Through it all, Arias said his desire to keep learning and accept new challenges has propelled him forward. During his 34 years at Brown, he said he has discovered not just a workplace, but a community that supported his growth, education and success — both for himself and his family.

In a Q&A, Arias reflected on his journey of finding a home in Providence, building a career at Brown and uplifting others in the Providence community.

Q: Can you share a bit about the beginning of your long career at Brown?

When I traveled to United States, my first job over here was through an employment agency. For every factory that needed labor, I would apply, and one day I went over to the agency and they sent me to Brown University. I started in the kitchen, but they asked if I could help with catering, and I always said yes, because I believe it’s more opportunity for me to learn and work. Through those deliveries, I met others at Brown that needed workers, and from there I got full-time employment beginning in 1997. It was after I started in the print shop at Brown that I saw that, the University, they give you the opportunity for success if you want it. 

Now, I am working in the bookstore, and I am a warehouse coordinator. It is something that makes me very happy because the people are really friendly and when we work together like a team, we all succeed. 

Q: What did you do before you came to Brown?

My father had a construction company and, in my country, when you are 14 or 15 years old, you are ready to work, and I started working when I was 14 as a carpenter. My brother had come to the United States. He was living in Providence and he said, “Kennedy, this country gives you more opportunity.” I came to the United States when I was 23. 

Q: How has your career allowed you to do something you always wanted to do? 

At Brown, I’ve had a lot of opportunities. Brown gave me the opportunity to take English as a second language classes. I take a class at Brown, where they have a small program with people coming to help you with the pronunciation. I think something good that Brown has is the tuition program for employees that allows you to go study anything that you need or want and after that, they reimburse this money for the program and so Brown pays for it directly. 

Another thing that is great about Brown is when my children went to college, you have the opportunity to get the tuition assistance program. My daughter is the first generation in my family to go to college. Joslyn goes to University of Rhode Island, and Natalie went to Community College of Rhode Island and then Providence College. I’m so proud of them because now they have the opportunity to be somebody. Brown gives the opportunity not just for me, but for my family. 

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not at work? 

My passion is baseball. When I was young, I wanted to be a major league baseball player. My son was 6 years old when he asked to play and when I signed him up, they had a lot of kids but they didn’t have coaches. They asked me to volunteer to coach and that’s where it all started for me — I saw that we have a lot of talent in the Providence community, a lot of potential, and I believe that when you combine the education and the sport, young people can succeed. 

From there, we started a program, Providence Sports and Leadership, so that more kids can learn and play baseball but also learn things like accountability, character and hard work to maintain good grades.

We’ve had more than 50 that go on to college from our program. Jeremy Peña, he went to Classical High School and then got a scholarship to University of Maine where he played three years before he was drafted to the Houston Astros. He’s a superstar. I believe that if we can continue to create programs and we can involve youth, we can continue to reduce the crime in our city and help a lot of kids have a better future and success. 

Q: What do you like most about being part of the Brown community?

It’s the respect that the people give you. Every department gives the opportunity to be somebody if you want to work and if you want to learn. It’s something that I love about Brown. 

When you are coming from a different country, sometimes you get a lot of discrimination. That’s something I don’t see in Brown; I always see in Brown the respect. They respect what you are doing, and they always open the doors if you want to learn. And for me, it’s really important because I was coming from the bottom and I don’t speak the language a hundred percent, and I still see a lot of opportunity. It’s something that I explain to my kids: try to get a job in one organization or work where you get opportunity and respect. 

Q: What’s something people should know about working at Brown?

If you really want to have opportunity, respect and support, I believe that Brown is one of the best places to work. I come into this country to try to give a better opportunity for myself and my family, and I believe Brown is the foundation of my success.