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So in August 2014, she started driving for Uber, figuring she would meet plenty of young people in a town that boasts both Sacred Heart and Fairfield universities.
Her plan certainly worked: Pagano is now the go-to driver — and cook, seamstress and nonjudgmental sounding board — for at least 150 college students, who have fondly dubbed her “Mama P” and ask for her by name.
“Staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning has never been so much fun for me,” she said recently. “I call them my kids!”
Pagano, who has a day job during the week, likes picking up Uber hours whenever she chooses on the weekend. But she gives her regular college customers her phone number and they often text to make sure she’ll be in the area when they request a ride.
“A lot of them are girls and they’re out late and, you know, the way they’re dressed … they don’t want to get a man (driver),” she said. “They want someone they can trust.”
Pagano goes above and beyond the call. She has made meals for students, sewed damaged clothing and taken them to doctors visits and the Port Jefferson ferry. She once let a Fairfield University student from Peru stay at her home for four nights while she recovered from strep throat, a decision that elicited a grateful thank you visit from the young woman’s parents.
“Isn’t she great?’ Matt Wing, Uber’s Northeast communications lead, said at a recent media briefing at which Pagano spoke about her dedication to safety.
Pagano said she thinks many of her young riders appreciate the opportunity to talk to an adult who isn’t their parent. She refuses to gossip about their thoughts and dilemmas and has pulled over more than once to make sure she can fully engage in a conversation.
“I’ve gone out in my pajamas with soaking wet hair to pick them up before,” she said. “They know I care about them and want them to be safe. And I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”
Pagano’s daughter, Jackie, said she’s glad her “supermom” has found an outlet.
“It keeps her entertained,” she said with a laugh. “As weird as it is to have her send me selfies of her with people I’ve never seen before.”
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