Keshana and Jerome Wiggins are completely in sync when they talk about what makes Horizons an exceptional program and the incredible difference it has made in their children’s lives. With three children currently in the program—Jaliah, an honor roll student who is also in the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program at her school, Jerome Jr., a football player/honor roll student who was recommended by his teacher for the TAG program, and William, a football player/honor roll student—they couldn’t be more grateful for the support and guidance Horizons has provided.
“Our journey with Horizons started when Jaliah was in kindergarten,” Keshana begins. “One winter day her teacher gave me a packet and said, ‘This would be a great opportunity for Jaliah.’”
Growing up in Stamford, Keshana already knew about Horizons through the New Canaan program, so she was excited when their family was invited to come in for an interview. Although the interview was for Jaliah, when they met with Joe Aleardi, they brought her two younger brothers, Jerome, Jr. and William, too. “We joke that Jerome, Jr. actually interviewed for Jaliah,” Keshana laughs. While Jaliah quietly colored, too shy to answer any questions, three-year-old Jerome, Jr. intervened. After the interview, Monique Rutledge (Director of Operations and Enrichment) told them, “This boy just handled the whole interview; he needs to apply, too!”
“Jaliah was in a cocoon before she started at Horizons. After one summer, she became a butterfly, and she’s been flying ever since!” Keshana beams. “Her world just opened up with Horizons,” she continues, noting that Jaliah always sang at home and in her church choir but began singing solos after starting with Horizons.
Her father remembers asking his daughter, “Who are you?” after seeing how much she’d grown during her first summer. In fact, after being introduced to gardening at Horizons, Jaliah started gardening at home with her aunt and great grandmother. She is now involved in the STEAM program at the Discovery Museum as well as the Debate Club and Student Council at John Winthrop School.
Jaliah paved the way for her brothers, who also became part of Horizons GFA. Jerome, Jr. started in the preK program in 2016 and William followed in preK the following year. “One thing they’ve all benefited from,” notes their father, “is the small class size.” He recalls Jerome, Jr. telling them “I wish I had Horizons every day!” When his parents asked what he liked most, he explained, “I get to see friends and teachers that I have a relationship with. And at Horizons the rules and culture are different than at my regular school—we’re taught to respect each other. We all follow the rules because we’re a family and we all enjoy being in the program.”
“In addition to all of the academic support and enrichment offerings, this program has helped our kids make vast improvements with their social skills and the way they interact with people,” Jerome shares. “Whatever they do, they know they have to try their hardest because that’s the Horizons way.”
— Jerome Wiggins, Horizons GFA Parent and Board Member
William, the youngest, was on a 504 plan with the Bridgeport Public Schools due to a late birthday and speech delays when he started Horizons in preK. Because he spent the summer at Horizons, he got a jumpstart working on words and sounds that helped him incredibly the next year. “In addition to all of the academic support and enrichment offerings, this program has helped our kids make vast improvements with their social skills and the way they interact with people,” Jerome shares. “Whatever they do, they know they have to try their hardest because that’s the Horizons way.”
“I couldn’t be more sold on any program,” he continues. “Every year, it gets better and better.” It isn’t surprising, then, that when opportunities arose for Jerome and Keshana to get more involved themselves, they jumped at the chance. “How could we not give back?” Keshana asks. “We couldn’t even measure how much it’s given to our kids.”
Keshana and Jerome first became involved on the Parent Advisory Committee (now renamed the Family Partnership Committee), which originated four years ago. “We were trying to figure out who we were as a parent group, what our purpose and end goals were,” Keshana explains. That role quickly turned into serving as liaisons helping to welcome new families into the program. “Hearing from another family with kids in the program sharing their experience was really helpful to people,” she notes. “Like a Google review. We told them why our kids loved it and vouched for the community they were entrusting their children to.”
Jerome went off the Parent Advisory Committee in July 2022 when he joined the Horizons GFA Board of Directors. “It’s been great learning from other people and helping to make decisions about the program,” he says. He explains that while he is typically of the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” mindset, what has surprised him most (in a good way) about serving on the board is the opposite of that way of thinking. “The Horizons Board is different from anything I’ve known. Board members are like ‘Yes, it’s great now, but it can be even better.’ Their wheels are always spinning—there’s no stagnation!”
While Horizons was valued by parents long before the pandemic, it’s impossible to overstate how much more they appreciate it now. “The staff were right there from the very beginning,” Keshana notes. “They’d tell us when teachers were available and encourage us to give them a call. Our kids didn’t have devices, so they gave us iPads, along with weekly bags filled with learning activities,” she explains. To incentivize kids to do their homework, Horizons awarded points and entered families in weekly raffles for a family dinner. “During the whole shutdown, they let us know they were there,” she acknowledges gratefully.
Jerome and Keshana’s appreciation for both the program and community grew even stronger after the Horizons GFA Fall Gala in November. Although they had been to one gala in the past, it was mainly to watch their daughter perform; they didn’t stay for the full event. “We are still blown away thinking about this year’s event,” Jerome says. “Arianna DeNitto’s speech was so inspiring, we shared it with our daughter and told her, ‘This is what’s here for you, but you have to do your part.’” They were also amazed by the staggering amount of money that was raised. “We were in awe seeing people give to Horizons to help future students achieve their dreams without even knowing who those kids would be,” he adds.
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What are the Wiggins children’s dreams? Both parents smile. “They couldn’t be three more different kids with more distinct passions, even though they’ve been raised by the same parents in the same home.” Jaliah wants to be a lawyer or psychiatrist. Jerome, Jr. dreams of being a football player, a cop, or an ESPN commentator. William was fixated on a career in sports but lately has shifted his focus to going to Yale.
“These are the dreams Horizons has planted in them,” Keshana says. “Our biggest goal for them all is to be better than us. We tell them they can be whatever they want to be, as long as they are great citizens who treat everyone with respect and they become self-sufficient leaders, not followers, doing something they know will work for them long term.
“Horizons is opening doors for our kids to see and experience things we never could,” Keshana acknowledges. “All of their experiences, big and small, enrich their lives and help them make more informed decisions.” She is grateful that, in addition to what she and Jerome teach them, they also learn from their church pastor and all of the people in the Horizons community. “Our village is a lot bigger, thanks to Horizons,” she smiles.
“I tell everyone I know about Horizons,” Keshana brags. She used to limit how many parents she told about the program, because she didn’t want them to be disappointed if their child didn’t get in. But now, thanks to the Bridgeport and Sacred Heart University Horizons programs, she doesn’t hold back. Today it was a stylist at the hair salon whose son is in kindergarten. “I told her, ‘Sign him up!’” she says, “and the next time I see her, I’ll check if she’s filled out her application.”
“Horizons is opening doors for our kids to see and experience things we never could… All of their experiences, big and small, enrich their lives and help them make more informed decisions.”
— Keshana Wiggins, Horizons GFA Parent
With ambassadors like that, spreading the good word about Horizons GFA is getting easier every day.