Mabel & Gaby

In picture l to r: Mabel and Gaby

The foundation of Fiver’s program is the year-round social-emotional one-on-one support that staff provide to our youth and families. Our staff’s dedication and unwavering support are continuous examples of the transformative power of community-building. This is the case with Mabel Munoz ‘15, Fiver’s Senior HR & Operations Manager, whose commitment and tireless efforts have made a lasting impact on the life of Fiver participant Gaby ‘27.

While in the seventh grade, Gaby was recommended for the Prep9 program by her middle school. The Prep9 program prepares eighth graders with strong academic performance to enter boarding school in the Northeast in the ninth grade. Once recommended for the program, Gaby’s mother, Magnolia, reached out to Fiver for guidance on Gaby’s involvement. Mabel supported Magnolia and Gaby with researching the program and coordinating conversations with other parents in the program about their experiences. Over time, both Magnolia and Gaby became more comfortable with the idea of going to boarding school for high school and decided to give the program a shot.

Mabel’s support extended beyond counsel. She accompanied Gaby on many of the boarding school visits. After each visit, Gaby created a pros and cons list, and Mabel and Magnolia would talk about the visits as well. As they moved through the process, Mabel explained, “One of the biggest and most stressful components was the financial aid application.” Mabel supported Magnolia through the completion of the financial aid application and liaised between Prep9 staff and Magnolia to ensure that Gaby’s financial aid application was completed accurately. Once the forms were submitted, Gaby, Magnolia, and Mabel met with Prep9’s Program Director, Mr. Moses, to discuss Gaby’s school preferences and prepare her for the interview process.

Gaby and her mother, Magnolia

While Gaby completed her eighth grade course work, she also attended Prep9 meetings every Saturday and interviewed for schools. Understanding that this was a rigorous process for a middle school student, Mabel continued to check in with Gaby to see how she was doing emotionally, mentally, and physically. Her hard work ultimately paid off, and she was offered a full tuition scholarship to attend The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. On September 2nd, Gaby, Magnolia, and Mabel drove up to Connecticut to help prepare her for orientation week and her first day of school. When asked how she continues to support Gaby now that she is at boarding school, she said, “I continue to be a sounding board and support Gaby and her mom in whatever form of advice and guidance I can provide as Gaby embarks on this new academic journey.”

We are so proud of Gaby and can’t wait to see what great things she accomplishes, and thank Magnolia for trusting Fiver as a partner to her in this process!