Griffin Bridges Program

The Griffin Bridges Program provides educational, financial, and social support to enable academically talented, financially limited young men from the Greater Newark area to attend Seton Hall Preparatory School. The Griffin Bridges Program is specifically designed to meet the needs of inner-city young men, regardless of race or creed, by providing them an environment where they can learn, develop, and realize their full potential.

The results are palpable. The Griffin Bridges Program has successfully enrolled and graduated over 100 young men in the last 25 years. Over this course of time every commencement and academic award that Seton Hall Prep bestows on graduation has been represented by a Griffin Bridges student—Valedictorian, the Award for Academic Excellence, subject area medallions for excellence in Calculus, History, Theology, Language, Humanities, Art, and Literary Achievement, among others. The list of universities attended by these graduates reads like a list of the countries most competitive colleges and universities—Princeton, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Pratt, Villanova, Duke, Kenyon, and more. We are also proud to report that our Program Alumni are giving back to their local communities and the inner-city as professionals, sponsors, mentors, advisory committee members, volunteers, and teachers.

William A. Hagan ‘50 was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 31, 1932.  The Hagan family moved from Brooklyn to Manhasset, Long Island, N.Y. in 1942.  Bill attended grade school and two years at Manhasset High School.  He then transferred to Seton Hall Prep. and graduated from there in 1950. Following Mr. Hagan's graduation from The Prep, he attended Georgetown, followed by a three-year stint in the US Air Force. He then earned a law degree from Columbia Law School, followed by a career at Shea & Gould, a well-known national law firm, ultimately becoming a partner there. William Hagan passed away in December 2013. He believed deeply in what The Prep had done for him as a young man and how it laid the foundation for his career success and his life of service. The mentoring he received at The Prep stayed with him his entire life. As a result of Mr. Hagan's generous gift, his name has been permanently memorialized through the naming of The Griffin Bridges Mentoring Program at The Prep to the William A. Hagan Jr. ’50 Mentoring Program.

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.