West Haven woman’s support Chihuahua will walk in hat and dress at start of SCSU
NEW HAVEN — A 10-pound Chihuahua will walk early with Southern Connecticut State University’s class of 2022, wearing a black cap and gown as she accompanies her human “mom” who relies on the dog to quell attacks from panic.
It’s believed to be a first at an early SCSU, a university spokesperson said, but that’s about as the dog, Monroe, attended classes five days a week with Nicole Coffey, 31. years, of West Haven.
“I’m very proud to have Monroe by my side,” Coffey said. “She is my best friend. Without her, I wouldn’t be as resilient as I have been.
Coffey suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to multiple life events and has leaned on the dog to get her through panic attacks when something in the environment triggers her PTSD.
A survivor of domestic violence, Coffey has a brain injury with short-term memory loss from an elevator accident in 2017 and is battling early-stage colon cancer.
Coffey not only graduated in sociology, but did so with a 4.0 GPA, making the dean’s list and receiving a new award, “Top Scholar of Sociology.”
“I’m actually quite shocked to be about to get a (bachelor’s) degree – I didn’t think I would pass,” she said. She earned an associate’s degree from Gateway Community College in 2015, but took five years off.
With Monroe by his side, Coffey rises to the challenge.
Monroe, named after the late movie star Marilyn Monroe, is so intuitive and skilled that when she feels or sees the signs of a panic attack from Coffey, she jumps into Coffey’s lap and squeezes her chest for more comfort.
“I feel like such a proud mother dog,” Coffey said. “Everyone loves him. He’s such a calming dog even though he’s a Chihuahua.
Monroe, 2, was originally classified as an ’emotional support dog’ but was later turned into a service dog so she could go anywhere with Coffey.
They recently practiced for the May 20 start and the only issue Coffey had with Monroe was keeping the dog cap. Monroe wore a black tutu, as her dress is on order.
Monroe has supported other students along the way, including during the Coffey campus internship at the Center for Violence Prevention, Victim Advocacy and Support, Coffey said.
“Her personality is so soothing, comforting and empathetic,” Coffey said of Monroe. “She’s so good at what she does. Having him in my life changed everything.
Associate Professor of Sociology Gregory Adams said Coffey is an incredible student who “thrives on intellectual curiosity”.
“What I see in Nicole is someone who wants her empathy to be of service to others,” Adams said. Coffey will go for a master’s degree in social work, hoping, she says, to be an advocate for women who are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
In addition to his PTSD, Coffey said his brain injury caused him problems, including affecting his short-term memory. She credits SCSU’s disability services with helping her succeed.
“I am very resilient. I faced a lot of things that were done to break me, but they didn’t,” she said. “Just keep pushing. That positive mindset, being willing to fail and start over.