School Zone: Senior program helps students, community

By Mary Carey
Staff Writer

Published on April 18, 2008

Amherst Regional High School senior Gabriella Booth is the student representative to the Amherst Regional School Committee. But, first and foremost, she's a horse person who has loved horses since before she could talk.

Thanks to the Senior Options Program at the high school, she can help with a therapeutic horse program and get credit for it this year.

Dozens of seniors participated in Senior Options this year, performing community service projects, participating in internships and tutoring their fellow students. Projects including everything from an apprenticeship with a glass blower to helping with the youth football league.

Emily Morin was a teacher's assistant in a class for English learners taught by Susan Abdow, tutoring Spanish-speaking students from El Salvador. It was an eye-opening experience for her.

"I came to be good friends with almost every member of the class," said Morin, who became a mentor, of sorts, for two of the girls.

"Their stories about immigration and their lives back home were shocking and mind-opening for a girl who has endured very little discrimination or hardship," Morin said. "I listened and comforted to the best of my abilities."

Now that the class is over, she keeps in touch with them by "conversing in the halls during school."

Booth, for her part, helped raise money for the Pioneer Valley Therapeutic Riding Association in Belchertown, which uses riding activities to assist people with physical or mental disabilities by improving their muscle tone, motor development, coordination, balance and well-being.

"For someone with a physical disability or autism, the movement of a horse walking is the same movement we get when we walk. They get a real sensory input from the movement of the horse," said Patricia Barry, executive director of the riding program. "And there's just something about a horse; people love grooming them. They're a beautiful animal."

Barry said the program depends heavily on volunteers, like Booth.

"Gabriella is dynamite," Barry said. "Because we weren't doing lessons in the winter, she jumped in and did office work, she helped with fundraising. She was everywhere."

Booth was a natural for the job, having been fascinated by horses, essentially from day 1. "We had horses that were sort of living opposite from us and they sort of always intrigued me. I had ongoing fights with my parents because they wanted me to wait until I was at least three to ride one," she said.

That was in England, where Booth was born and spent her first five years. The family moved to this area, when her father got a job in Amherst, and never left.

"In England, they won't let you get on a horse before you're five, because they're worried you're going to get bow-legged," Rosalba Booth, Gabriella's mother, said. "I can't imagine a half hour a week would make you bowlegged."

She convinced a woman who ran the local riding stable to let Gabriella ride before she was five.

"She was already having regular riding lessons, when we came here. Immediately one of the priorities was to find a place she could continue taking lessons, Rosalba Booth said.

Roger Booth, Gabriella's father, plays polo at Stone Pony in Leverett as does Gabriella.

Once she graduates, Booth likely will attend the University of Maryland, where she plans to pursue studies that will lead to her becoming a horse massage therapist. As there isn't a degree to become a certified horse massage therapist, she plans to study animal science for four years, then become certified as a physical therapist for people and combine the two.

As for Senior Options, "it was a great way to have an active part in the community," Booth said.

"I've been wanting to help out with more than just the riding for ages and I haven't had the time. It enabled me to do that, which is fantastic."

Mary Carey can be reached at mary.carey@att.net.