CAMARILLO — Nicknamed “Gabby” when she and her friends hung out on the streets of Santa Barbara, CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) 2023 Distinguished Alumni “Gabby” Vignone believes her formal name, “Gabrielle,” now suits her better.
“I think I’ve gotten to that ‘change’ point in life,” said Vignone, who graduated in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in English. “I think we don’t know who we are for a while as we go through different changes and experiences that bring us to where we are now.”
Vignone will share the story of her evolution with the 350 guests expected to attend CSUCI’s 21st Annual President’s Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 28.
For Vignone, those experiences have included giving birth at 15, having her best friend killed by a train, falling in love with a man, raising four children with him, and having him die in prison.