Tag Archives: Tag: New Haven County

NDWH Mentor Spotlight: Dr. Andre Sofair

| July 30, 2021

Dr. Andre Sofair is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Yale Medical School and holds a secondary appointment in the School of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases. In addition to this impressive resume, Dr. Sofair has spent the past four years as a Shepherds Mentor to graduating NDWH student, Jamar, who will be attending Trinity College this fall. Dr. Sofair found the experience so rewarding that he has signed up to mentor an incoming Notre Dame freshman/Shepherds Student this fall.

When asked what made the mentoring experience so enjoyable that he volunteered to mentor again, Dr. Sofair said, “Very few things are as valuable as a good education. It is what gives you wings to soar and explore the world.  It gives you the skills to contribute to your community and freedom to choose how to do so.  I can think of no better way to share my time then to mentor a young man during his high school years.”

Thank you to Dr. Sofair and all our Shepherds Mentors for guiding our Shepherds Students.

Be a Part of the Solution

| November 19, 2020

The pandemic has shined a light on socio-economic disparities in education in Connecticut. Per the CT Mirror, this Spring during the COVID-19 shutdown of schools “In Bridgeport, a full half of the student body didn’t show up regularly for remote schooling during the pandemic compared to 19% who were chronically absent before school buildings closed.” Likewise  in New Haven, public school district leadership told the State Education Accountability Committee, that during the first week of remote learning this fall an estimated 65% of the students participated. As a point of comparison, Fairfield Warde and Ludlowe High Schools had participation rates in the 90+% this September per CT Data.

Now more than ever, inner city high school students have more barriers to accessing a quality, college preparatory high school education. For 22 years, Shepherds has been addressing educational disparities in Fairfield and New Haven Counties. Our track record speaks for itself. 95% of our students graduate on time and 90% attend institutes of higher learning after high school, as compared to their public school peers graduation rates of 65-75% and college entrance rates hovering around 60%.

The needs of inner city high school students in Connecticut are greater than ever. With a donation to Shepherds today, you will be investing in a student’s future and helping solve the education opportunity gap right in your own backyard.