When asked about what made him interested in Shepherds, Jim said, “As my career was winding down as I approached retirement, I was on the lookout to engage in purpose-driven activities to give back to the community.” Jim decided to reach out to Shepherds after seeing a flyer in the Fairfield Prep newsletter, where his son attends high school . “After conversations with Dan McAuliffe and Amy Chickles, I was even more impressed with the small, local nature of the Shepherds program and it fit my needs for an organization where I could add value and make a difference.”
Jim enjoys his mentor role very much with sophomore Elijah at Kolbe, “Being a successful mentor takes a great investment in time, effort, and emotion to make a difference. I love that the mentor experience can have a positive impact on one student at a time.” As a Shepherds Board Member, Jim is very aware of the need to raise money to support the Shepherds program. Jim believes he has made an excellent investment of his both his time and donations supporting Shepherds Students.
Jim may mentor a Kolbe Cathedral Student, but his responsibility on the Shepherds Board is to help further develop Shepherds in the New Haven area. “While enhancing our relationship with our academic partner, Notre Dame West Haven, I’m also looking to increase the involvement of the New Haven area in terms of mentoring and financial support.”
Jim recognizes that one person cannot create major change alone. Shepherds along with our academic partner schools, mentors, donors, and sponsors can make a tremendous impact on the lives of Shepherds Students.