The Village, Waterside School Look To 'Dream Big'

STAMFORD, CT — From now on, those who visit The Village in Stamford's South End will be reminded to "Dream Big."

Fusing modern office space and unique private event venues with different food and beverage offerings, The Village is a new, 133,000 square foot indoor/outdoor waterfront campus designed to serve the needs of entrepreneurs and creators.

The Village recently announced a partnership with Waterside School, a co-educational Pre-K-fifth grade independent school located a half mile away, to directly benefit students through various programs and opportunities.

On Thursday, the community gathered at The Village to unveil a 48-foot mural of Waterside alumna and Stamford resident, Paula Zanol, to cement and celebrate the partnership. A straight-A student, Zanol just completed sixth grade at Greenwich Academy.

The mural, painted by artist Patrick Ganino, depicts Zanol with her arms outstretched above her head, surrounded by images of music, art, literature, science and sports. Zanol is holding a sign that reads "Dream Big" which encapsulates what Waterside School and The Village are both about.

"Waterside has been the source of my confidence and strength. Now at Greenwich Academy, and no matter where I go next, I will always remember those words and wear the Waterside 'W' with pride. Waterside is a place that makes every child feel important. As students, we have so much to give to the world, and Waterside not only helps us find those moments, but more importantly believes in our power," Zanol told those in attendance during a small reception indoors before the mural was revealed outside.

"I'm honored to be the inspiration for this mural. I hope all the children in this community will be able to look at this artwork and remember to dream big." Zanol thanked her mother, Monica Jimenez, for making sacrifices to give her every opportunity to succeed at Waterside.

Zanol was awarded with the school's "Kruger Cup" during graduation in 2020, which recognizes a graduate who embodies the school’s commitment to academic achievement and character development.

For former Waterside School Executive Director Duncan Edwards, Zanol was the perfect choice for the mural. He described Zanol as a "fierce little angel" who is accomplished yet humble.

"This is spectacular," Edwards said. "The greatest reward for us is when Paula comes back in 15 years as an accomplished woman and she looks at this and remembers who and why and how it all happened, and is determined then to do the same for others of similar circumstances."

Edwards, who recently retired from his position at Waterside, also praised The Village founder Brent Montgomery and his wife, Courtney, for their commitment to Waterside School.

"When it comes to the work of Waterside, people are divided into four separate quadrants. There's a set of people who frankly don't care at all. There's a set of people who pretend to care and don't do very much, and there's a set of people who can't help but care. The last set is a special few: those that care with a completely full and generous heart," Edwards said. "Those that can't look to our children and not see their own. Those who are desperate to leave our world a better place than they found it. Those like Brent and Courtney Montgomery."

The collaboration with Waterside School encompasses a number of opportunities to help make a difference in the lives of students, including:

The Outdoor Classroom

Students of Waterside School will partake in outdoor educational immersions taking place in its rooftop garden. Chief Food Curator Mike Geller will lead sessions on agriculture, sustainability, gardening and growing your own food. Students will participate in interactive, hands-on experiences throughout the year.

Scholarship Support

This initiative encourages tenants of and believers in The Village to directly support the school financially to help open doors of opportunity and, in time, to provide paths to prosperity for those young and deserving.

Lunch & Learn

The Village will host a series of Lunch & Learn programs to immerse students in a variety of disciplines across art, culture, business, music, tech, health and more through interactive Q&As and speaker sessions.

Artwork Displays

With empowerment in mind, a rotating selection of artwork by Waterside School students will be on display throughout The Village.

The Internship

The Village houses a number of companies across many sectors that will offer internship opportunities for alumni to help explore potential career paths, make industry connections, and acquire the skills and knowledge needed to succeed.

Brent Montgomery highlighted the importance of education. He was introduced to Edwards and Waterside School about two years ago, and was immediately impressed with the students and the school's mission, which aims to "serve children and families regardless of limitations in income or circumstance." The school first opened its doors in September of 2001.

"I'm the son, uncle, brother, brother-in-law of educators. It's something that's near and dear to my heart," Montgomery said. "We knew we wanted to get involved. The one thing I don't think [the school] had really tackled yet was telling their story to a broader audience. I just started telling their story to whoever would listen, and with every tour of The Village we'd give, I'd tell the story of Waterside. The excitement was coming back equal or better than I was giving out. That's when we thought it would be fun to do something more permanent that would encapsulate the idea."

The mural is about five stories high, and took artist Patrick Ganino 15 days to complete. The design process took about a year. "I typically paint very realistic murals. This is more stylized graffiti-like," Ganino said.

After the small reception inside, guests made their way outside to the north side of the building, where a giant blue tarp covered the mural. On the count of three, the tarp was dropped, and Zanol and her mother, Monica Jimenez, looked up. Tears began to come down their faces.

"This is awesome. I have no words to describe how amazing it feels," Zanol said.

Her mother was equally speechless. Jimenez came to the United States from Ecuador, and raised Zanol by herself, with the help of "a small but powerful network of people."

"I couldn't be more grateful," Jimenez said. "I'm so proud of her."