[Graduates of NewBridge Jobs Plus (formerly Project 70001/70001 Jobs Plus) gathered 10 years ago in Morristown to celebrate the program’s 30th anniversary. They’ll be gathering again on Nov. 30 for the program’s 40th anniversary. Alumni who want to attend should email Amy Sheppard at asheppard@newbridge.org or text to (973) 692-3287.]
MORRISTOWN (Sept. 20, 2013) — Kate kept an eye on the ballroom entrance for the arrival of 2008 classmates of NewBridge 70001 Jobs Plus (now called NewBridge Jobs Plus).
“I’m excited! I want to see how everyone is doing,’’ said Kate, sitting with 22-year-old Rebecca of Rockaway Borough, another 2008 graduate of the alternate education and career program. “It’s cool to think this is our high school reunion!’’
The Friday night event at the Hyatt Morristown celebrated 30 years since NewBridge Services, Inc. created the free program that has helped more than 1,000 young adults earn their New Jersey high school diplomas and prepare for college and careers.
“We decided that a reunion would be a simple way to give the 70001 graduates an opportunity to reminisce and catch-up with staff and other classmates, and celebrate their shared experiences as part of the 70001 legacy,’’ said Clinical Case Manager Amy Sheppard, director of NewBridge 70001 Jobs Plus. NewBridge Services is celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout 2013.
“If it weren’t for NewBridge, I would be stuck in a dead-end job without a degree,’’ said Kate, who attended the program after missing too much of her junior year at Randolph High School due to illness.
The staff not only helped her earn her high school diploma, “they taught us how to write a resume, and how to look for a job,’’ she said. Kate, 23, went on to earn an associate’s degree and now works as manager of a dental office. She is training to be a dental assistant.
- 2002 graduate Eddie and his wife, Jessica
Eddie, a 2002 graduate, examined poster boards filled with photographs of students and staff on easels. Eddie had been flunking classes at Dover High School in 2001 when his guidance counselor told him about NewBridge 70001 Jobs Plus and he enrolled.
“I finally buckled down. They didn’t baby me, and I really appreciated that,’’ said Eddie, who attended the reunion with his wife, Jessica. Eddie, 29, is now a general foreman with a construction firm building bridges.
“Being here makes me feel like I was a part of something. It makes me feel good,’’ said the father of two.
Autumn, 36, of Jefferson Township, came hoping to see classmates from the Class of 1997, but she was sure to know at least one of the other attendees: her daughter, Jacquelyn, a 2013 graduate.
Autumn left Jefferson High School in 1992 as a freshman, when she was pregnant with her first of four daughters. She enrolled at NewBridge 70001 in 1996 to please her grandmother, who was ill.
“I promised my grandma I would graduate, and I am so glad I did it. I felt like I fit in there,’’ said Autumn, holding six-week-old Christine.
- 1997 graduate Autumn and her daughter, Jacquelyn, a 2013 graduate.
When 18-year-old Jacquelyn left high school during her senior year, her mother encouraged her to attend NewBridge 70001, where she completed her coursework in three months. She is now a nursing student and working part-time as a receptionist at NewBridge, with plans to go to medical school to become a neurologist.
But Friday night, the younger daughter just wanted to enjoy the moment. She gave her mother a hug and said, “Being here gives me and my mom a chance to show off!’’
