Bridges Winter Newsletter

There are many lessons we hope participants carry with them from their experiences in Bridges.

One of the most important is the value of relationship-building. Whether connecting with a peer, staff, volunteer, or partner, building strong relationships remains core to how the Bridges program supports students and builds community.

This newsletter includes two alumni stories that show how former Bridges participants continue to center these connections well beyond their time in the program. Kenny, through his current volunteer roles with Bridges, and Lucy, through her career as a social worker, each prioritize showing up for others in their lives and careers today.

We are grateful for the relationships that sustain Bridges, including yours. Please enjoy Kenny and Lucy’s stories, and thank you for your continued connection to our work.

Rob Paymer Executive Director, Bridges Baltimore Program Locations Bridges at The St. Paul's Schools (Est. 1993) Bridges at Gilman School (Est. 2014) Bridges at The Bryn Mawr School (Est. 2022) Bridges at McDonogh School (Est. 2024)

Kenny Bayton Kenny discovered his voice and passion for business through Bridges.

Now a marketing professional, he returns to mentor the next generation of students.

Kenny Bayton joined Bridges the summer before his sixth-grade year in 2002, as one of the program’s early Baltimore City student participants.

Kenny recalls being quiet and introverted when he first joined Bridges, someone who rarely spoke up.

“When I wasn’t playing sports, I was a kid who kept to himself all the time. I would come home from school, finish my homework, and hang in the basement,” he says.

That began to change as Kenny found opportunities through Bridges to come out of his shell. One of Kenny’s earliest Bridges memories is performing in a play. While he had played drums in school, he had never tried acting on stage, and the experience challenged him to speak up, work with others, and engage with a large group.

In high school, Kenny continued to grow his confidence. He became a Bridges summer counselor who was responsible for mentoring a group of middle school students. The role taught him the importance of sharing his own story and sparked his interest in leadership and advising young people - a value reinforced by his father, Carter Bayton, one of the first teachers in the Bridges Summer Institute.

The summer before his senior year, Bridges helped Kenny land an internship with the Baltimore Community Foundation. The opportunity introduced him to a professional setting and solidified his interest in pursuing a career in business. Wanting to maintain the relationships he’d built with the students he had worked with during the previous two summers, Kenny took the initiative to organize a group outing to help them stay connected after transitioning to high school.

“I wanted them to know our relationship wasn’t just about being their counselor for two summers, but that I could be someone they looked up to,” he says.

Today, Kenny is the Marketing Production Director at Bloomberg Industry Group, where he draws on the confidence and passion for business he began developing during his time with Bridges. He will complete his Executive MBA at the University of Virginia in May 2026, continuing to build on the leadership skills he has strengthened throughout his academic and professional journey. He has remained connected to Bridges, speaking at career panels and offering advice to college students. He hopes to inspire others to find their own confidence and access opportunities that helped shape his path.

“If you have the guts to use your voice and put yourself out there, then I’m always willing to make time for you,” he says. “I was someone who didn’t have a voice for a very long time, and Bridges helped me find it.”

Lucy Donofrio As a Bridges volunteer in high school, Lucy learned the power of connection and showing up for others. Now a social worker, she brings that relationship-centered approach to supporting young people and adults.

Lucy Donofrio began volunteering with Bridges at The St. Paul’s Schools as a freshman in 2008 and remained actively involved throughout the school year and summers until her graduation in 2012. The experience taught her the importance of building meaningful relationships, showing up for others, and maintaining strong connections – lessons that continue to shape her career as a social worker in the Maryland Public Defenders Office.

When Lucy started high school, she wasn’t drawn to many traditional extracurricular activities. Bridges, however, felt like a natural fit. She was excited to work in a group setting and support younger students.

“There was just something about it that fit me really well,” she reflects. “I felt connected to it.”

One moment from the Summer Institute stands out. Lucy recalls working with a student who was having difficulty with an English and Language Arts assignment. She encouraged him to write about a topic he enjoyed, like sports. Later in the class, the student excitedly shared his poem about basketball with her.

“I hadn't really seen that side of him,” Lucy says. “He was excited to share academic work that wasn't necessarily his go-to thing and I don’t know if he would’ve done that at the beginning of the summer.”

Through relationships like these, Lucy learned the power of trust and connection. Even small moments, such as sitting with students on the bus or talking after school, helped her connect and build deeper relationships.

Those early lessons became the foundation for Lucy’s career in social work. Though her work today occurs in different settings with young people and adults, the importance of showing up and building relationships with clients and colleagues remains the same. She strives to create a safe space where people feel supported, heard, and comfortable being vulnerable.

“I was learning that at Bridges – just how amazing a connection with another person can be,” she says.