Speaking with Amelia Plaza is like opening a jar of sunshine—her warmth and brightness is that palpable, and comes from a place of deep gratitude and commitment. If you want reassurance that Horizons is helping students “find their purpose” and empowering them to “live choice-filled lives,” look no further.
Amelia’s family is from Ecuador, where she was born. “My dad left for the U.S. when I was three months old,” she tells me. “For five years, he was here while my mom and my brother Romel (two and a half years older) and I were back home. He urged us to join him when I was five. When we tried, my mom got deported as we were crossing the border. She was detained for two months while we stayed with my dad, who I barely knew.”
Eventually, her mom was able to join them and they settled in Bridgeport. Amelia started kindergarten at Beardsley School with no English language skills and no idea how to navigate American culture. When she was six, her father was attacked by someone under the influence of drugs and left nearly blind. This incident caused her father to be awarded a U visa, which enabled both parents to get their green cards and their family to stay in the U.S. permanently.

“I stuttered and was a very shy person in middle school. When we moved to Fairfield when I was in 6th grade, I went from earning all A’s to earning B’s and C’s. They enrolled me in ESL classes. It was hard socially and academically; I felt like I didn’t know anyone…But Horizons changed all that.
–Amelia Plaza

Like many Horizons students, Amelia’s first introduction to Horizons GFA was having an older sibling in the program. Romel was accepted into the Horizons program a year before Amelia, who was accepted the summer after 5th grade. Before Horizons, Amelia participated in the Cardinal Shehan Center summer day camp. Learning math, reading, science, and music at Horizons was a huge change. “You had to learn, but they made it so fun!” she says. Equally important to her, Horizons nurtured social emotional growth. “I stuttered and was a very shy person in middle school. When we moved to Fairfield when I was in 6th grade, I went from earning all A’s to earning B’s and C’s. They enrolled me in ESL classes. It was hard socially and academically; I felt like I didn’t know anyone,” she recalls. “But Horizons changed all that. We were put in small learning groups, where we had to introduce ourselves and work with other students, and we went on field trips every Friday.” Amelia lists many summer highlights, like seeing “The Lion King” on Broadway, touring the Pez factory, and doing the ropes course at the Discovery Museum Adventure Park, as well as having swimming lessons at the Westport Y and learning to row on the Saugatuck River. “All of those experiences were quite a challenge,” she says. “They took a lot of strength and endurance and really helped me build my confidence.”
Amelia also learned how to play golf and tennis through Horizons’ partnership with First Tee and First Serve. “My mom always wanted me to do a sport,” she shares. “I really loved playing tennis, and after Horizons I was able to continue taking lessons with Coach Rob at Puglio Park the rest of the summer.” This made it possible for her to play in the Trumbull High Varsity Program her last two years of high school—something she never imagined being able to do.
“I think the most special thing about Amelia is that she is so genuine and has such an old soul. Her ties to her family mean everything to her, due to their incredible journey to come to the U.S. and her parents’ sacrifice to provide their children with better opportunities. Instead of the usual teen preoccupations, she focuses on her academic work and her responsibility to her family—even waking up at 5 a.m. to make them all breakfast, not because she has to but because it makes her happy.”
— Daniella Squizzato, High School Coach and Mentor

Just days after graduating from high school, Amelia is filled with excitement for this fall, when she will begin her studies at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. However, her excitement is not the usual pre-college variety, accompanied by a bag of nerves and a chestful of uncertainty. That is because she has been preparing for this stage in her life for the past four years, with the passionate and expert guidance of the Horizons GFA High School Program, which provides one-on-one academic coaching, social-emotional learning, college guidance, financial planning, and summer program opportunities. Amelia credits Christina Whittaker (Director of Horizons High School & College Success Programs) with helping her find the University of Rochester summer program, which helped her discover her desire to become a physician’s assistant, and Daniela Squizzato (her high school coach and mentor of many years) with helping her prepare academically and find scholarship programs to make college doable.
“I didn’t know anything about the pre-college programs I participated in last summer or about the two-day visit Ursinus College offered to seniors until Christina encouraged me to consider them,” Amelia acknowledges. And what a difference they made! Amelia participated in both “What’s Up, Doc?” and the Biomedical Engineering Course at Rochester University. Taught online from 9 to 12 for a total of three weeks, these programs provided exposure to the different specializations within the medical field. “They opened my mind to many opportunities within the profession and made me want to be a physician’s assistant even more. Being a PA, I can specify any field and still have the flexibility to change,” she notes.
When Amelia wanted to explore service learning opportunities last summer, Daniela helped her research options. After vetting many programs, she chose International Volunteer Headquarters with Maximo Nivel and spent two weeks volunteering in a childcare program in Guatemala. She describes her trip as “one of the best experiences of my life!”
Christina also encouraged her to consider visiting Ursinus College last November, rather than limiting her options to more familiar, local schools. The 1:11 teacher-student ratio and small group learning she experienced while visiting Ursinus changed her mind immediately. “I was greeted so warmly and got to explore the academic environment, clubs, and day-to-day life of a student. I knew it was the right fit.”
Applying early action following her visit to Ursinus, Amelia was accepted in December, with a generous financial aid package that beat all of her other school offers. Considering the soaring costs of college, however (Ursinus is currently $72,000!), she still faced a $16,000-a-year expense. So Daniela, Christina, and PJ Washenko helped her find more scholarship programs. They encouraged her to pursue the Stephen Phillips Scholarship, a prestigious award that many Horizons GFA students have applied for, but only one (Ariana DeNitto) has ever received. “This past Tuesday I learned that I was selected and will be getting an additional $12,000 in aid, renewable every year!” she beams.
“It took a little convincing to get Amelia to accept the offer to go to Ursinus, because she remembers not being able to recognize her dad when they were reunited in the U.S. and doesn’t want her little sister (Isabella, 18 months) to forget her. But the program caters to people who want to be PA’s, the school offers internships in Philadelphia (which she loved), and it demonstrated such commitment to her financially that she decided to take the leap.”
— Daniella Squizzato, High School Coach and Mentor

The future is bright for Amelia, thanks to the lucky pairing of her personal passion, talent, and dedication and her Horizons mentors, opportunities, and experiences. Her brother Romel provides additional motivation; he graduated from Bentley University with a Corporate Finance and Accounting degree at age 20 and is currently earning his M.B.A. Her mother also inspires her. After learning English and studying at Mercy Learning Center for several years, she is now a licensed facial massage therapist.
“I don’t know who I’d be now, if it weren’t for all of the programs Horizons has opened up for me,” Amelia acknowledges. “My parents are very proud of us. They are grateful for all of the opportunities we’ve had through Horizons.” She pauses, then adds, “I am, too.”