment of the community.

Sabina Matos graduated from the Latina Leadership Institute of the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund in 2003. In 2005 she was appointed Executive Vice-President of the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund and its PAC (RILPAC) and in November 2005 she was elected Vice-President of this organization and was elected President of the organization in 2007. She also graduated from Leadership for a Future in 2003.

Sabina has been a board member of Olneyville Housing Corporation since 2004 where currently she holds the position of Secretary. In 2003 Sabina was a member of the committee organizing the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride which brought thousands of immigrants, labor unions, elected officials and other supporters of immigrant rights together in Washington DC and New York City. She was a founding member of LUCHA (Latinas United for CHAnge).

In June 2005, Sabina became a Citizen of the United State of America and registered to vote and voted for the first time in the Primary Elections of 2006 in which she was a candidate for City Council in Providence Ward 15. She got 43% of the votes on that race.

Sabina is also President of the board of ECAS Theater (Teatro ECAS) which is an organization that works on providing the Rhode Island Latino community with the opportunity to enjoy theater in Spanish without having to travel outside of the state. Every year during the month of March ECAS puts together the International Latino Theater Month as well as other activities throughout the year .

At ECAS she has played key roles like Special Project Coordinator in 2004 when they brought in NY City Repertorio Español with the acclaimed and historically rich play "La Fiesta del Chivo" which was an extraordinary success. The event sold out the Roberts Halls at Rhode Island College with more than 940 people. Currently, she continues to foster relationship and partnerships with organizations like Casey Family Services, Gamm Theater and Trinity Repertory which support and promote ECAS Theater’s mission  Her passion for theater is so big that even though she volunteers many hours of hard work every year to this organization she considers it a privilege.

Currently, Sabina is employed by New Roots Providence which is a Faith- and Community-based capacity building initiative under the umbrella of the Providence Plan.