Originally in television and entertainment production, Sachem grad’s life changed when she adopted
Chemene Vizzi graduated from Sachem in 1989 and credits her days in the school district as the best memories of her life.
“These were years of happiness and fun and great education,” she said. “From science to workshop to track, I found that it gave me an amazing opportunity to thrive!”
An active student, Vizzi was involved in cross country, track, French club, and the radio station. She fondly remembers a handful of teachers who made a direct and lasting impact too, from Mr. Cangero (math), Mr. Guarascio (math), to Mrs. Spivak (French), Mr. Sentman (English), and Mrs. Caliguiri.
After graduating Sachem, Vizzi decided that the entertainment business was her future. For the next few years she tried out many different options, but ultimately ended up studying television production with a minor in theatre at Hofstra University.
She moved out to Los Angeles in 1998 and for the next nine years worked in the entertainment business. During that time, she worked on many independent productions, working with high profile talents such as Kevin Smith, Stan Lee, Mark Hamill, William Shatner, Sid Caesar, Jonathan Winters, and many more.
In 2003, Chemene married her college sweetheart, Rick Vizzi, and within a couple of years they realized that their path to creating a family would not happen the traditional way. They made the decision to move back to New York to have family support while going through their journey. They moved away from the path of infertility treatments a few months after arriving in New York and adoption became their goal.
Vizzi joined a local support group and found it to be the help she needed to achieve her goal of a forever family. When asked to take over the group as leader in March of 2008, she didn’t hesitate to jump at the chance.
After waiting two years, Vizzi and Rick were matched in November 2009 through an agency and then ultimately brought their son home in January 2010. A few years later Vizzi was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder that she later learned caused her infertility and in April 2014 welcomed their second son to the world.
Fast forward to present day and Vizzi has been the leader of Long Island Adoptive Families for 10 years and has grown the group from about 15 to 280 families. She has created a support team of families that educate from their own experiences. While helping families from the beginning stages of considering adoption and foster care through to bringing home their child and beyond, she has learned how to support and educate pre-adoptive families from all backgrounds and on all paths to adoption.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro