Photographs: (above, Present Day Portrait) by John Moore; (High School Portrait) by Carol Phillips for the Ursuline School
When Scott Thomas called me six months ago to pitch a story about Stamford sports legacy families, I said yes quicker than when my husband proposed marriage to me.
As he outlined his idea, Thomas dropped surnames that are so well-known throughout this city even a relative newcomer like me (nine years) recognized them. Four of the most influential adults in my son’s young life are members of the families highlighted in the feature. Kate Fox and Kelly (Fox) O’Meara guided Anderson’s transition from pre-school to primary school as kindergarten and first grade teachers with such care and warmth that he truly felt part of their den. And in third grade he had such a banner year in the classrooms of Jeff Salvatore and Brittany (née Salvatore) Smegal (both grandchildren of Stamford’s favorite son Andy Robustelli) that he declared “nothing will ever be as good as this.”
I know firsthand just how special these Stamford families can make you feel. Plus, our own family is entrenched in local youth sports. We see how nothing can unite a community quite like it (especially, of course, when we’re winning). So, it is no surprise, I was an immediate yes. The resulting report “Generational Talent” is everything I hoped it would be—and everything I hope this magazine will be—a joyful celebration of pride in our people.
Hanging in our kitchen is a favorite saying Anderson learned from Jeff Salvatore: A leader knows the way, goes the way, shows the way. It could be the subhead of this year’s “Teens to Watch” roundup. In it, Beth Cooney Fitzpatrick introduces us to remarkable young people who have also earned our pride. Their current and future accomplishments—including publishing scientific research and earning entrance to the U.S. Naval Academy—will no doubt add to the rich heritage and story of our city.
Inspired by this year’s class, I dug up my old high school yearbook portrait. It’s probably my favorite picture ever taken of me because I immediately connect with the feeling that anything is possible. That potential is something we feel 10 times over in the stories of the spotlighted Stamford students.
I think about what their lives will be like, what their accomplishments will be and how we olds can help get them—and all young Stamford students—there. Together, our future is bright.