Griffin Bridges Program

Seton Hall Prep alumni who volunteer, provide guidance, and are readily available to GB Scholars. The mentor-student relationship is intended to motivate the student not only to succeed academically, but also to gain a more positive perspective on his potential in life by helping students explore various career options and acting as a soundboard for students’ ideas. The mentor makes a commitment to establish a personal relationship with the student and his family. Each Griffin Bridges Scholar is paired with a mentor throughout his four years at The Prep.

Big Brothers provide day-to-day support for Freshman and Sophomore Griffin Bridges Scholars. Some of the specific responsibilities include: establishing a standing appointment with their “Little Brothers” twice a week, provide tutoring and academic support when needed, and keeping a positive outlook in order to help build self-esteem and confidence. Scholars become Big Brothers in the Program during their Junior and Senior Year.

Griffin Bridges is fortunate to have, as part of the Program, a full time counselor who is also a social worker. His role is to support the Director in his efforts to promote the overall health and success of our Scholars. He provides four-year counseling, academic support, and college placement services. He also is a resource and support for the scholars’ families, Big Brothers, and mentors.

The Program Director is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Program. He facilitates all the activities necessary to ensure that the goals and objectives of the Program are met. He maintains a relationship with non-profit and service organizations operating within the students’ communities in order to expand the Program’s network, thus maximizing opportunity for students in the Griffin Bridges Program.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, sponsors, and friends of the Griffin Bridges Program. My name is Daniel Elijah Vazquez. I am 14 years old and I am a freshman at Seton Hall Prep. I was born to Manuel and Nelly Vazquez. At the age of one, I lost my mother to cancer. Since then, I have lived with my dad and my older brother Victor who this past August moved away to college. He is attending The College of New Jersey. My dad has been battling with cancer since I was in 3rd grade. Life has not always been easy but we have made it together.

I really wanted to come to Seton Hall Prep because it has a great reputation for academics and athletics. But Seton Hall Prep is much more than that. With all its activities, clubs, events to take part in, The Prep offers students a great opportunity to explore their interests and excel. I’ve been fortunate to have become a member of the Griffin Bridges Program which is much more than a provider of financial aid. It is a family, a group of people that you can rely on through tough times, a group of people who can brighten your day with a compliment or a helping hand.

Griffin Bridges plays a vital part in the lives of its members and it gives us opportunities to succeed by expanding our horizons and building connections with events like these. Not in my wildest dreams, could I have imagined speaking before a man of such national and international acclaim as Mayor Cory Booker, a man who’s recognized as a figure of leadership and hope, a man who’s earned the trust of the people of his city and people throughout the nation, a man who cares genuinely for the people of Newark, and a supporter of our program and the lives affected by it. Being here tonight means a lot to me and I have this great  Griffin Bridges Program to thank.”

“The neighborhood I grew up in was a tough one. Crime and gang initiations were part of day to day life. Abandoned apartments served as workshops and homes to local crack dealers and gang bangers. Dilapidated houses dotted the landscape. Clubs and bars seduced the minds of the young, enticing them to believe that “this is the real world”. I was often awakened by gunshots, at times confusing them with fireworks when I was younger. I lived in a city immersed in grief and despair for many, yet now filled with the hope and the potential to become so much more than just another hood community.

As a second generation Haitian-American, I know first hand that living in America is not as easy as it sounds. Freedom comes with a price- a lot of hard work. My parents know that. My mother’s day begins at 5 am. Throughout the day she finds herself traveling back and forth from East Hanover, only to stop by West Orange to pick me up from school. After a hard day, she comes home and then gets ready for the next day to do it all over again. She has been doing this for the past fourteen years. I hardly see my father on most days. When I leave for school, he is still asleep after a long day’s work and when I go to bed he is still working. My father was in the taxi business for most of his life, and now he is a driver for the Super Shuttle service.

I knew I had a choice: to go along with what other kids were doing on the streets or set goals for myself and soar to new heights. Griffin Bridges affected me in a very positive way. As I began my freshman year I was anxious. At times I felt as if I did not belong. Griffin Bridges helped me transition into high school and gave me an office, access to technology, supplies and tools to be successful. I was also supported by a network of students and mentors; I was given role models to look up to and form relationships with. These pieces were essential to building my self esteem and creating a community.

As a Junior at The Prep, I continue looking forward to a future filled with opportunity and success. I am now in the process of researching colleges and universities. My college choices include Boston University, Northeastern University, Cornell, and NYU, however there are many more on my list. I want to major in Pre-Med, with a focus on Biology and Neuroscience. I would like to minor in African-American Studies. My dream is to become a surgeon and will do anything, and everything, to make that become a reality. I know I am going to be faced with obstacles, go through trials and tribulations, but that will never hold me back. These three years have taught me that I am not defined by where I come from, but who I choose to become. This knowledge is what can change my community, my nation, my world."