As a Shepherds' mentor, Newtown resident Kathryn Colucci has been mentoring Bridgeport resident Kadijah Needham, a rising sophomore at Kolbe Cathedral in Bridgeport.

Kadijah and Ms Colucci unknowingly applied to be part of the Shepherds organization around the same time.

Shepherds is a nondenominational organization providing tuition support and mentoring to students from at-risk communities in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport area, according to the organization.

Kadijah said her mother, Tanisha Stubbs, was looking for schools for her to attend when she was graduating eighth grade. Ms Stubb's coworker's wife suggested Kolbe Cathedral and shared information about financial aid. When Kadijah and her mother visited Kolbe Cathedral to tour the facility, Kadijah said she learned more about Shepherds.

"There are benefits to it," Kadijah said. "They also mentioned having mentors, who mentor us and guide us through the four years of our high school experience at Kolbe."

Ms Colucci learned of Shepherds when her youngest child, son Daniel, was graduating from Fairfield Preparatory School last year. Ms Colucci and her husband, Robert, also have a daughter, Stephanie, who is already in college.

After reading about the organization, Ms Colucci said she thought it was "great."

"I have always valued education and helping to change lives for people," she said. "I thought this would be something I would like to support and to be involved with."

Ms Colucci applied as a mentor and was happy when she learned she was paired with Kadijah. The two have been meeting roughly once a month since the start of the 2015-16 school year.

Now they smile together and interact seamlessly.

Shepherds, Ms Colucci said, trains all of its mentors. Training helps volunteers understand the role of a mentor, how to develop the mentoring relationship, and how to help give the student glimpses of things they may need exposure to in order to achieve goals, she said.

The pair keeps in contact through text messages when they are not meeting, and Ms Colucci said mentors have access to students' grades. Ms Colucci checks on Kadijah's grades once a week.

"She's a hardworking student," said Ms Colucci.

Ms Colucci is a pharmacist at Griffin Hospital in Derby. She picks up ham and cheese wraps from the hospital for her monthly lunches with Kadijah, or, sometimes, Kadijah said smiling, she brings food from Five Guys.

Kadijah also earned a full scholarship to attend the Performing Art Center of Connecticut (PACC) in Trumbull this past school year, and Ms Colucci has supported her through her dance classes. Kadijah hopes to continue her dance lessons next school year.

Ms Colucci said she sees her role with Kadijah as a helper, there to assist Kadijah in finding a path to a future goal or career.

Kadijah said she has been happy with the Shepherds program, and said students in the program are also offered opportunities to attend skills workshops. One workshop held at the start of the year taught students organizational tools, and Kadijah said she found that helpful as a freshman just starting her career in a new school.

Both agreed the timing was perfect for them to come together through the Shepherds program, and Kadijah said her mother has been happy with it.

Donations are critical to maintaining the Shepherds program, according to Ms Colucci, who stressed the more donations the program receives, the more students can be supported.

More information about the Shepherds program is available on its website, shepherdsmentors.org, or by calling 203-367-4273.