Participant Success Stories
There’s no better way to learn about the impact Good Shepherd has on individual lives and the communities in which we work than by hearing from our program participants themselves. This section is devoted to spotlighting just a few of the thousands of children, youth and families we help each year. They have made great strides in their journey toward a more positive future and we are proud to share with you their stories and their successes.
Camonghne, Bronx Community High School
Camonghne, a 2010 graduate of Bronx Community High School and an accomplished poet, reigns as New York City Youth Poet of the Year. She was crowned with this title in September 2010 when she won the Nuyorican Neophyte Youth Poet of the Year Slam. Now a freshman at Hostos Community College, Camonghne is currently a Finalist in the Knicks Poetry Slam and will compete in the Finale on February 24, 2011 at Madison Square Garden. Hostos recently featured a profile on this talented young woman on their website. more
Wei Song Chen, Access GED
Wei Song Chen, a 21 year old native of China, considers himself an optimist, and he certainly has much to be positive about. This spring, he became an American citizen, passed the GED on his third attempt and was recently accepted to Year Up, a one-year, intensive training program that provides urban young adults with a combination of hands-on skill development, college credits and corporate internships. Wei radiates enthusiasm and happiness about all that is unfolding for him but it is clear that he has had to overcome many challenges to reach this more hopeful time in his life. more
Nekisha, West Brooklyn Community High School
Nekisha is a busy young woman-a full-time student in her junior year at New York City Technical College with a 3.5 GPA while holding down a job as a paralegal at a Brooklyn law firm. Today, she is actively pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer, but just five years ago, she wasn't sure if she would even graduate from high school. more
Shemuel, FDR YABC
Shemuel Pagan is a student at Good Shepherd's newest YABC program at FDR High School in Brooklyn, a three-time Golden Gloves winner and an Olympic hopeful. more
Emmanuel, Foster Boarding Home Adolescent Unit
Fourteen year-old Emmanuel wasn't sure at first about submitting an essay for the Annual Child Welfare Fund Awards for Youth in Foster Care, although he has been writing for as long as he can remember. more
Lisa and Justin, Family Reception Center
Lisa originally requested services from Good Shepherd's Family Reception Center for her son Justin at the suggestion of the school guidance counselor because of concerns that he often seemed distracted and withdrawn. more
