WESTPORT—Byron Pitts, Emmy award-winning journalist and author, enthralled a sold-out audience on October 11th at The Inn at Longshore helping to drive a record-setting fund-raising evening for Bridgeport based non-profit, Shepherds.
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary of “Changing Lives… One Student at a Time”, Shepherds drew a lively and generous audience to the event including students, mentors, financial sponsors and friends. Keynote speaker Byron Pitts shared his poignant and inspiring personal story connecting earlier speeches, video messages and individual stories to the evening’s theme: the importance of caring adults in young people’s lives and the value that a private-school education can provide through a program like Shepherds.
Raised in Baltimore, Byron overcame learning issues, a severe speech impediment and poverty to rise to the heights of his profession as anchor of ABC-TV’s Nightline. His previous credits have included lead correspondent covering national and international events for CBS News, including four years for CBS-TV’ 60 Minutes.
His mother’s determination and her emphasis on education coupled with the presence of caring adults at critical points in his early life, echoed the stories of many Shepherds alumni including speakers Melissa Bonilla-Sanchez of Bridgeport and D’Vonte Chambers of New Haven who credited their families and their Shepherds mentors with their academic and professional success.
This year’s Founders Award Honorees, Tammy Taylor of Darien and Greg Dillon of North Haven, spoke of the impact that mentoring students through Shepherds has had on them and the students they have been privileged to know. Shepherds cofounder Barney Phillips of Greenwich presented the awards and Executive Director Dan McAuliffe of Darien graciously stepped in as Emcee when Hurricane Michael kept NBC weatherman Dave Price from attending.
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. Three hundred twenty-five who might otherwise have dropped out have graduated high school and gone on to institutions of higher learning or to military or civil service roles.
With the evening’s financial and emotional success, Shepherds appears to have accomplished its goals of building the momentum and traction for the next 20 years.
Visit www.shepherdsmentors.org to learn more about the Shepherds organization as well as sponsorship and mentoring opportunities.