
“Horizons has been my heart,” Liliana Brito begins. Her oldest son, David, who started Horizons as a kindergarten student and is currently part of the College and Career Success program, is now a sophomore at UConn studying economics and philosophy. Her youngest son, Lorenzo, started in PreK and is currently a first grader at John Winthrop School, an award-winning PreK-8 school in the North End of Bridgeport.
Liliana heard about Horizons through a friend whose daughter was too young for the program at the time. “As soon as she told me about it, I started doing my own research,” she says (for those who know Liliana, that’s not hard to imagine). That was in 2009, and David was in kindergarten. “We applied, he was accepted, and it’s been a bliss ever since,” she smiles.
One of the things that first impressed her about Horizons at GFA was the academic structure, with reading, writing, and math taught in the morning and enrichment activities in the afternoon. “All the other summer programs offered mostly play,” she notes, “but Horizons offered crucial academic support that really helped him not to fall behind.”
David thrived in the summer program. While the academic focus surprised him at first, the teaching was done in a way that he and the other kids enjoyed. As his mom affirms, “He came home happy every day.” When he got to the end of the summer, he missed Horizons—the energy, respect, and attention he came to expect as everyday elements gave him confidence and a sense of purpose.
“Kids are changed by Horizons and the high standards the staff insists on…those traits impacted his character and helped him relate to his peers and interact positively with others. Whenever I overheard him say, ‘We don’t talk like that in Horizons,’ it made my heart proud.”
— Liliana Brito, HGFA Parent of Lorenzo and David
“The transition back to John Winthrop in the fall was hard,” Liliana admits, “but it was an excellent school that insisted on kids being well taken care of.” David’s teachers quickly noticed how well he did academically after the summer “boost” he got through Horizons. Liliana adds, “We did our part at home, too, to make sure he kept his grades up once he returned.”
In addition to academic skills and understanding, David gained social skills that she feels set him apart. “Kids are changed by Horizons and the high standards the staff insists on,” Liliana explains. That includes everything from the willingness to take a “no thank you” bite at lunch to bigger things like the self-assurance gained by learning to swim and the conscious choice to show kindness, respect, and curiosity in all things. “Those traits impacted his character and helped him relate to his peers and interact positively with others,” she points out, adding “Whenever I overheard him say, ‘We don’t talk like that in Horizons,’ it made my heart proud.”

In spite of his love of Horizons, when David graduated from eighth grade, he told his mom that he wasn’t sure he wanted to continue with the program—being worried about not having enough time to do everything he anticipated needing to do in high school. As you might guess, his mom disagreed, pointing out that the high school mentoring program was designed to help him. More importantly, she reminded him, “Once you commit to something, you have to do it. Whether it’s your sports, your job, or the Horizons Program, you have to show up, on time, and not let your team down.”
Once he saw what the commitment was and how much the mentoring helped, David was hooked. Stephanie Gervasi, his academic coach/mentor, was a perfect fit, Liliana notes, with both the kindness and toughness he needed. “Liliana and I really worked together as a team to make sure that David was always on track,” Stephanie shares. “Whether it was choosing classes, preparing for tests, or heading off his signature ‘third quarter slump,’ we joined forces to steer him in the right direction.”
During the second quarter of his freshman year David’s grades began to dip. “I think that transition from eighth grade to high school was the most essential,” Liliana says. “There was a lot going on—hormones, transitioning to high school courses and adult choices—and he was going through it during Covid, which made it even more challenging. Stephanie went through that with him, too,” she acknowledges, helping him focus on his long-term goals and giving him valuable coaching.
Stephanie recalls, “When Covid hit, I really saw David mature and start to take ownership for his learning. He met with me on Zoom every single week, and we would spend our sessions looking at assignments, talking about how we were taking care of our mental health, or just doing a fun activity. I think it was such a nice break in the monotony we were experiencing and we both really looked forward to it.”
Like many Horizons parents, Liliana emphasizes the importance of having a mentor other than your family members to guide you through those challenges. “Even if you have a good head on your shoulders, you need guidance. If I didn’t know something, Stephanie or Horizons did,” she acknowledges.
Whether it’s guidance in filling out FAFSA forms, help with course selection, a plan for improving grades, or just a listening ear, she is grateful that the Horizons team is always focused on making sure students succeed. “They dedicate so much time, energy, and resources—you can’t find that anywhere else, and we’re forever grateful,” Liliana affirms.

Lorenzo, who is currently a first grader, enrolled in the Horizons program in 2022. Having such a big age span between the two brothers has allowed Liliana to see how the program has grown over the years. “Every aspect that’s changed has changed for the better,” she notes. Building character is still as vital as the academic support in her opinion, and she sees Horizons making the same life-changing impact on Lorenzo in terms of how he acts and reacts in every situation. “Those Horizons teachings stay with them. On every report card I read, his teachers note that ‘Lorenzo is so kind to everybody and so respectful to his peers.’ Horizons influences who he is as a student and who we are as parents.”
“My little brother is a shy person,” David explains. “He cried the first week or two of his first summer program, but once he got comfortable, he switched from crying to asking ‘When is Horizons?’ Like me, he used to be afraid of the pool, and now he knows how to swim! I’m really happy he’s in the program and will have Horizons with him as he grows.”
What are David’s favorite memories of Horizons? The first thing he acknowledges are the great, lifelong friends he’s made through the program—George, Santiago, Hongan, and J.P., to name a few. Then the art classes each summer, along with the swimming lessons and field trips. His favorite field trip was to New York City to see The Lion King on Broadway during his eighth grade year. “It was crazy,” he says. “We worked hard Monday through Thursday, and then had the best breaks on Fridays—I still have pictures on my phone from visiting the Norwalk Aquarium, the Aviation Museum, and other amazing places.”
Every year, David says, he returned to school ahead of his class, which helped him tremendously. “Most importantly,” he adds, “Horizons felt like a real second family. I know it sounds cheesy, but even now as a 19-year-old, when no one can hold my hand anymore, it’s nice to know I can go to anyone at Horizons anytime and they’ll be there for me.”
With two teachers and three counselors per grade, there’s plenty of attention to go around. And because so many return year after year, the connections grow incredibly deep over time. “The counselors were very relatable because they were closer to our age. As we got older, we asked lots of questions that helped us prepare for college. We didn’t have access to that at our regular school,” he says.
“Most importantly, Horizons felt like a real second family. I know it sounds cheesy, but even now as a 19-year-old, when no one can hold my hand anymore, it’s nice to know I can go to anyone at Horizons anytime and they’ll be there for me.”
— David, current student in the Horizons GFA College Program
David is currently 19 years old and in his sophomore year at UConn, studying economics and philosophy. Last month (while he was home on break), he was able to visit Gramercy Funds Management in Greenwich, CT with other Horizons graduates participating in the College and Career Guidance Program. This is just one of the many ways he is benefitting from Horizons.
“As David navigates his sophomore year at UConn, he’s been proactive about pursuing opportunities for professional growth—including picking the brains of industry professionals and even getting some book recommendations,” Suzanne Barnett notes. “What impressed me the most about David during our recent visit was that he actually followed through on a book recommendation offered by one of our hosts, which showed great initiative. And I love that his academic interests address the intersection of the business world and philosophy, specifically ethics.”
“Speaking to people in the field I want to go into and having the opportunity to ask questions proved important to determining which major and career path I want to pursue,” he notes. Talking to a young man named Juan, who also studied philosophy, was extremely helpful. “I got his perspective on why it was helpful in business,” David explains, “and it helped me confirm that I was on the right path.” Just another way Horizons ensures that students not only get a good education but also have access to job opportunities that will lead to a purposeful life.

“At each stage in life, the stakes get higher,” Liliana cautions. Fortunately, as David is quick to acknowledge, the mentoring that began with his teachers and counselors in the summer program continued with Christina Whittaker, Stephanie Geravazi, and Suzanne Barnett through the high school, college, and career guidance programs. “If there’s anything going on that I should know about, Suzanne texts me to tell me about it. It’s a really nice feeling to know there’s someone there who wants the best for you, whether it’s just easing the stress and anxiety or helping you make connections or find a job.”
“Growing up I felt blessed that I had Horizons with me every step of the way,” David says gratefully, “and I feel good knowing I still have Horizons beside me today.” That appreciation is echoed by his mother, who maintains “Horizons should be a model for education everywhere.”