Related Issue
Spring 2026
First Person
Free Mom Hugs
Five minutes with Andrea Capotosto at the School of Public Health
April 7th, 2026
Capotosto stationed outside the Ratty on December 14Photo: Benjy Renton
I was at home decorating my Christmas tree when I received the alert. I initially thought the gunfire was in the surrounding vicinity and the campus was locked down in an abundance of caution. The hours that followed were a frenzy of texting with coworkers, scouring the internet for details, and watching news footage, all covered in a pall of shock and fear for our students.
Every parent’s worst nightmare was unfolding in our community, on our campus, to our students. I felt scared, angry, and helpless.
The next morning, I received the notification that the refectory was open. I knew two things: the students would venture out for food, and they needed a mom. I ventured up College Hill in the snow with a basket of candy, a teddy bear, and a handwritten sign. Until their loved ones could reach them, I would be there and give what I could:
“Free Mom Hugs.”
For a brief moment sitting down on the outside picnic table, I feared it would be a short-lived effort.
Then, the first few students exiting the dining hall inched over. Some waved, some thanked me for being there. Some began crying the moment they saw me.
I felt their pain in each hug, trauma no young adult should ever experience. I hope I was able to take that pain from them for at least a moment.
My heart remains broken for the families of the two students who were killed, MukhammadAziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook. I pray for their healing, and for the healing of our entire Brown family. It is a profound shame that 13 years after Sandy Hook, our children are still dying this way.
While I am overwhelmed by the attention this simple gesture has received, I am grateful that my gesture serves as a reminder that goodness persists—and that small kindnesses still matter.
