Shepherds, Author at Shepherds Mentors

Shepherds Celebrates Eight Graduates in Notre Dame’s Class of 2017

Shepherds | May 31, 2017

Eight young men graduated from Notre Dame High School on May 28th, 2017. All are planning on pursuing higher education after graduation.

Ja’Sean Johnson-Henry participated in track, Minority Student Union and Team ND during high school. He received 1st Honors and worked at an extended student internship at New Haven City Hall. He was accepted to many colleges and will attend this fall. He was mentored by Cheryl & Mark Milano.
Misael Lisboa participated in track and the Environmental Awareness Club. Mentored by Jonathan Kearney, Misael was accepted to several universities and wants to pursue a career in music production.
Brent Raymond participated in track and Minority Student Union while maintaining First and Second Honors during high school and working part-time. He will study economics and real estate at SCSU or UConn this fall. Brent was mentored by Joe Valentino.
Jalanni White helped lead the basketball team, earning numerous sports accolades. He received scholarships to Canisius, Quinnipiac, University of Maine, UNH and St. Peters and is debating which basketball program and college is the best fit. Jalanni was mentored by Mike DeChello.
Cameron Barnes participated in football and track and field and received a service award. He received Presidential and Dean Scholarships from UNH and will be working toward a degree in chemical engineering. He was mentored by Rich Coyle.
Angel Chavez is a respected leader at NDHS, captaining both the cross country and track teams as well as leading numerous clubs. He received Scholar Athlete, National Honors Society and Spanish Honors Society awards and completed a number of service projects. He will be attending College of the Holy Cross and working toward a medical degree. He was also mentored by Rich Coyle.
Jerrell Dorsey served as the president of the student council as was involved in band and a number of other clubs. He was captain of the basketball team and received a number of academic and music awards and scholarships. Jerrell will be attending Babson College in the fall. Jerrell was mentored by Mike Donahue.
Antonio Ferro participated in a number of sports and clubs. He is currently an EMT student at Yale and plans to go Paramedic school and eventually on to the Fire Academy. He has been accepted at UNH and Mount St. Vincent where he received a president’s scholarship. He was mentored by George McWeeney.

New Canaan Community Foundation Connects Shepherds Students to New Opportunities

Shepherds | May 16, 2017

Members of the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF) including Board Members Leo Karl III, Sheila Pettee, and NCCF President & CEO, Lauren Patterson joined Shepherds Executive Director, Dan McAuliffe and student liaison, Lisa Matson at Kolbe Cathedral High School in Bridgeport on April 21st to see students demonstrate their prowess with HP Google Chromebooks. Bridgeport-based Shepherds, which provides educational opportunities to underserved students in Connecticut, received a $5,000 grant from the foundation to provide 25 students with the Chromebooks a few months ago. Students now have reliable access to the Internet at home and school for assignments, communication with teachers, research projects and access to online textbooks. A staple of high-performing school districts in Connecticut, the investment in these Chromebooks “represents a small investment with enormous benefits,” according to Mr. McAuliffe. He continues, “It allows our students to close the achievement gap between the low-performing districts we serve and the wealthy suburbs that surround them.” Ms. Patterson added, “New Canaan Community Foundation is proud to help our community of donors give to causes they care about. With this investment in Shepherds, we were so pleased to help all our kids have access to great learning resources.”

Shepherds is looking for new mentors, donors and sponsors for incoming high school students in the greater New Haven & Bridgeport area. To learn how you can help change a student’s life, please visit www.shepherdsmentors.org today or call us at (203) 367- 4273. For more information about the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF), visit http://www.newcanaancf.org/.

Angel Chavez ‘17 and Cody Markey ‘17 Honored at Westies Care Dinner

Shepherds | April 27, 2017

West Haven — Two Notre Dame of West Haven students, Angel Chavez ‘17 and Cody Markey ‘17, were honored recently by the group Westies Cares at their annual banquet on Monday, March 27, 2017, at The Cielo Ballroom.

Both students received scholarships from the group based on their academic success and commitment to volunteering within the city of West Haven. Both will graduate from Notre Dame on Sunday, May 28, 2017, and are awaiting final decisions from the colleges they have applied to before selecting a destination for the fall.

“It is gratifying to see students like Angel and Cody recognized for what they accomplished in the classroom and for their interests and activities outside of Notre Dame,” said President Robert F. Curis. “Both are outstanding young men who have represented themselves and Notre Dame very well. We know they will continue to do great things as they move into the next chapter of their lives.”

Angel Chavez ‘17 has been very active at Notre Dame while also being an excellent student. A member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies, Chavez is also active in the Notre Dame community with his involvement in the Christian Student Mission Club (CSMC), Interact Club, and Literary Magazine for the last three years. He rose to leadership positions of CSMC President and Interact Treasurer. In addition, Chavez has been a key member of the cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams for the last three years. Outside of Notre Dame, Chavez has volunteered at WHEAT, his church youth group, USACF, and this past summer volunteering 120 hours as a transporter at the VA Hospital.

Cody Markey ‘17 has an equally impressive resume achieving honor roll status throughout his Notre Dame career. Immersing himself in many Notre Dame activities, he has been a member of the Interact Club (elected Secretary as a junior and President as a senior), AlumKnights, Team ND, BRO, and Ski and Snowboard Club. In addition to being a member of the outdoor track team for three years, Markey is active in the West Haven community at the OLOV Carnival, ECO Camp, being an altar-server, and helping at local food pantries.

Congratulations to both students on this well-deserved honor from Westies Care! The 2017 Westies Care Dinner marked the eighth annual celebration of education & community service where they recognized those who exemplify the core values of service, community, and education.

Westies Care has annually honored Notre Dame students. Past recipients of other awards include former President Br. James Branigan, C.S.C, Director of Campus Ministry Mrs. Gail Bellucci, and Vice-President of Advancement Mrs. Kathy Wielk.

Two Notre Dame Seniors Named SCC Scholar Leaders

Shepherds | April 17, 2017

West Haven – Notre Dame of West Haven seniors Liam Connell ‘17 (Wallingford) and Jerrell Dorsey ‘17 (New Haven) were Notre Dame’s recipients as the Southern Connecticut Conference held its 23rd annual Scholar Leader Banquet on Monday, March 27, 2017, at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven.

The 2017 Southern Connecticut Conference Scholar Leader Banquet recognized forty-six truly impressive young people who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship and leadership in their respective schools and external communities.

Notre Dame President Robert F. Curis spoke glowingly of both students. He said, “Jerrell and Liam bring so much life to our building and are great leaders, who are prepared to succeed on their college campuses and in life. They are excellent students, who embraced what Notre Dame has to offer in and out of the classroom and will be missed next year. They have set a foundation for others to follow to continue their great leadership.”

Liam Connell ‘17

Liam has been an exemplary leader and scholar at Notre Dame. He serves as the Senior Class President, Editor of the Yearbook, President of the Spanish Club, a Peer Counselor, a Peer Tutor, and a member of DECA. He was also the starting goalie for the varsity ice hockey team, which reached the SCC Division I championship game. Liam has volunteered almost 100 hours with the Autism Services and Resources of America.

Jerrell Dorsey ‘17

Jerrell has been an outstanding leader and scholar at Notre Dame. He serves as the Student Council President, tri-captain of the varsity basketball team (which finished the 2016-17 regular-season with a perfect 20-0 record), founder/president of the Culinary Club, an officer in the Minority Student Union, a Peer Counselor, and a member of TEAM ND (the student ambassador program). He is extremely involved at St. Martin de Porres, where he attended middle school, and volunteers numerous hours with his grandmother at the Community Garden.

Founded in 1994, the Southern Connecticut Conference is celebrating its 23rd year in 2016–17 with 23 member schools and nearly 23,000 students. Recognized as one of the premier athletic leagues in the state of Connecticut, SCC member schools have captured more than 400 state championships since the league’s inception. More importantly, the SCC is recognized for its outstanding non-athletic programs and events in student leadership and the arts, which attempt to break down barriers and build bridges of understanding to its students.

Interested in Making a Real Difference in a Student’s Life? Be a Mentor.

Shepherds | April 4, 2017

Shepherds (www.shepherdsmentors.org) is looking for mentors, sponsors and donors. We help to close the achievement gap in CT’s inner cities by providing at-risk students with a quality preparatory education and pairing them with a mentor.

The Shepherds’ program targets inner-city youth in the greater Bridgeport and New Haven area who need the support of a small class environment in order to succeed. The students who enter our program have a history of struggling academically in the public school system and tend to lack a strong support system at home. They come from families living below the poverty line, often with a single working parent, parents who have not graduated high school themselves and parents who are non-proficient English speakers. These challenges, coupled with residing in neighborhoods with low high school graduation rates, significantly decrease their likelihood of graduating from public schools and going onto college.

Shepherds works! Our graduation rate is 100% with the majority of our students continuing on to higher education. Shepherds…changing lives one student at a time.

Fairfield County Giving Day is Thursday, March 9th

Shepherds | February 28, 2017

Shepherds is participating in Fairfield County’s Giving Day, a powerful 24-hour online fundraising competition that unites our community around local causes close to your heart. Last year, this amazing day of giving had extraordinary results: $1,246,964 donated by 11,000+ individuals for 410 nonprofits. Now in our 4th year, Giving Day is set to break records.

It’s your chance to support the local causes that are closest to your hearts – like Shepherds which supports Education in our at-risk communities. By providing financial support for a college preparatory education at a non-public high school, an adult Mentor, and teaching academic and life skills, Shepherds empowers young people to build a stronger foundation for future success.

Visit https://fcgives.org/designee/shepherds-inc to donate on March 9th!

Shepherds celebrates National Mentorship Month

Shepherds | January 19, 2017

January is National Mentorship Month – a month dedicated since 2002 to promoting youth mentoring programs in the United States. For 18 years, Connecticut’s Shepherds, with help from a number of New Canaan residents, has partnered with Kolbe Cathedral High School in Bridgeport and Notre Dame High School in West Haven to provide tuition support and mentorship to at-risk youth.
Currently, Shepherds has 71 adult mentors working with 60 young men and women in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport area. Mentors come from all walks of life and all professions; they share a common commitment to serve as role models, confidants and cheerleaders for their students.
For more information about mentoring a student or contributing towards their education, please visit www.shepherdsmentors.com today.

Shepherds celebrates mentorship month

Shepherds | January 14, 2017

http://www.thewestonforum.com/73907/shepherds-celebrate-mentorship-month/

January is National Mentorship Month — a month dedicated since 2002 to promoting youth mentoring programs in the United States.

For 18 years, Connecticut’s Shepherds has partnered with Kolbe Cathedral High School in Bridgeport and Notre Dame High School in West Haven to provide tuition support and mentorship to at-risk youth.

Currently, Shepherds has 71 adult mentors working with 60 young men and women in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport area.

Mentors come from all walks of life and all professions; they share a common commitment to serve as role models, confidants and cheerleaders for their students.

For more information about mentoring a student or contributing toward a student’s education, visit shepherdsmentors.com.

Shepherds Celebrates National Mentoring Month

Shepherds | January 3, 2017

January was designated as National Mentoring Month in 2002 by President George W. Bush. The month is set aside to promote youth mentoring in the United States. Connecticut’s Shepherds provides 71 mentors to 60 young men and women at two area college prep schools – Kolbe Cathedral in Bridgeport and Notre Dame in West Haven. Shepherds is planning Mentor Appreciation nights later in the month at both high schools. Contact Amy Chickles at achickles@shepherdsmentors.org for more information.