Alumni Return to Celebrate 50 Years of Guilford ABC
Delighted screams and long hugs punctuated alumni encounters at the Guilford ABC house on Saturday, October 19, 2024. More than 20 alumni of Guilford A Better Chance traveled from as far away as California and Maryland to celebrate with exuberant joy the 50th anniversary of the Guilford ABC program. Gathered around the kitchen island for an informal lunch, the long-ago graduates greeted former host family members with misty eyes. Several sat for interviews about their lives post-GABC.
Melissa Peters Chatman, GABC class of 2003. B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University; M.S. in Business from Fordham University, New York City.
“GABC was an incredible experience that taught me never to be uncomfortable in many places – I belong here, I felt always. It was a great education at Guilford High School, but there were many important intangibles, too. I met girls from different places, sharing different cultures. And GABC gave me a sense of independence, personal responsibility, being yourself.” Melissa is now in data analysis and program management at Walmart’s e-commerce division, “working to stay competitive with Amazon!” Married to husband Ryan, she is “Mommy” to Cameron, age five.
Valerie Price Cornelious, GABC class of 1977, B.S. Information Technology and M.S. in Technology Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
“I was in the first group of Guilford ABC scholars, arriving at the house in 1974, and so excited to be here! Coming from the projects in New York City to small-town suburban Guilford meant freedom to me. Freedom to be outdoors, safe, with a focus on education. I felt under a microscope at first, but I graduated with honors!” Valerie has been a professional in Information Technology for 33 years. She started working in the field “on the old, giant IBM computer” and experienced the transformation to personal computers. Married 33 years to her husband, also an I.T. professional, they have two children, “both college grads” she said. “I appreciate Guilford even more now, but in a different way. The town was always very welcoming, peaceful, filled with serenity.”
Kim Pompey Anglada, class of 1978, B.A. Psychology, Cornell University; M.S.W. Social Work, Columbia University; and M.B.A., Kellogg School of Management-Northwestern University.
Kim describes her experience at GABC as “a sisterhood among scholars. We came from all over, came together and learned self-confidence. We dealt with struggles, being a family, academic excellence. We attacked our studies with ferocity and developed a work ethic,” she said. Kim has a passion for non-profit management – “I wanted to make a social impact,” she explained. She discovered her superior sales and marketing skills while studying at Northwestern and utilized her talents and education with fundraising at United Way and is now with the International Rescue Committee.
Delphinia Brown, class of 1997, B.A. Sociology and African Studies, Georgetown University.
“It was like a slumber party that never ended,” Delphinia described her years at the GABC house with laughter. “There were seven of us, ethnically diverse – from West Africa, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the American South, and Jamaica. But the impact was we learned about giving back. There are a lot of caring adults here in Guilford. All these volunteers in the community were meeting our needs,” she said. A student of many languages, including Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language, Delphinia described a life of multi-disciplinary work with a focus on instructional design and management. “But most important was the experience I had at the Mercy Center, in a program called Common Ground. It helped me in becoming an adult, a thinking, very human person, a spiritual person with a purpose to serve.”
Nyazia Lindsey, now Ny’jal Lindsey, class of 2013; B.S. Culinary Management Johnson and Wales University, Providence, R.I.
“Guilford was a safe space for me. Nobody ever isolated me, everyone was welcoming. I had the freedom to be whoever I already was, a space to be a masculine girl and could be myself.” Ny’jal transitioned in 2018 though understood the need to do so back in 2012. “Eventually I was able to debunk any fears, and I feel it all started here.” Ny’jal has worked in all areas of the “back of the house” restaurant business and is now working at “the front of the house”—as Johnson and Wales provided in-depth study of the culinary industry. Ny’jal’s poem “Hypocrisy” was published by the Guilford Poetry Guild.
Chatice McCoy Yarborough, class of 1993; B.A. Political Science, University of Virginia, and Bridgette Bennett, class of 1996, B.A. English and Government, Georgetown University; and J.D., Barry University.
Chatice and Bridgette whooped with joy as they encountered each other in the kitchen of the Guilford ABC house on alums day. Falling into each other’s arms, the pair’s joyous reunion was witnessed by Art and Mary Hunt who were host parents to Chatice; Art also served on the GABC Board. Chatice reflected on “the risks we took as young girls in a majority culture. “My first few months were rough, “but a Guilford school psychologist helped her through to a happier time. That educator became her host family.
“You looked so beautiful. You were my hero! I remember your hairdo from the prom,” exclaimed Bridgette, standing nearby her long-ago GABC housemate. “GABC is why we have generous hearts. I was crying, wanting to thank GABC for all you did for us. The people at the high school rallied around, supportive during a hard freshman year,” she said, face aglow.
Chatice has been working with KTMG, a large business consulting firm in British Columbia, while Bridgette is the CEO and founding attorney at Bennett Law Firm in Groveland Florida. The firm focuses exclusively on Immigration & Business Law, with an emphasis on removal defense, waivers, and family and humanitarian cases.
Cheryl Harvey McPherson, class of 1977, B.S. Architecture, Princeton University; M.B.A. University of California-Berkeley.
“I finally felt challenged!” Cheryl expelled a sign of satisfaction as she described her experience at Guilford High School as a GABC scholar. “I was at the top of my class in another public school, but I had to really work to become tops at GHS! I came to ABC as a sophomore. It stretched me, opened up what I wanted to do,” she said, the words flowing quickly at remembering so long ago.
“With ABC, I set goals and learned to compete, to do whatever you want to. Even though I had a passion for architecture, I ended up working with worldwide business partners for most of my career at I.B.M.” Cheryl retired after 25 years in marketing at the giant corporation and is now a consultant to businesses.
The alumni were at the Guilford ABC house with a principal mission to meet the current scholars so they could share long-ago experiences they cherished and help these young women thrive as well. The current GABC scholars circulated among the alumni and reflected thoughtfully on their wisdom. “We see how much the program has changed, but we all had and are having similar experiences,” Tamojah, a GHS junior, summed up. “These are our bonds and our future.” t
Guilford ABC 50th Anniversary Benefit Concert
Guilford A Better Chance (GABC) is planning a weekend of activities to celebrate 50 years of the program, its current scholars and alumnae. The centerpiece of the celebration will be a benefit concert. All the way from London, Mo Pleasure will return to his hometown to headline the concert, which will also feature students from the GHS Music Department, including GHS Voices directed by special guest Angela Clemmons, and emcees Stephanie Simoni and Roger Susanin from WFSB, on Saturday, October 19, 7:00pm, at the Guilford High School Performing Arts Center.
Mo Pleasure is a former member and musical director of the renowned Earth, Wind & Fire. He also served as musical director for Bette Midler, and has collaborated with artists such as Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, Michael Jackson and David Foster, to name just a few.
Angela Clemmons, in addition to leading the hugely popular Shoreline Soul choir for more than 20 years, has been a professional singer for over 40 years working with such greats as Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Elton John, Roberta Flack, among many others.
This special event celebrating five decades of GABC will be emceed by Stephanie Simoni and Roger Susanin of WFSB/Channel 3.
Guilford A Better Chance invites academically talented young women of color from under-represented communities to attend Guilford High School and to enjoy the many benefits of living in the Guilford community. The program's goal is to lessen the educational divide, one scholar at a time, and to prepare these scholars for a lifetime of achievement.
Cook Trombetta Serves Up Tasty Meals
Keeping the Guilford ABC scholars happily well-fed is the task of the cook, Mr. Taylor Trombetta. He does everything from planning menus, ordering food, shopping, and cleaning up. “I like to keep the menu familiar and palatable, but not boring or too extreme,” he explains his culinary philosophy. “Italian dishes come naturally to me, especially manicotti!”
Taylor cooks four dinners each week. For the other meals, Lynn Prendergast shared that the girls often get takeout. When they visit restaurants, favorites are Mecha and House of Naan. And when the young scholars cook at home, it’s usually a pasta dish or chicken. “They often consult with their mothers for a recipe,” Lynn added.
Taylor grew up cooking and gradually gained confidence to accept the key responsibility as cook for GABC. He learned much from his father, Jeff Trombetta, who teaches hospitality at Norwalk Community College. Taylor
is a 2011 graduate of Guilford High School and also is an agent for Raveis Realty.
Hundreds of New Items for Sale at Hole in the Wall Shop
Hole in the Wall MUST be the busiest consignment/thrift shop in the area!” says Patty Sullivan, manager. “We often have a line at the register and people just love shopping for their next treasure. It helps that we play some pretty great music throughout the day. We are grateful for all the lovely donations we receive and again ask that they be dropped off inside the shop during business hours only.” Shop hours are: Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday 12-4 p.m.
Want to earn a little pin money for your items? You can consign them at various times of the year. “The consignment schedule fills up so fast, despite taking in six consignment appointments every day. Fall consignment runs from August 1st through October 31st. We are currently booking fall consignment appointments into mid-September, so make that phone call now if you want to consign. 203-453-2088,” reminds Patty.
“The Hole in the Wall staff and volunteers literally process hundreds of new items for sale in a single day! For optimal bargain hunting and spectacular finds, one should stop in often during the week. Our savviest shoppers come in quite often to find the newest and best items,” she said.
Thank you Sponsors and Donors!
The Guilford Foundation has been an amazing partner with GABC for many years,” said past-co-president Georgia Cosgrove. “They have funded event sponsorships, including coming on board as a Lead Sponsor for our upcoming 50th Anniversary Celebration in October in partnership with Guilford Savings Bank. The Guilford Foundation has awarded GABC several grants for operating support and overseen donor advised funds that provide annual grants.”
Since 2018, participants on the Guilford Foundation have worked with former GABC board member and current Advisory Committee member, Connie Dickinson, on establishment and management of the GABC Education Fund at the Foundation.
Georgia Cosgrove explained, “This fund provides college scholarships for four years to GABC program graduates. The Guilford A Better Chance program is one of the only ABC programs in the country to guarantee scholarship awards to former scholars. We are very grateful to The Guilford Foundation for its ongoing support of Guilford ABC.”
Many thanks also to all of the generous donors who made donations to CFGNH’s Great Give in May.
Guilford ABC is grateful for its Community Sponsors, many of whom provide pro-bono or reduced rate services to help us with our mission as well as our house, grounds, and Hole in the Wall.
Corporate Sponsor
The Guilford Savings Bank
Community Sponsors
Big Y
Guilford Community Fund
Guilford Newcomers’ Club
The Estate Artists (Sondra Baseggio)
Estate of Milton S. Marcus Charitable Gift Fund
MJ Petretto Foundation
Stop & Shop
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
The Guilford Foundation
Community Supporters/
In-kind Donations
Bishop’s Market
College Matters, Madison
Kerry Schutz Photography
Madison Tutoring, LLC
Milano Secure Storage
Carl Johnson, The Wood Rack, Branford
End of Year Activities
Tamojah enjoys a walk with Laura Berkowitz Gilbert’s dog Louie; a few parting shots of graduating seniors Andrea and Jasmine including prom night and college sweatshirts; Kyra, Jazzy, Irene, and Tamojah take a pottery class with Brian Jones of Brian R Jones Studio.
Graduating Scholars Lauded at Celebration Dinner
More than 75 supporters of Guilford A Better Chance gathered at the Guilford Community Center on May 21 to hear adult speakers one after another remark on how the GABC young women inspire them.
“They tackle challenges and are involved in many activities beyond their intense studies,” said Lynn Prendergast, Resident Director who lives in an apartment at the GABC house and interacts with them many hours a week.
Kilee Simon, who graduated in 2023 and is attending Boston University, returned to describe her House “sisters” as “amazing, beautiful, and smart.” She advised them to “imagine life as an empty mystery box awaiting decisions to fill it up. Life is like clay, just waiting to be sculpted.”
Guilford High School principal Julia Chaffe praised the two graduating seniors as assets to the school community with their individual gifts.
Laura Berkowitz Gilbert, co-president, announced that Kyra Amani, rising junior, will be a student representative to the Guilford Board of Education. Kyra was instrumental in forming the People of Color affinity group of the high school, fostering social action.
Board co-president Judy Wright thanked Eileen Limoncelli who organized the whole celebration. Judy finishes her two-year position as co-president but will be remaining as an Academic Advisor to the scholars and a member of the Advisory Committee. Nancy Patton will move from Vice-President to Co-President. Melissa Dayton is leaving the Board of Trustees and will remain an Academic Advisor as well as a member of the Advisory Board. Charlene Blake is moving off the Board of Directors and will be part of the Selection Committee and the Advisory Board.
Financial support from the Guilford College Education Fund (administered by the Guilford Foundation) will continue to assist GABC college attendees during their college years as it has for the past four years.
Parents of the two 2024 graduates came forward to thank the Guilford community. Andrea’s father called the town “a great community.” Jasmine’s father said, “It’s not enough to say thank you. These young women went through many changes, with many opportunities in a welcoming school environment.” Andrea’s mother called out: “Pay it forward, girls!”
Enjoying a menu donated by Pasta Avest along with supporters’ donations of deviled eggs, sandwiches, and desserts was long-time resident John Beckmann, husband of the late Adrienne Beckmann who in 1971 was instrumental in the founding of Guilford ABC and the Hole in the Wall retail store that benefits GABC.
The many round tables were decorated with ikebana flower arrangements from Folklore Flower Company in Madison, donated by Kate McNellis, owner.
Time Flies
From Co-President Judy Wright
Time flies. We get to a certain age and notice that time passes much too quickly. I don’t know when this transition happens, but for me I think it was quite a while ago. I’m reminded of this because our two senior students, Andrea and Jasmine, are graduating in a few days but it seems like they just moved to Guilford, started our ABC program and began Guilford High School. We’ve been fortunate enough to watch these two remarkable young women experience high school life and support them during their journey. Andrea will attend Wellesley College and Jasmine will attend Drexel University. Like the Guilford ABC scholars who came before them, they will always have our support and love.
Other transitions include two long-time board members moving off the BOD and joining our advisory board. Charlene Blake volunteered for numerous positions including president during her many years with Guilford ABC and, fortunately for us, will continue as a member of our Selection Committee. Melissa Dayton, also a long-term volunteer on the BOD will join the advisory board while continuing her role as academic advisor to one of our scholars. A heartfelt thank you to Charlene and Melissa for your dedication and willingness to help the program in so many ways. I learned so much from you both.
The two students that graduated from Guilford High School during the pandemic are on their way to their next life experience. T-Juani graduated from Trinity College in May and will be working in NYC. Julia has one more semester at NYU and plans to apply to medical school. They both benefited from the College Education Fund, and we have Connie Dickinson to thank for developing this resource. Current college students that benefit from these grants include Lauren at Hampton University, Arianna at Tufts University, Janelle at Muhlenberg College, and Kilee at Boston University. Andrea and Jasmine will be using this money to help pay for their college expenses.
My 2-years as ABC Co-President is soon to be done. I have worked with two creative and smart women and learned a lot from them both. Georgia Cosgrove and I worked together during my first year and I appreciate learning from an experienced development person and strong leader. This year I’ve had the pleasure of working with Laura Berkowitz-Gilbert and I appreciate her hard work, integrity and vision for the program. I’m not going anywhere and will continue my involvement with the academic affairs committee and the selection committee.
Thank you to everyone involved with Guilford ABC — our donors, our current and former board members, our students and their families. We are very grateful to the program’s Resident Director, Lynn Prendergast and after-school tutor Sharon.
Although Guilford ABC is foremost an academic program, it’s also a place for us all, students and adults, to learn about life, meet new people and broaden our experiences.
Have a happy summer! t
Graduating Seniors Jasmine and Andrea Choose Drexel and Wellesley
After exploring more than a dozen colleges, the two graduating seniors will be heading off to colleges in Philadelphia and the Boston area. Jasmine Laryea (above left) will be entering Drexel University in Philadelphia this fall as a health sciences major. Her choice was influenced by the university’s program that combines the academic program with cooperative “real-world” experience in hospital settings. Described by Lynn Prendergast, Resident Director for GABC, Jasmine is “kind, yet not a pushover, finding humor in difficult circumstances.”
Guilford High School principal, Julia Chaffe, lauded Jasmine as “a most patient teacher who doesn’t talk down and is always encouraging to others. She has keen insight. She often comes up with a single sentence to cut to the chase with a clarity that is rare and appreciated.”
Jasmine’s extra-curricular life at Guilford High School included theater, dance team, basketball, debate team, and track. At the annual Celebration dinner in May, she spoke of experiencing “real Guilford pride, and thanked her family “for their love and support and trusting me to live far away from home.” Her voice full of emotion and warmth, Jasmine expressed her gratitude to her host family, the academic advisors, and her five GABC house sisters, saying “I admire each and every one of you!”
Andrea Kaluma (above right) has chosen Wellesley College and has not yet declared a major. At the annual Celebration dinner, Andrea stressed the importance of the A Better Chance mission, “drawing together all cultures with smart, talented, curious students to develop leaders.” She thanked her parents and host family and Lynn Prendergast, Resident Director, saying “your job is not easy!”
Andrea’s love of singing included performing with the Guilford High School “Voices” ensemble which led to a solo performance at a spring benefit. Her passion for reading often has her disappearing into a book and loving academic life.
Principal Julia Chaffe smiled broadly as she related how Andrea was “always genuinely happy to see me – and that is rare from high school students! She has a beautiful way of making people comfortable, at ease.”
Ms. Chaffe gave the two graduating scholars the book, “We Should All Be Feminists” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
More than 75 supporters of Guilford ABC attended the Celebration dinner honoring Andra and Jasmine on May 21. As the program was ending, the four parents of the two graduating seniors made their way to the front of the Whitfield Room at the Guilford Community Center to thank the volunteers with Guilford ABC.
“We trusted you with our children, and you took good care of them beautifully.”