By Rob Adams
Sentinel Reporter
Nick Mosher is a busy guy. He’s getting ready to start his senior year at the Brunswick School.
You can find him on the baseball field in the spring. In the fall, he’ll line up on the defensive side of the ball for the Bruins.
During the summer he had an internship at Jones Trading.
Of course, there are the perils of senior year. Decisions about college, homework, and the life of being a student.
Then there’s the Children’s Learning Center of Fairfield County. While Mosher is a passionate young man who is eager to talk about any of the above, he seems to take a deep interest in the CLC.
Specifically, Mosher is the founder of the CLC Youth Board, which he feels is a chance to give back and help students have a fighting chance at education and life.
“We serve 155 families annually,” he said. “It’s really supporting our community. We serve two meals and a snack every day, and these are nutritious meals. They’re things that they’re not necessarily able to get at home.”
CLC provides early childhood education programs for children beginning at six weeks of age and stretches to the age of five. Their website states that “All children, regardless of background or financial need, experience an age-appropriate comprehensive curriculum delivered by highly trained teachers including on-site health care, nutrition and exercise programs.”
Yet there has to be a price to pay for such early childhood education. CLC receives funding from state and federal agencies, including the Connecticut State Department of Education Child Development Program, the Connecticut State Department of Education School Readiness Program, and the Federal Head Start and Early Head Start Programs.
Mosher said he grew up playing ball with CLC Chief Executive Officer Marc Jaffe, and that friendship laid the foundation for him to eventually be a part of the organization, which runs nine locations, including a Head Start Delegate Agency on Arch Street in Greenwich.
“I have a great relationship with Mr. Jaffe, and my dad (Chuck) is on the board as well,” he said.
Mosher works at the Palmer’s Hill Road location in Stamford, although to hear him talk, it doesn’t seem like work.
“The kids get excited to see a man,” he said. “My favorite thing is working with and playing with the kids.”
He cited a story about a young boy from Poland who spoke little, if any, English.
“That was in December,” he added.
“I was there back in June, and this little kid came up to me and started talking to me, and it was him,” he continued. “A teacher told me he’s really blossomed. He loves being here now.”
He also smiled at the thought of the children visiting the nearby Edge Hill senior living community. Mosher said the children entertain the residents, including his own grandparents.
“They’ll sing and dance for the seniors there,” he said. “It’s a great relationship they have.”
CLC will be holding a fundraiser in September, called Change for Change.
“CLC is partnering with Brunswick, Greenwich Academy, and Chase Bank,” he said. “I got the idea that people have loose change hanging around, and we’re going to make a competition among the grades for who can collect the most change.”
He said the fundraiser will last two weeks through September.
Nick Mosher doesn’t want to be a one-man band, nor does he want this to be solely a Brunswick program. He said he has reached out to other schools about getting involved in the Youth Board.
After all, Mosher is a senior, and while he can come back whenever time allows when he’s in college, someone still has to keep the Youth Board alive.
“I’m grooming younger students to take over after I leave,” he said. “It’s something I want to pursue in college. I want to still help out when I return from college.
“It’s something I still want to come back 20-30 years and have it still going on.”
So where will he find the time for everything? Spotted at football practice, where he is one of the tri-captains for head coach Jarrett Shine.
“Nick Mosher is going to be great,” Shine said, talking about him on the football field. “He is a physical character on the team. He’s fearless, and that’s what I love about him.”
Mosher said it’s all going to work out.
“I think it’s going to be just fine,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of help with my other captains, (Sean) Amill and (Nicky) Henkel, and on the other side at CLC, I’ve got my youth board there, so I have a lot of support there as well.”
