Graduation Archives - Page 2 of 4

Shepherds Changes Lives…One Student at a Time: Alumnus Isaiah Smith

Shepherds | April 24, 2020

Recently a Shepherds and Kolbe Cathedral High School alumnus reached out to his mentor, Brian O’Connor. Isaiah Smith graduated from KCHS in 2003 and furthered his education at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI. He graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering.

Shepherds and Brian O’Connor were excited to hear of Isaiah’s success. Currently, he along with his wife and two beautiful daughters live in Manchester, CT. Isaiah works at Koh Young America, Inc as a Regional Sales Manager.

Mentoring a student through the Shepherds program pays big social dividends to both the student and mentor. “Shepherds provided the opportunity for a private college preparatory education and a mentor to guide Isaiah. He made great use of the resources we gave him. Isaiah’s success is a great example how education is the gift that keeps on giving,” claimed Executive Director Dan McAuliffe. “Isaiah’s education and Shepherds experience have not only been a great benefit to him directly, but to his wife and children as well.”

Mentor Brian O’Connor was touched when Isaiah reached out to him, “I often wondered where Isaiah was and how his life turned out. It was a beautiful note and heartwarming to know he completed college, has a good job, and is happily married with a loving family,” stated mentor Brian O’Connor.

When asked about the impact that his mentor had on him, Isaiah responded “I truly believe my mentor Brian’s contribution to my high school education played a role in my success in life. I cannot thank him enough.”

Mentor Brian O’Connor changed a life. You can too! Why not consider become a Shepherds mentor this year? Shepherds is seeking mentors for the incoming Shepherds freshman class at both Kolbe Cathedral High School and Notre Dame West Haven. To find out more about the Shepherds program, contact Dan McAuliffe at info@shepherdsmentors.org or call 203-367-4273. www.shepherdsmentors.org

Shepherds 2018-19 Annual Report

Shepherds | March 20, 2020

This Annual Report presents the intersection of the numbers, events, and the people that define Shepherds’ mission in action.

We are proud of the accomplishments of our students and the role Shepherds plays in supporting them. We invite you to read our Annual Report and hope it inspires you to support our mission by becoming a mentor or financially support our program. To find out more, contact Executive Director Dan McAuliffe at info@shepherdsmentors.org or call 203.367.4273

Annual Report 2018-2019

KCHS Seniors Attend Off to College Workshop

Shepherds | February 1, 2020

KCHS seniors (pictured) attended workshops with Jane-Ellen Collins at the end of January. Students received a crash-course on what it means to be a freshman in college.

Topics covered included roommate issues, laundry, planning a schedule, balancing studies and fun, where to go for academic help and a lot more! Consistently rated a favorite Shepherds activity by graduating seniors, Jane-Ellen does a great job preparing our KCHS Seniors for the next big step in their academic lives: Being a College Freshman

Timex Hosts Shepherd Students for Career Day

Shepherds | November 12, 2019

Shepherds students (pictured here with Timex CEO Tobias Reiss-Schmidt and Timex staff) enjoyed a great day at Timex headquarters in Middlebury, CT. Employees from numerous departments presented their career paths. Timex generously sponsored our Career Day, with supplemental funding from the Near & Far Aid Association in Fairfield, CT.

Thank you to Timex staff for providing Shepherd Students such engaging presentations and discussions. Our students were thrilled at the opportunity to learn from Timex about many parts of their company.

SAT Preparation for October Testing

Shepherds | September 24, 2019

Shepherds is best known for providing a non-public, college preparatory education and a personal mentor for each inner-city youth in our program. We do so much more. One of the tools we give our students is additional preparation for SAT/ACT tests. Kolbe Cathedral High School students in our program are currently preparing for the October SAT. The extra support students receive from Shepherds will help them achieve their highest scores.

West Haven man credited with stopping runaway Amtrak rail cars

Shepherds | November 26, 2018

From The New Haven Register
By Eric Anderson Updated 11:28 am EST, Friday, November 23, 2018

STUYVESANT, New York – It was a close call for hundreds of holiday travelers aboard an Amtrak train on Thanksgiving Eve when two of the passenger cars separated from the rest of the train.

The cars had just been attached at the Albany-Rensselaer station to provide more seating for the packed Adirondack, which had originated in Montreal and was heading south to Penn Station in New York City.

A quick-thinking Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute student, freshman Reuben Clarke, of West Haven, Conn., was credited with pulling the emergency brake at the front of the car.

“The car from the back of the train was like leaving us, and I saw sparks and stuff like that and a huge gust of wind,” Clarke, an offensive lineman on the RPI football team and 2018 graduate of Notre Dame High School in West Haven, told CBS 6 News in Albany. “So I just calmed myself down, and I was like, we have to stop the train and make sure everyone was fine.”

The train was carrying 287 passengers and crew when the incident occurred. No injuries were reported, the cars didn’t derail, and passengers were transferred to a new train to continue their trip, state police said. The Adirondack had just left the Albany-Rensselaer station when the cars decoupled about 7:22 p.m.

Trains on that section of track can travel up to 110 mph. It’s not clear how fast this train was traveling when the cars separated.

Clarke “saved our lives tonight,” Helen Mark Crane told CNN. “Our car broke off from the rest of the train and was picking up speed. There was no Amtrak personnel in our car. Reuben calmly went into action and pulled the emergency brake at the front of the car. Thankful he was on the train with my son and I.”

Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said the railroad is investigating the cause of the separation.

One transportation source said the cars, which he believed were added at the Rensselaer station, should have stopped automatically when they separated. But if they had been improperly connected, the automatic braking might not have worked.

The incident occurred on one of the busiest travel days for Amtrak. The Adirondack was delayed about 3 hours and 15 minutes, Amtrak tweeted, and the northbound Empire Service Train 245’s departure also was delayed because of the late arrival of the crew from the Adirondack.

Read the original article at https://www.nhregister.com/business/article/Amtrak-probes-what-caused-passengers-cars-to-13416229.php?utm_campaign=fb-tablet&utm_source=CMS+Sharing+Button&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR3hYLAVwUFgBSpCaymFIS4xdnN_KCMXTniy5f2J2MvN00PJ8bJ6vs7zpY8#photo-16545701

Congratulations to our Kolbe Cathedral Graduates!

Shepherds | June 24, 2018

Kolbe Cathedral’s 2018 Commencement Exercises in Bridgeport, Conn., on Thursday, June 7, 2018. To see the slide show provided in the CT Post, click on the link. Photo: Christian Abraham, Hearst Connecticut Media.
https://www.ctpost.com/graduations/slideshow/Kolbe-Cathedral-High-School-graduation-2018-182132/photo-15687987.php

Congratulations to the Notre Dame West Haven Class of ’18!

Shepherds | May 31, 2018

One hundred and forty seven young men made up the Notre Dame West Haven Class of 2018. Family, friends, teachers and mentors cheered them on at a celebration in the school gym on Sunday, May 27th. Ernie Santiago was one of seven Shepherds students graduating this year. He was interviewed by the New Haven Register and spoke about the significance of his time at NDWH. ‘“If I can take away one thing from this, it is definitely the brotherhood. Ever since the first day when I walked in I felt welcome, not only by staff and teachers, but by my classmates. We didn’t know each other but we are acting like we were friends from 10 years ago,” said Ernie Santiago, who will study nursing at Quinnipiac University.” We are so proud of each of these students and wish them all the best as they move on to college.’

Rear, Left to Right: Chris Elias ★ DJ Pantry ★ Reuben Clarke ★ Isaiah Kane ★ Front, Left to Right: Ernie Santiago ★ Ryan Haas ★ Alex Rodriguez