Voice Profile

By Michael P. Walsh

Special to the Voice

Mayor Nancy R. Rossi presented Aniello Cappetta with a blue jacket embroidered with his new title, Italian American of the Year, as part of festivities marking West Haven’s 21st annual Columbus Day Celebration on the steps of City Hall on Friday.

Cappetta, who owned and operated Cappetta’s Italian Imports in Allingtown for nearly a quarter century, was showered with words of praise from Rossi for his “inspiring contributions in shaping the tapestry of our Italian American community and the narrative of our diverse city.”

At the 20-minute ceremony, Cappetta, 71, received a General Assembly citation from state Reps. Dorinda Borer, D-West Haven, Charles J. Ferraro, R-West Haven, and Michael A. DiMassa, D-West Haven, on behalf of the city’s delegation.

He also received an official statement from senior adviser Jimmy Tickey on behalf of Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and an Italian flag from Paul M. Frosolone, president of the West Haven Italian American Civic Association, and Josephine Matera, former president of the association’s Ladies Auxiliary.

The West Haven Columbus Day Committee recognizes an Italian resident, or couple, each year who personifies service in the city’s close-knit Italian American community.

“Thank you to the mayor; it’s a big honor for me,” said Cappetta, who lives on Pagano Court, a cul-de-sac off Jones Street near First Avenue. “Thank you, America, and thank you, West Haven!”

As the sound of Italian music filled the air during the late morning cultural event in honor of the Italian explorer, Cappetta saluted his ancestry with dozens of his closest friends and loved ones, along with an array of city officials, members of the Allingtown and West Shore fire departments, and descendants of folks from the old country clad in red, white and green.

“I’m very proud of my father,” an emotional Donato Cappetta told the crowd before exclaiming, “God bless America!”

Rossi also presented a mayoral citation to Aniello Cappetta, who, in addition to his son, was joined by his daughter Rosa Armellino and four of his grandchildren, all waving Italian flags.

Before an Italian blessing from Michael Abbott, director of ministry at Notre Dame High School, Liz Levy sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the Italian national anthem, “II Canto degli Italiani.” The renditions were followed by a greeting from mayoral Executive Assistant Lou Esposito, the master of ceremonies.

Rossi then delivered heartwarming remarks about Cappetta, saying: “Your indomitable spirit and meritorious good works are a testament to the promise of America. You are living proof of the American dream!”

Cappetta, one of 13 siblings, was born and raised in the town of Acerno in the province of Salerno, Italy. He served in the Italian air force and also worked as a carpenter.

In 1970, at the age of 22, Cappetta and his wife, the former Palma Malangone, also a native of Acerno, left their home in southwestern Italy and came to America for “a better life and to start a family.”

After the couple settled in New Haven, he worked for a construction company in West Haven.

In 1972, Cappetta and his wife opened their first restaurant, Mama Lucia’s in Ansonia, becoming the first family members to open a food establishment.

The couple sold the restaurant in 1976. For the next eight years, they worked in housekeeping at the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven while raising their four children: Luigi, Rosa, Donato and Maria.

The couple moved their brood to West Haven in 1983.

A year later, Cappetta and his wife started a new venture and opened LP Video on Route 1 in Allingtown. The store, which sold Italian American films, introduced the couple to the great people of West Haven, he said.

In 1989, the couple returned to the food service business and opened Cappetta’s Italian Imports across the street from LP Video. The business at 188 Boston Post Road started as a deli and specialized in food items from Italy.

A few years later, Cappetta’s expanded to offer pizza and other Italian specialty foods and provide catering services.

Before long, the business that Cappetta and his wife built in the heart of Allingtown became “the go-to spot” for home-style and hard-to-find Italian foods.

Although he handed it down to sons Donato and Luigi in 2013, Cappetta, whose wife passed away in 2016, still spends time at the neighborhood institution, now Cappetta’s Italian Imports Pizza and Catering.

Cappetta’s propensity for community service includes serving as an ambassador of his rich heritage.

He is a longtime member of Club Napoli in Northford and the Italian American Club of East Haven.

Cappetta’s name will join the 20 previous Columbus Day recipients on a plaque in City Hall.

Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

Since the fall of 2013, Chris Haynes has guided University of New Haven students into and through the study of political science. He said he became an educator because he saw the fulfillment his mother got from the profession.

A Hawaii native, Haynes said he got his Masters of Business Administration from Texas Christian University but then went to University of California, Riverside to get his doctorate in political science – something he said he had always been passionate about.

The political science professor said his mother was a high school English teacher at a school where it was uncommon for students to go to four-year colleges after graduating.

“I would always come in contact with students that would come back to her years after graduation,” said Haynes. “They’d be so thankful. You could tell how much of an impact she’d had.”

Haynes said his mother inspired students to go to college. He said he was drawn to education because of how much meaning and satisfaction his mother derived from her work.

When he graduated with his MBA, Haynes said he worked at a department store chain’s “central office” but found it was not for him. He decided to try something new and what came of that was his Ph.D. in political science.

“I was surprised political science is different from politics,” said Haynes. “You quickly find out that it is the study of politics. It’s explaining it and describing it. Not necessarily what’s right and wrong – those normative questions. But positive questions about what it is and how it works.”

Haynes said his particular area of interest in political science is public opinion and voting. He said he finds studying how emotion, such as anxiety and fear, impact people voting habits interesting.

The professor said he came to Connecticut to teach during a tough time in the job market. According to Haynes, he was drawn to UNH’s “teaching-centric” style.

Once at the university, Haynes started a Model United Nations program – something he had done at UC Riverside. He said after getting support from the dean of arts and sciences they turned it into a class.

“It’s gone really well,” said Haynes. “The students are great at it. We’ve won a bunch of top-scoring awards at the National Model UN Conference. Most importantly, the student outcomes for those who have been through the program is really high.”

Haynes said they have alumni working on Capitol Hill and in the State Department. Haynes also started the Mayor’s Advisory Commission during Mayor Ed O’Brien’s administration in order to further collaboration between the university and the city it resides in.

“I thought it was an ethical responsibility of our university to involve itself in building and helping the community,” said Haynes. “In a way, it was my belief that really drove me. But it also made possible a lot of internships and opportunities for our students and for the university itself by having this relationship and partnership.”

The group spearheaded the creation of WestFest and has hosted mayoral candidate debates. He said it has been a fruitful relationship and exit polling has shown approval for the university to be in the high 80’s and low 90’s.

“That’s been our goal — to show the community that the university is really invested in it. It’s not just that school on a hill,” he said.

Haynes said trips to France, Geneva Switzerland and the United Nations with his students have been some of the highlights of his career.

“My most important memories are the students,” he said. “To think about their journey and the challenges that a lot of them faced at the beginning and then to see them blossom.”

According to Haynes, he enjoys getting calls from former students informing him of their progress in their own careers. He said he is a student focused professor who wants to develop their skills so they can be competitive in the real world.

“Sometimes in college it can get a little bit detached, because it is this safe refuge where you can just learn,” said Haynes. “For me, I try to infuse these real-world situations into the classroom.”

By Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

Bob and Barbara Newkirk lead a life steeped in the traditions of New England. The couple has run B&B Farms for 21 years – one of the last farms in West Haven.

Bob has lived and worked on the land for over 50 years; B&B Farms being the most recent incarnation of businesses on the land. He said he and his wife, whom he called his partner in life and in business, knew farming would be hard work and little pay when they started but that it has been a good life.

“We didn’t know the big box stores were going to kick us in the butt,” said Newkirk. “But we just kept on plugging along.”

Newkirk said they have done a lot of rebuilding on the property to fit their business’s needs. What was once a gift shop became their home after a Christmas Tree Shop opened in Orange. They also had to downsize their greenhouse after Home Depot, Lowes and Walmart came in and took profits from their flower sales.

“I didn’t want to give up on my property,” said Newkirk, joking that he probably should have if he had known the future.

B&B Farms is on Jones Hill Road. It is open from May to then end of October and then open after Thanksgiving to sell Christmas trees. The 15-acre farm has animals such as a horse, a rabbit and goats. They sell flowers, vegetables and an assortment of delicious homemade ice creams. Newkirk said tradition is important to him.

“We’re the last working farm in West Haven,” said Newkirk. “We have Simone’s [Golden Acres Farm] which is a greenhouse and then Latella’s [J Latella & Sons Piggery] which is a slaughterhouse. We wanted to keep some of the tradition going because West Haven at one point was a very big farming community.”

Bob said he also worked construction on the side to make ends meet. He said it was not uncommon for he and Barbara to work 20 hours a day. It can be a thankless job, according to Newkirk, but it is very rewarding. He called it a labor of love.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Newkirk. “I am originally from Seymour. My grandfather had a farm up there where we milked cows. We just try to keep some of the past going so the kids can see what it was.”

Newkirk said they hosted around 800 school children from the surrounding area in 2018 for hay rides and pumpkin picking. He said he can tell that young people have not been exposed to the farming lifestyle.

“A lot of people enjoy coming up here,” said Newkirk. “They find it relaxing. Sometimes I feel like I’m providing a service.”

Farmer Bob, as some call him, said they could not do it without the support of the West Haven people. He said he is also happy to see they are getting new customers from outside of town. He said there is a trend in the farming business which has seen more people supporting small local farms.

Newkirk said recently he has had a lot of “executives” and people in high paying jobs visit the farm to talk to him about how they would go about starting a farm. He said he lets them shadow him for a day.

“They want to get back to nature,” said Bob. “They are tired of the hustle and bustle.”

Thee farmer said he works hard but enjoys the lifestyle, adding that he never has trouble putting his “head on the pillow.” He said he is proud of what he has.

“My father always said, ‘You came into this work with a good name and that’s all you’ve got to take with you,’” said Newkirk. “I’ve always tried to live to that.”

By Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

As the city goes through a financial crisis, some people stand by and watch and others take action. Rosella Abate Crowley formed the group West Haven United to help keep the city clean and give people activities to attend.

Abate Crowley said she has ten children, twelve grandchildren, a great grandson and a great granddaughter due at the end of the month. She said between her family and her job she is kept quite busy.

“I’ve been a nurse for 38 years,“ said Abate Crowley. “I retired from the State Health Department shortly after my husband died because I wasn’t allowed to moonlight.”

Abate Crowley said she was not allowed to moonlight because for her job as a regulator for the health department she oversaw every hospital and nursing home in the State of Connecticut.

“I ended up leaving and working in the private sector,” said Abate Crowley, “which paid more than the state. So right now, I’m doing consulting for nursing homes.”

Her involvement with the city started with the Bathroom Crisis of 2018, when the city had to lock the bathrooms at the beach on the weekends. She said people posting on the Facebook page “West Haven – The Way It Is” were using the issue to say negative things about the city.

“It just went on and on and on over some stupid bathrooms,” said Abate Crowley. “I’ve lived here almost 62 years. I remember what it used to be like. Back when I was a kid this was not a clean place. The beaches were filthy. The remnants of Savin Rock were still open. But I remember garbage everywhere, trash all over the streets.”

Abate Crowley said she did not understand the tone people had about West Haven. She invited people to come down the beach with her. She said they found the area in good condition with trash bins empty and the grass mowed. She said she posted pictures to the page of what they found and within a few weeks she was kicked off the page.

The organizer said, little by little, the group began to grow. They raised money privately in order to have the city put cell-phone application activated locks on the bathrooms by the beach.

“We set another meeting,” said Abate Crowley. “People actually brought their chairs and we were sitting down around the bathhouse just talking about what we could do to help while the city is in trouble.”

Abate Crowley said one of the main issues they wanted to tackle was the lack of programming and events. They also wanted to help make the city cleaner.

“We started with a clean and green committee and an activities committee,” she said. “So, we worked with the city last year. They had a few dollars – not a lot. We did two movies and three bands. So, we helped with that.”

According to Abate Crowley, they “nickel and dime” their funding, selling drinks and snacks at events. She said West Haven United is having trouble getting businesses in town to donate.

So far, the group has gathered volunteers and worked with public works to clean up different areas of the city. They have also hosted Halloween on the Green and hosted movies on the green throughout the summer. The city also asked them to help with the Christmas tree lighting.

“That [the tree lighting] had kind of faded into nothing but, ‘One, two, three – flip the switch – hooray,”’ said Abate Crowley. “It used to be a big deal years ago. We came up with a different way of doing things. We had activities for the kids. We had tables where they could make things to take home. They wrote cards to the veterans at the VA. They wrote card for military members overseas. They wrote letters to Santa and Mrs. Klaus.”

Rosella said they also had food trucks, music and free photos. She said the event was well received and gave them “the fuel to keep going.” She said they have teamed up with the city to save costs. They are also in the process of trying to get their nonprofit status – something Abate Crowley hopes will help the group get more sponsors.

She said this year West Haven United is hosting Halloween on the Green again as well as a “much bigger” tree lighting.

Abate Crowley said they have about 20 consistent volunteers but are working on getting more people involved. She says she understands it’s not easy to dedicate time but the goal is worth it.

“This is where I was born and raised,” said Abate Crowley. “I want to see it improve.”

By Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

Superintendent of Schools Neil Cavallaro’s father used to call working in education “the family curse.” Cavallaro, it seems, could not break the curse – he has been in the field for 34 years.

“I come from a long line of teachers,” said Cavallaro. “It’s like anything else. When we are at family gatherings we talk about school.”

The West Haven native said he always like working with kids and that it comes natural to him. Cavallaro graduated from West Haven High School in 1981 and said the jobs he worked had a correlation to his future career.

“They all involved teaching and working with kids,” said Cavallaro. “So, they were fun kind of jobs.”

After graduating with a teaching degree from Southern Connecticut State University, Cavallaro said he got a job in Clinton teaching eighth grade science with the help of a colleague of his father’s. He said after a year in Clinton he came to West Haven to teach elementary school and then middle school.

“I wanted to be in the middle school, not only to concentrate on one subject,” said Cavallaro, “but it also allowed me earlier dismissals so I could go coach sports at the high school level.”

Cavallaro said he taught basketball and baseball at the high school while teaching at the middle school. He said he soon got his masters as well as a degree in administration as a way to progress within the education system.

“I could get the raise and never do anything with it [the administration degree] – as most people do,” said Cavallaro. “But, if I ever want to advance myself, at least I’ll have the certificate.”

The superintendent said he taught for nine years before he became vice principal of Carrigan School. He said due to a number of retirements the next year he was able to get hired as the principal of Thompson Elementary School at the age of 32.

“I was there for five years,” he said. “I then became the assistant superintendent for seven or eight years. This is my twelfth year as the superintendent.”

Cavallaro said he tells people that for the first 40 years of his life he went to school every day and after he became superintendent, he started going to work. He said his work is different from what most people would think of in the field of education.

“You’re dealing with contract negotiations and bidding processes,” said Cavallaro. “So, that was the biggest change – going from principal to assistant superintendent.”

According to Cavallaro, finances are the biggest challenge in his job – especially in West Haven. He said he thinks they have done a good job at keeping the quality of education high while finding ways to operate more efficiently.

“The hardest thing I’ve done is close a couple of schools,” said Cavallaro. “During my [time as superintendent] we closed two schools but we also reorganized the district. We went from eight elementary schools to six. We went from two middle schools to an intermediate school and a middle school.”

He said he doesn’t think West Haven’s situation is unique, and pointed to a number of other towns and cities which had to make similar decisions. He said while what they did was not popular at first, it seems to have worked out for the better.

Cavallaro said 90 percent of the Board of Education budget is fixed costs, leaving them with relatively little to start new initiatives or make improvements. Taking that into account, he said he thinks they have become much more efficient.

“In this job, a lot of what you do doesn’t have an impact immediately,” said Cavallaro. “But, when you look back, I can see how it’s made a difference. If you give it time, things work out pretty well.”

With the high school project well under way, Cavallaro said he is proud of the role he and others have played in developing it. He said it will be a great thing for the community.

“Even if you don’t have a child that is going to go to West Haven High School in some way, shape or form you’re going to be down there,” he said.

Cavallaro will have been working in education for 35 years next year. He said it’s a big number because it means he can start thinking about retirement. He said he still has to put his son through college but has to start thinking about what he will do next.

“I like this job,” said Cavallaro. It’s the only thing I’ve ever done. Before I jump the gun and retire and regret it, I’ve got to figure out what the next step is. At this point I’m not rushing.”

By Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

For more than 40 years, Robert Morton has been the steward of a city department which has impacted the lives of thousands of West Haven residents.

Morton, the director of Child and Family Services, said he got his start in 1977. He said at the time of the job posting he was looking to work in a school as a guidance counselor or as in public services for a city.

“I came for the interview,” said Morton, “was given the opportunity to work, and here I am.”

The Director said he got both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Southern Connecticut State University. He said his work has changed over the years.

“When I first came to West Haven, there was no Youth Services,” said Morton. “I was probably the first director. So, a lot of my time was spent going out and working with the school system. I actually did a lot of one-on-one counseling with the kids.”

Morton said as the program grew his responsibilities became more administrative rather than service based. The majority of his time now is dedicated to writing and overseeing grants and managing the departments various programs and budgets.

“I don’t want to toot my own horn but Youth Services today in West Haven is the evolution of the program that I put through from beginning to end,” he said.

Morton said managing grants and continuing the funding of Youth Services is the biggest challenge in his job. He said the program primarily relies on grants but the amount of money available to Youth Services fluctuates from year to year.

Morton said he continues to use undergraduates and graduates from his alma mater as interns and clinicians in his department.

“So that relationship has always been there and continues to be there today,” said Morton. “At one point, we used to have eight to ten students here from Southern.”

Back when he started, Youth Services used to be more of a “drop-in center” where kids could come and hang out in a safe place after school. Eventually, Morton developed a myriad of programs ranging from family counseling to special needs programs.

“I would say it’s more professional now than it was when it started,” said Morton. “Not that a drop-in center isn’t professional. Today we do a lot of counseling and therapy programs.”

Morton cited his tenure as evidence that he has enjoyed his work in West Haven, adding that he would have left if he did not. He said the city has always been very supportive of the department.

He said he is approached fairly frequently by people who used to be in one or more of his programs. The director said they tell him about the positive effects he and Youth Services have had on their lives.

According to Morton, it is rewarding to hear those stories especially when he does not know if he will ever encounter a person again after they leave one of his programs.

With the wide variety of programs Youth and Family Services offer, Morton said they service nearly a two thousand kids and families in any given year. Morton listed off more than two dozen programs and events the department hosts or co-hosts.

“We do everything,” said Morton. “We do a lot. There’s one full-time person: that’s me.”

Morton said he has been talking to his wife about retiring soon, but hopes that, when he does so, he can take part in the process of hiring a replacement.

“I would like them [the next director] to provide the best services that they think they can provide to the community,” he said. “If they can do that, that would be great.”

Morton said he will miss coming in and working with people every day. He said his job has been as fulfilling as he could have hoped for.

Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

Marcin Stankevitch has worked under two West Haven mayors and will now be making the journey to Hartford to work in the office of U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. He said he has learned a lot from his time as an aspiring political operative.

Stankevitch has lived in West Haven since he was three-years-old. He said he attended St. Lawrence School from kindergarten to eighth grade and then went to Notre Dame High School.

“I graduated and then went to the University of New Haven,” said Stankevitch. “[I study] political science. I’m a senior now.”

He said he was in the model United Nations at the university for four semesters; playing the role of a delegate three times and a head delegate once. Stankevitch was also a member of the Mayor’s Advisory Commission.

“We’d plan events like WestFest or we’d host townhall meetings,” said Stankevitch. “Sometimes we’d do a food shuttle for UNH students around West Haven.”

When Stankevitch first got to UNH he had yet to declare his major but, after an American Government class with Professor Chris Haynes was motivated to become a political science major.

“I find politics very interesting,” he said. “But it’s not that I just like politics. We also do a lot of community things.”

In the fall of 2017 Stankevitch started an internship in the O’Brien administration. He said he was there mostly as overseeing operations with WestFest. But, after Nancy Rossi became mayor, was invited to continue working in City Hall’s third floor.

“It was kind of surprising to me because I had worked for the past administration,” said Stankevitch. “I felt like I had to prove myself a little bit. So, the first thing I really did in that office was a Town Hall meeting in January of 2018.”

The student described work in the Rossi administration as interesting and fun but also challenging. He said working in West Haven gave him a good perspective regarding local government.

Taking his experience studying local and international government, Stankevitch said he wanted to split the difference and find opportunities in national politics. He said it was for that reason he applied to an internship in Senator Blumenthal’s Hartford office.

“They are going to start me off doing a lot of case work,” said Stankevitch. “But I’d like to a little bit of everything because in the mayor’s office I did a little bit of everything.”

Stankevitch said he enjoys that type of work because he likes to help people solve problems while using government in a “way that’s good.” He said he’s learned a lot from his time in politics so far.

“There’re a couple important things that I learned,” he said. “Like having a good network and being able to network is very important. Being willing to do menial tasks, even if you think you’re above them, is very important.”

The intern said he has developed a good work ethic and has grown as a person every step of the way. He said he envisions himself staying in Connecticut after he graduates in the spring.

By Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

Meg Kingston said walking into the new kitchen at West Haven High School on the first day of school this week was like walking downstairs to see the presents under the tree on Christmas morning for herself and her staff.

Kingston is the food service director for Sodexo in West Haven. Sodexo is the food services and management company which run the cafeterias in the city’s public schools. She said before she started working for Sodexo she worked as a clinical dietitian in hospitals and nursing homes.

“I ended up leaving the clinical end and coming here because I got laid off at St. Raphael’s,” said Kingston. “There was an ad in the paper for school lunch and I said, ‘Oh, that doesn’t sound bad.’ Not knowing that would end up having so much passion for it.”

Kingston said she has degrees in nutrition and business which fit well with the demands of the job. She said she started off in a small school district and worked her way to bigger ones; eventually getting the job in West Haven – her home town.

When Kingston got up at 4:30 Tuesday morning she said she was “pumped” for the first day of school. She said she gets an adrenaline rush from it. The director manages a staff of 60 people throughout the 10 schools they serve in the district.

Kingston said she has worked for Sodexo in municipalities varying in size and demographics. She said the kids are good no matter where she has been. She attributes her good relationship with students to the fact that she gives them the respect they are due.

“I want them happy,” said Kingston. “I want them to have a good experience. I just had my opening meeting the other day and I said, ‘If you’re coming into these buildings this week and you’ve got a bad attitude – turn around and walk out.”

According to Kingston, there can be a stereotype of grump old lunch ladies working in school cafeterias and she does not want to perpetuate it. She added that some students have had terrible mornings and if her staff adds to that it can lead to the child having a bad day.

“If that were your child, how would you feel?” said Kingston.

She said people tell her she “turned the program around” in West Haven. She acknowledges the program was “bad” when she entered the position 7 years ago.

“I remember opening the freezer and saying ‘I’m not serving any of this food,’” said Kingston. “I stood in the parking lot and called (Superintendent of Schools) Neil [Cavallaro] and said ‘There’s not one item I want to serve in there. Can we just get rid of it and start off with zero inventory?’”

Kingston said Cavallaro agreed and they started fresh. She said when she got into her position the food services in West Haven had a deficit of $300,000. The director said all it took to turn it around was serving good food the students would like.

“You serve good food,” said Kingston. “You watch your waste. You make sure that you’re not overordering and you visit the schools and make sure they’re doing what they need to do — those types of things.”

Kingston said waste can be a big issue in the food service industry. For her, it’s an issue of sustainability. She said she has implemented sets of protocol to account for how much food is being used and wasted.

She said she works with students to see what they want on the menu and, as long as it is within USDA guidelines, serves it to them. She said it also helps that her staff have a lot of passion for their work.

“I’m really blessed with my staff,” said Kingston. “They’re good people. Their hearts are in the right place. That makes my job so much easier.”

By Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

Jennifer Murillo described her sister, Gabby, as a bubbly person with a contagious smile and a heart of gold.

“I feel like any time my sisters or my family or friends needed something, Gabby would always be the person to volunteer to help,” said Murillo. “I own an online jewelry store. She would always help me pack when I’d get swamped with orders.”

Jennifer said her sister was about a month into her dream internship at Disneyworld in Orlando when she was involved in a car accident that left her paralyzed from the shoulders down. Her C3, C4 and C5 vertebrae were injured as well as other nerves being completely severed. Since the June 15 accident, Gabby has undergone multiple surgeries and was recently airlifted from Florida to Georgia.

According to Murillo, Gabby’s desire to work at Disney grew overtime and started with family trips to Disneyworld. She said it grew when Gabby participated in a cheerleading competition in Florida. By the time she was a freshman at Gateway Community College, Murillo said Gabby knew she wanted to do the internship program at Walt Disney World.

“Me, personally, I had no idea that even existed,” said Murillo. “But she was a fan. She said, ‘I want to do this. This is my goal.’”

Murillo said received the notice that she was chosen for the internship early this year. She said Gabby cried tears of joy when she got the news.

“We were all so happy for her,” said Murillo. “She’s 22 and she’s finally getting out of my parents house and starting her own adventure.”

Jennifer said Gabby moved down to Orlando in early May and began the internship later that month.

“She loved it,” said Jennifer. “She would text our whole family saying ‘I’m going to Magic Kingdom tonight to watch the fireworks.’ And that was just her Friday night thing – going to any of the parks at no cost. It was remarkable for her.”

Murillo said the weeks since Gabby was in the car accident have been a “big jumble.” She said her mom has been with Gabby since the car accident and has been hard not having her home.

“It’s upsetting for our whole family because we’re all separated,” said Murillo, adding that her sister Amanda discussed with her how she missed family events like Sunday dinner. “It’s been a lot of changes and I just keep telling myself and my mother that this is just temporary. This is just going to be a memory one day.”

Jennifer said Gabby is doing great and has made a lot of progress since the accident. She said she and Amanda went to Atlanta to visit Gabby over the weekend.

“They’re taking her off the trach four about four hours and then put her on for about three hours,” said Murillo. “So for those four hours that she is off the trach she actually has a voice and I can kind of see Gabby being normal again.”

Murillo said Gabby was cracking jokes the entire weekend. She said it was good to see that Gabby is slowly but surely getting her quality of life back.

Jennifer said the family has been told to expect medical bills upwards of a million dollars. She said insurance is not covering everything. She said they will be able to write some of the equipment off on their taxes but other things, such as 24-hour care, which might be necessary depending on Gabby’s progress, will cost a lot of money.

The Murillo family is hopeful, Jennifer said, that between therapy and the stem cell research studies they are trying to get Gabby into, she will make progress.

“To get Gabby back to even moving her fingers would be the ideal situation,” said Jennifer. “That one day, she would be able to hold her own cup of coffee, or do her own hair, do her own makeup. Then she’ll be more independent. We’re hopeful for that.”

Jennifer said the community has been incredible. She said she always knew West Haven was great but she would never expect the amount of support they have received. She said even just the messages of support mean a lot to them.

“I’m truly proud to be from this town,” said Murillo.

Jennifer said Gabby is a fighter. She said she has always known her sister is amazing but this experience has changed her perspective and shown her how strong an individual Gabby is.

“I don’t know any other person that would be as positive and strong-willed about this entire experience,” said Murillo. “I hate saying this because it’s such a cliché but she really is my hero.”