H.A.L.L. Program Year in Review
7/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
H.A.L.L. Program Year in Review 
The 2014-15 academic year marked the second for Seton Hall Athletics Helping Athletes Learn to be Leaders (H.A.L.L.) Program and the student-athlete-centric initiative continued to successfully enrich the student-athlete experience while supporting the university's mission of developing servant leaders.
Instituted in 2013, the H.A.L.L. Program approach is based upon five fundamental tenets including Leadership Development, Student-Athlete Welfare Enhancement, Academic and Athletic Success Initiatives, Community Enrichment, and Spiritual Growth. Through a comprehensive calendar of events, the H.A.L.L. Program aims to support student-athletes on the field, in the classroom and in their professional endeavors while offering a variety of service opportunities.
"We are extremely pleased with the impact the program has had and the response it has generated in a short period of time," said Assistant Athletic Director Roberto Sasso, who oversees the H.A.L.L. Program. "Our student-athletes and their collective commitment have been a tremendous force in helping to enhance our presence and make a difference in our community."
Over the past year, Seton Hall student-athletes dedicated a total of 3,155 hours to a wide-ranging array of community outreach projects; continuing a number of longstanding partnerships while also forging new ones. Highlights included the Pirates' work with:
• America's Grow-A-Row
This year's crop is corn! #TurnDownForCorn pic.twitter.com/hFSO7ROp8Y
— The H.A.L.L. Program (@SHUHallProgram) September 21, 2014
A successful day reading to the students at F.N. Brown Elementary! #PiratesGiveBack pic.twitter.com/eX3ihfGEGd
— The H.A.L.L. Program (@SHUHallProgram) December 5, 2014
• Seton Hall's Hunger & Homelessness Week
Sister Linda at Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry and members of @SHUWSOCCER as we deliver the Thanksgiving baskets! pic.twitter.com/0LW2tpKRKF
— The H.A.L.L. Program (@SHUHallProgram) November 21, 2014
• Pen Pal Program with St. Francis Xavier School in Newark, NJ
PEN PAL DAY! The Pirates finally got to meet their pen pals from Saint Francis Xavier today! @SHUHallProgram pic.twitter.com/Vah7Jv70tb
— Seton Hall Athletics (@SHUAthletics) April 17, 2015
• South Mountain YMCA
• Essex County Public Schools
• It's On Us Sexual Assault Prevention
Seton Hall's very own @John_Fanta taking the #ItsOnUs pledge to end sexual assault on campuses. pic.twitter.com/ygFezXElgO
— The H.A.L.L. Program (@SHUHallProgram) November 24, 2014
• Girls on the Run
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Academically, the Pirates continued to raise the bar as well as the university's nearly 250 student-athletes completed the spring semester with a collective 3.346 grade-point average; a new high for the department. Entering the fall 2015 semester, all 14 varsity teams boast a cumulative GPA over 3.0.
Such scholastic prowess also brought a slew of honors to South Orange, both on a team and individual level. Six Seton Hall programs received public recognition from the NCAA for posting an APR that rated in the top-10 percent of their respective sports nationally while 29 more Pirates were inducted into the national student-athlete honor society, Chi Alpha Sigma.
Student-athletes at The Hall also earned a number of academic awards from various outlets throughout the year, a fact representative of the standard of excellence that has been set within the department.
Congrats to our Michael Tranghese Postgrad Leadership Award Winner Shelbey Manthorpe! #BIGEASTSERVES @SHUAthletics pic.twitter.com/pXeKq3qecn
— BIG EAST Conference (@BIGEAST) May 14, 2015
"Our mission is to help our student-athletes extract as much as possible from their collegiate experience," added Sasso. "How much we have accomplished in a short time is a direct testament to their commitment to excellence in all areas and I'm confident that we will continue to progress in the future."
