
“From the very beginning, my mom was always deeply involved in my life and development,” Naomi states. In second grade, she was the leader of Naomi’s Girl Scout troop. The mother of another Girl Scout buddy [Janelle] told Naomi’s mom about a program called Horizons. The next thing she remembers is walking into her new Horizons class one of the first days of summer. “It was a magnificent school,” she recalls. “It was exciting walking into a huge place with such a diverse community and welcoming teachers. We ate breakfast and lunch in the GFA cafeteria every day. And in addition to math, reading, and writing, they offered amazing programs like art, dance, music, swimming and even field trips.”
“I love Horizons GFA. Mr. Alex was such sunshine,” she continues, referring to Alex Lunding, executive director of Horizons GFA from 2011-2013. Although she only overlapped with Alex for one year, Naomi describes his gracious, personable conversations with her as something very powerful and transforming for an eight-year-old. “He treated me like a person and was always so happy. When you’re young, you don’t realize how much impact people like that have on you,” she explains, adding that the sense of community at Horizons grounded her and empowered her to feel comfortable talking to anyone.
“It’s hard to sum up Naomi; it’s like asking to describe a painting. She has so much beauty and depth and detail to her that I could never address all of what makes Naomi who she is… She is a truly amazing person who holds a special place in my heart. I am so incredibly proud of her.”
— Krista Bianchini, HGFA High School Coach
Naomi returned to Horizons for the summer program and Saturday academies throughout elementary, middle school, and high school. “It was such an amazing program, and it didn’t stop growing as you grew older,” she explains. The World Peace Games—an annual end-of-program tradition as old as Horizons GFA itself—is one of her favorite memories. Held on the front lawn of the school, the competition involves mixed-age teams representing different countries playing games in a truly “all for one, and one for all!” celebration. She remembers learning to swim at the Westport Y and rowing on the Saugatuck River as daunting experiences at first, but quickly adds, “Even though I was hesitant, I actually ended up loving both.”
During her high school years, when Naomi attended Trumbull High School, Horizons continued to support and challenge her. “I had weekly meetings with my academic coach, Krista, in the Bridgeport office,” she says, noting that their close relationship reached far beyond going over homework, essays, and “college stuff.” “We also talked about whatever else was going on in my life,” she explains, ”like little therapy sessions.” The summer of her junior year, Kelonda Maull (director of high school and college programs from 2016 to 2018) took Naomi and several other Horizons students to the Island School in the Bahamas for a week—another life-changing experience.

When she started her college search, Naomi knew she wanted a smaller sized college (“where college professors would know me by name, not by number”) with a good location for job networking (“not in the middle of nowhere”). She found both at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven. Because it is a liberal arts college, she is able to “dip and dabble” in many things (a nice plus), but her passion continues to be human sciences. “I always thought I wanted to be a doctor,” Naomi shares. But after her freshman year, she started looking more seriously at other health care professions, due to the years of schooling, pressure, and lifestyle required to be an MD. After extensive research, she eventually landed on majoring in general health science and applying to a PA program for her master’s degree following graduation.
“Naomi’s academic diligence and commitment to patient care suggest that she has an exciting and fulfilling career in medicine ahead of her.”
— Suzanne Barnett, HGFA Manager of College and Career Readiness
In college, Horizons has been a continuing presence for students like Naomi, providing stipends each semester for coursebooks, checking in regularly to track progress and offer support, and offering resume writing workshops and career guidance. Naomi has also benefited from the close relationships she’s formed with her college professors. One professor invited her to take part in a lab partnership with Yale last spring, but given her heavy courseload, she had to decline. So they offered her the chance to intern during the summer instead. She worked with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (the first research institute of its kind, founded in 1875) throughout the summer, with housing, a stipend, and invaluable mentors included.
She started working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in August of 2022 to gain patient care experience (PCE) hours for PA school. Following her graduation from Albertus Magnus in December 2023, Naomi plans to look for the right place to earn her master’s degree and jump in for the final round of preparation. “I knew nothing about being a PA when I first started thinking about medical professions,” she notes, “but after doing my research, I learned that they are the happiest people in the medical profession, with a wide scope of training, fewer years of schooling than an MD, good pay, and a healthy work-life balance.” She has already shadowed a pediatric PA for 40 hours, which she enjoyed very much.

Her self-assurance, positive outlook, and fierce determination have been consistent character traits from a very young age. As her high school coach and mentor Krista Bianchini shares: “I have known Naomi since she was a 7th grader and have had the joy of seeing her grow into the amazing woman she knew she could become. Her candor and wit, as well as her self-confidence, were always present at our high school coaching sessions. Now as a college student, she is creating and claiming the future that she wants for herself.”
Horizons GFA’s mission is to “partner with students attending under-resourced Bridgeport schools to develop strong academic, social and emotional skills, habits of mind and the resilience to succeed in school and pursue a meaningful, choice-filled life.” Talking with Naomi Allen, it’s obvious Horizons is not only achieving those goals but also instilling in students the wisdom to set their own path and the joy and confidence to pursue it. That is the kind of inspiration that keeps everyone involved with the program smiling.