We may be apart, but we are still in this together!
College advising is in full-swing with Shepherds Seniors as the May and June college commitment dates are around the corner!
Tag Archives: Tag: Notre Dame of West Haven
Dear Shepherds Community,
As the implications of the virus pandemic become more immediate, it’s our sense that the connections that underpin the Shepherds partnership of student-parent-school-mentor-
First, and foremost, we hope and pray that you and your families are well.
Second, the Shepherds staff is on duty – yes, like many of you, we are balancing home, family, virtual learning, and work responsibilities. But we have a job to do and are available to hear from you. If you think we can help in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us.
Third, we would like to begin the process of building a community of sharing. We hope that by communicating more, we can support each other even if we can’t physically be there for one another. Please share your stories – images or written – about how you’re adapting to the current conditions, what you’ve learned and any suggestions you may have for others.
Send us your input or pictures at info@
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
Shepherds enjoyed hearing from a student alumnus at Shepherds Notre Dame Mentor Appreciation Night. Notre Dame West Haven ’14 alum, Jeenn Barreiro embraced the lessons he learned during his time as a Shepherds student at NDWHS.
After high school, he continued his education at College of the Holy Cross, graduating in 2018. Jeenn currently works at Brigham and Women’s Hospital as a researcher and plans on attending graduate school in the fall.
While his academic and work successes make Shepherds proud, his impact on his community in Boston brings the lessons learned at Shepherds and NDWH full-circle. At our Mentor Appreciation Night, he spoke about how he is now a mentor himself. Jeenn mentoring and coaching a soccer team of refugees, undocumented and socio-economically challenged youths.
January is National Mentoring Month and Shepherds is so thankful for all the mentors that assist our students.
Our mentors are kind-hearted adults who help bridge the opportunity gap our inner-city students have. A good mentor allows students to see the hope and possibilities within themselves. Becoming a Shepherds is a satisfying way to make a positive impact on a young person in your own backyard.
As the Chronicle of Evidence Based Mentoring states, mentoring is an opportunity not only for the student, but for the mentor as well.
To find out more about becoming a mentor at Shepherds, contact Executive Director Dan McAuliffe at info@shepherds.com or www.shepherdsmentors.org
A financial contribution to Shepherds this Giving Tuesday has a tremendous impact on a local high school student. Shepherds students are successful students who continue their education after high school. Our graduation rate is 95% compared to their Bridgeport and New Haven peers graduation rate at 55-60%. Last year, 100% of our students went on to institutions of higher learning. We have a tremendous core group of volunteers, but we still need financial resources to continue providing tuition, academic and social support services to our students.
Join us in ensuring Shepherds students can build that solid foundation by donating today.
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.
Shepherds empowers inner-city Connecticut youth to build a foundation for success by providing a college-prepartory education at a non-public high school, academic and life skills, along with the positive role model and support of a Shepherds mentor. The whole student model, where Shepherds provides not only opportunity but guidance, is critical to the success of the student and has a ripple effect on the student’s family and community.
But that positive impact cannot be done without community volunteers willing to step up to make a difference in a student’s life. Spending a few hours a month mentoring an at-risk youth can help improve their schoolwork, their behavior and their self-esteem. Studies have shown that mentoring high school students improves attendance, class participation, academic success and higher college acceptance rates. Last year, all Shepherds graduates were accepted and are currently attending college.
“We are looking for caring adult mentors of all ages to make a real difference for our Shepherds’ Notre Dame High School West Haven students,” said Dan McAuliffe, Executive Director of Shepherds. “If you have a few hours a month and the desire to make a difference, we want to talk with you about our program.”
Being a mentor not only benefits the student. Mentoring is a satisfying endeavor for the mentor as well. The satisfaction of helping a young person achieve their goals is personally impactful. Additionally, mentoring is a skill that is valued by employers as it demonstrates a willingness and ability to work and teach others. Developing that skill with a high school student is a great way to flex those mentoring muscles. Mentoring is a relationship where both sides can learn and grow, despite the focus being on the student’s progress.
“We have a few Notre Dame West Haven young men in need of a mentor,” says McAuliffe, “and all of these great kids deserve and would benefit from a mentor.”
Anyone wanting to find out more about Shepherds should contact the office at 203-367-4273 or email info@shepherdsmentors.org.
Notre Dame High School President Robert Curis welcomed the enthusiastic crowd of Notre Dame Shepherd students, family members, mentors and other supporters to a dinner filled with joy in the achievements of six graduating seniors, trips down memory lane and a few happy tears. …
Shepherds, a non-profit based in Bridgeport, has supported the education and success of inner-city teens from the New Haven and Bridgeport areas for 20 years. During National Mentoring Month, Shepherds students will celebrate the role that mentors play in their lives with a Mentor Appreciation Night at Notre Dame West Haven High School. Mentors make a monthly commitment of time and energy to an individual student and receive professional training and extensive staff support throughout their four-year commitment.
Results over 20 years have demonstrated that Shepherds students have a much higher likelihood of graduating from high school, pursuing higher education, breaking the cycle of poverty and becoming productive members of society. Since 1998, 265 students who might otherwise have dropped out of high school have graduated and gone on to institutions of higher learning, military or civil service roles.
Shepherds is committed to helping these students achieve their potential through a high quality, college preparatory curriculum, go on to higher education, and eventually become valuable and productive members of society. Fifteen adult mentors are needed for students beginning high school in September of 2019.
Financial sponsors are always needed to help to defray tuition costs and provide additional supports and services throughout the school year including test prep and remedial supports. If you are open to making a valuable impact on a young person’s life and reaping the personal rewards that come with it, please contact Dan McAuliffe, Shepherds’ Executive Director, by April 15th. You can reach Dan by email dmcauliffe@shepherdsmentors.org or call him at 203-367-4273.
