The Cristeros celebrated an incredibly successful spring season this year. Our Baseball Team made it to the Regional Championship game for the first time, while our Softball Team tripled their wins from last year and advanced through the first
round of IHSA regional playoffs. Our ladies Soccer Team also achieved one of the most successful season’s in our school history.

The team advanced all the way to regionals, and ended their season with 20 total wins. Our players are more than just athletes – they are role models on and off the field. Go Cristeros!

This summer, more than 25% of Cristo Rey Jesuit HS students will continue working at their jobs as part of our unique Corporate Work Study Program – keeping them safe and engaged during what is often the most dangerous time of year in Chicago neighborhoods.

During the school year, Cristo Rey students work one day a week to earn 69% of the cost of their education. In return, students gain real world work experience while building skills that help to prepare them for college. Many of our corporate partners employ students over the summer – granting a diverse pipeline of corporate workers and offering our students, who are typically first-generation, the opportunity to build new skills, earn income,and stay safe during the summer months in Chicago.

Jesus, CR’18, graduated with four years of work experience along with corporate contacts and relationships that will benefit him long after he departs Cristo Rey. This summer, he will work 40 hours a week at Belvedere Trading before beginning at DePaul University in the fall. Jesus, who resides in Gage Park, will earn much needed funds for his family and for college while staying safe during a high-crime time in his neighborhood.

Bernice, also a recent Cristo Rey graduate, shares that, “the importance of working at my CWSP job after graduation means I can continue my learning and my responsibilities. It also means that I did a great job throughout the year since my job is willing to continue to have me during the summer. Through CWSP I know what it is like to work in a professional environment, do real work, and develop skills – all of which will be helpful for my future.”

Cristo Rey students like Jesus and Bernice gain valuable work experience and cultivate a strong network of professional relationships that will benefit them for a lifetime. Our 180+ job partners in Chicago benefit as well by engaging in active workforce development for youth and building a pipeline of diverse leaders for the future.

Other companies that choose to employ our students during the summer include: Huron Consulting Group, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, LKQ Corporation, and University of Chicago Medicine, among others.

For more information on becoming a job partner contact: Lillie Sellers, Director of Corporate Relations, at 773.890.6886 or lsellers@cristorey.net.

Founded in 2002, the Leadership Advisory Council (LAC) is a group of advocates dedicated to improving the lives of high school students from families with limited financial means. The LAC is an organization of young professional leaders who support the Cristo Rey mission through fundraising, volunteering, and engaging others to support our school.

In support of our recent graduates, the LAC Alumni Committee is leading a new initiative that provides mentorship to young alumni. Not only will mentors offer college and career advice to mentees, but they will also serve as a role model and trusted friend to a young Cristero. Mentees will be matched based on career interest and his or her college enrollment.

Additional member-led committees include: Membership and Recruitment, Volunteering, Corporate Work Study, and Advancement.

To learn more about the LAC, consider attending our upcoming summer social on July 26 from 6-8 p.m. at the Chicago Yacht Club.
For more information, please visit: www.cristorey.net/lacsocial.