Our Founders and Board of Directors
Sara Stevens Nerone
Co-Founder and President
Sara and her two daughters co-founded Rock-Paper-Scissors Children's Fund. Sara has traveled, lived, and volunteered in Vietnam, and first traveled to Vietnam in 1999, to welcome her first daughter Sophie into her and her husband Chris's family through adoption, and again in 2001 to welcome their second daughter, Phoebe. Sara's main profession is working for the U.S. National Park Service as the Program Manager for the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Inventory and Monitoring Network, a large ecological monitoring program for National Parks along the North Atlantic Coast. Sara has an MS from the University of Rhode Island in Wildlife Ecology, twenty years managing a program for the government, and now nine years of experience running and operating an international NGO.
Sophie Nerone
Co-Founder and Board Member
Sophie is one of the co-founders of the Rock-Paper-Scissors Children's Fund, and has traveled and volunteered in the summers in Vietnam since 2010. Sophie assists with year-round fundraising, as well as administrative duties. While living in Vietnam in 2011-2012, Sophie created the original music program, even before the organization was formed. Sophie has a degree in Biochemistry from Wheaton College, in Massachusetts in Biochemistry, and is a medical student at Penn State College of Medicine in PA. Sophie continues to be an accomplished violinist.
Phoebe Nerone
Co-Founder and Board Member
Phoebe is a co-founder of the Rock-Paper-Scissors Children's Fund. A current student at Wheaton College, MA, she has traveled and volunteered in Vietnam every summer since 2010, assisting with all
programs as a volunteer coordinator with her sister. Phoebe has taken her own initiative and started a reading glasses project that donates reading glasses to elderly people in Vietnam.
Laurette Vitello
Music Education Advisor and Board Member
Laurette is currently the orchestra and chorus director at Curtis Corner Middle School in South Kingstown, RI, as well as a visiting professor at Providence College. She is a certified Suzuki Violin Instructor and a professional violinist having played with Musica Dolce, Rhode Island Philharmonic Community Orchestra and Quattro Amici. During the summers of 2015 and 2016, Laurette traveled to Vietnam with Rock-Paper-Scissors to volunteer. She is now one of our music program advisors.
Rozanne Fuller
Music Education Advisor and Board Member
For many years Rozanne worked in RI public schools as a music teacher, she retired in 2011. Currently she teaches
cello privately, has been the conductor and director of the South Kingstown Chamber Orchestra for 10 years, is a member of the Westerly Chorus, is a weekly volunteer at Music Works in Providence, RI and now is a music advisor and volunteer for Rock-Paper-Scissors. During the summers, Rozanne travels to Vietnam with Rock-Paper-Scissors to teach music and conduct the summer orchestra.
Patrick O'Brien
Writer and Board Member
Patrick has volunteered in Vietnam for the past seven summers. He's been an integral part in the development of our programs. In the U.S. Patrick works in the health care field, and is a photographer and writer/journalist. He has a double degree in English and Journalism from the University of Rhode Island, and is working towards a degree in nursing. Patrick assists with report writing for Rock-Paper-Scissors and supporting summer volunteers.
Hannah Beekman
Music Education Advisor and Board Member
Hannah is the co-owner of Beekman Violins with her family in Wakefield, RI. She also teaches private lessons in violin, and is active in a variety of Rhode Island music initiatives. She has a BA in Music from Rhode Island College (2018) and a BA in English from Boston University (2012). Hannah has traveled and volunteered as a music teacher in Vietnam for Rock-Paper-Scissors, and continues to be involved not only as a music consultant, but an active Board Member.
Emma Dwinell
Writer and Board Member
Emma is a special education math teacher at the High School level. She was trained at the Autism Center in Cranston RI, as a Training Program Specialist/Behavior Technician. She has a BA in both Anthropology and English from the University of Rhode Island. Emma worked part-time for Rock-Paper-Scissors when she was a student, and has traveled to Vietnam to volunteer for the organization three times.