
Brenda Moreno and her younger brother Bernardo joined Horizons at GFA the summer after her fifth grade year (his fourth grade year). They attended Holy Family parochial school on Tunxis Hill Road (Fairfield) at the time and were enrolled in a YMCA summer camp program when their mother announced that they had been accepted into a new program. “I liked learning, and Horizons definitely continued to develop that passion in me,” Brenda notes.
Now she is returning to the program that shaped her middle and high school years. But, more than that, she is returning to the program she has remained passionately committed to ever since graduating from the K-8 program—bringing her unique training, experience, and perspective as she assumes the role of HGFA High School Program Manager. “I’m super excited to be back,” she states. “I’ve always been involved as a volunteer and am thrilled to be working here full time now.”
“As a student, Brenda was quiet, but when she spoke it was with purpose,” Jose Oromi (Horizons National Executive Vice President) recalls. “Her peers listened because she was a powerful example of work ethic and hope. She was always thoughtful and concerned for others, while focused on maximizing experience for her own growth.”
He continues: “Brenda is consistent and dedicated. She is the steady runner in the race that quietly leads the pack. Her mom would say that she is the rock in the family—quiet, determined, and dedicated.”
The Horizons High School Program was just getting started when Brenda entered high school. Though it wasn’t as robust then as it is now, she knew she had a point person she could reach out to. “But I never did,” she admits. “I just took advantage of the resources at my school.”
Brenda always wanted to be an educator. “I found my career path as an educator because of Horizons,” she acknowledges. “It’s helped so many kids achieve their academic goals while also becoming the best version of themselves.” After finishing her undergrad degree at Providence College, she stayed on to earn her master’s degree in education for school counseling. Brenda has always liked the idea of helping kids in school, teaching the soft skills and executive functioning they need to succeed as well as providing a supportive community. “I especially enjoy helping students make good choices in high school and guiding them through the college application process,” she explains.
Following grad school, she worked for three years as a school counselor at Kolbe Cathedral in Bridgeport, working with ninth and tenth graders. “I wanted to help them set a solid foundation for later on,” she says. “All of the students who were seniors last year are now in college, which is incredibly exciting.” She is still in touch regularly with the other counselor at Kolbe, who is part of a close-knit team. She now looks forward to helping to shape the future trajectory of HGFA student’s lives.

As a Horizons National intern, Brenda helped launch the Horizons National Associate Board (AB) in July 2016, along with her brother, Bernardo, and Josh Dumas (all from HGFA). The Associate Board, composed of recent Horizons alums, interns, and volunteers, seeks (per its mission statement) “to further the mission of Horizons National by providing a continuing sense of community and purpose for Horizons alumni throughout life.” As an AB member, Brenda helps to expand connections to Horizons graduates across the country through participation in conferences and special events and involvement in marketing, communications, and fundraising for Horizons programs. Lorna Smith, Horizons National CEO, notes, “Her leadership and dedication has helped grow the Associate Board and start new alumni groups at mature Horizons affiliates across the country.”
That summer, master’s degree in hand, Brenda circled back to Horizons. “Jose Oromi asked me if I’d be interested in working in the pilot program at Albertus Magnus College, so I worked as assistant director under executive director Stephanie Kadam for 2021 and 22,” she notes. “It was a really cool experience, with a lot of learning and a lot of success, too!”
That July First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited the Albertus Magnus program as part of their Summer Learning Tour. “Everyone kept asking if I was excited to meet her,” Brenda smiles, “but I kept thinking it’s exciting that she gets to see this program that I love and help others learn more about it.”
Horizons at GFA is thrilled to have Brenda back, assuming the position as High School Program Manager that Christina Whittaker previously held. “I’ve always felt a profound connection to Horizons at GFA and the sense of teamwork I observed there—open communications and the ability to work closely together. I wanted to be part of that,” she states.
“What makes Brenda stand apart from her peers is her maturity, leadership, and consistent commitment to Horizons,” Christina explains. “Brenda has always been hard-working and determined. We’re so grateful that she has chosen to give back to the Horizons community by running our high school program.
“She leads by example and shows our high school students what their future can be. In her new role as high school program manager, Brenda has jumped right into building relationships with our students and coaches. Students have already come to me to say they are so excited to have her in this role because she is so easy to talk to and they remember her from when she was an intern when they were younger. She is uniquely positioned to connect with both our students and their families because she has first-hand experience as a Horizons GFA student. She will inspire students to stay connected to the Horizons community long after college graduation and her success is what we hope for all our students.”
— Christina Whittaker, HGFA Executive Director
The High School Program currently serves 84 students in grades 9-12, with 41 coaches who meet with their respective students on a weekly basis. “It’s definitely bustling,” Brenda says, after observing the mentoring sessions on her first Tuesday. “I recognized a lot of students I knew from past years when I was a Horizons volunteer (her first few summers in high school) or Horizons intern (which she did the summer before college).” Several have popped in to say hi and expressed their surprise that they already knew her.
“Do you remember me, Miss?” one young man asked. “I do remember you—I taught you how to swim!” Brenda responded. She says she can recognize them pretty easily, but they have more mature faces now. “‘You’re, like, grown up!’ I keep telling them. I expect to learn a lot more about them and how they’ve grown up,” she adds, smiling—which feels like a lucky fit all around.
“Brenda has excelled in helping run the new Horizons program at Albertus Magnus College. She has leaned on her training, education and experience to build a vibrant program. When the First Lady and the Secretary of Education visited this summer there was no better ambassador for Horizons alumni!”
— Jose Oromi, National Horizons Executive Vice President and former HGFA Executive Director