Brittany Kooienga Interviewed A Mother Who Helped The Brown University Community

For Rhode Island Moms,  Brittany Kooienga interviewed the mom who “sat outside the dining hall of Brown University the day after the massacre to offer ‘Free Mom Hugs’ to any kid who needed one.” 

Kooienga told Study Hall about the profile: “When I saw a photo of Andrea Capotosto, a Brown University staff member and Rhode Island mother who stood outside a dining hall offering “Free Mom Hugs” to shaken students, I didn’t see a viral moment. I saw a human response to collective trauma. I spoke with Andrea the following morning to understand what it looks like when someone meets fear with presence. This is not a story of heroism, but of how small, ordinary acts of care can carry lasting weight.”