This year Kolbe Cathedral High School welcomed 11 incoming Shepherds freshmen to the Class of 2021. Kick Off Night for mentors, students and families is Thursday, September 28 from 6-8:00PM. Wishing all a successful, healthy and happy new school year!
We are looking for mentors for the upcoming school year at both Kolbe Cathedral HS and Notre Dame of West Haven.
This year, fifteen Shepherds students enrolled at Kolbe Cathedral HS in Bridgeport, received their diplomas. Executive Director, Dan McAuliffe, several Board Members, students, family, mentors and faculty celebrated the accomplishments of the 9 young women and 8 young men at their annual graduation brunch at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield. This year’s graduates include:
Eight young men graduated from Notre Dame High School on May 28th, 2017. All are planning on pursuing higher education after graduation.
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/.
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.
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.
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 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!
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.
