With a passion for dance and a love for teaching, Marisa Vincent is entering her seventh season as coach and ninth season with the URI Ramettes. She spent two years performing on the floor of Keaney Gym as a Ramette from 1997-1999. Upon graduation, she took over as coach and choreographer of a team that became a fixture at Rhody basketball games. She wears many hats for the team, managing everything from practices, choreography and auditions to budgetary responsibilities and costuming. She was promoted to director of spirit groups in the fall of 2005.

Marisa was an integral part of the resurgence of the Ramettes in 1997 - prior to that, the Ramettes had disbanded and there was little opportunity for dance classes on campus. Reviving a group that was a prestigious part of the Spirit groups on campus in the 1960's, 70's and 80's, URI would use the traditional name, "Ramettes", to compliment the contemporary dance-team style that Vincent envisioned for URI's Athletic Department to feature. With the guidance of key Alumni Association members as well as Athletic Department representatives, the new Ramettes Team was reborn in their first performance as a new team on December 9, 1997.

Dancing since the age of three, Vincent trained with the Festival Ballet of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, for ten years and then began studying jazz with Modern Jazz Dance Company, Providence, RI. She is no stranger to dance teams, having been a member of the Cranston West Falconettes (a precision dance team that marched with "That Falcon Band") in high school, to which she was a co-captain. It was her performance experience in high school with the Falconettes that inspired Vincent to want to continue her dance involvement on a collegiate level. She instructs weekly hip-hop classes at MJDC.

For the past three years, each of the Ramettes have received individual "Outstanding" ribbons for their three evaluation routines they performed at Universal Dance Association Summer Camp. The Ramettes have been awarded "Most Improved Team" two times as well as "Most Improved Program" in 2002. In 2003, the Ramettes were recognized with over 25 'Outstanding' ribbons during their four-day camp session. This is an achievement that Vincent is very proud of.

Marisa Vincent is a seventh- and eighth-grade teacher at Gilbert Stuart Middle School in Providence, R.I. She currently teaches English and hopes to start an after-school dance program for her students.