CR proudly congratulates our six Illinois State Scholars - Anthony, Adrian, Lesley, Jaime, Emmanuel, and Marely (not pictured above). These six students, along with the rest of our seniors, are setting their sights on college next year.

Aylin Ornelas-Loredo (CR’16) is currently a junior at UIC, planning to graduate with a bachelor's in Biological Science in 2021. She was recently featured in a new video for UIC about her work as a clinical research coordinator. Aylin is living and working as a woman for others through her passion for science and aims to be a role model for future generations.

In Aylin’s own words: “I graduated from Cristo Rey in 2016, but I didn’t have my citizenship so I had to apply to a community college for my first year of college. However, thanks to Cristo Rey’s Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) and volunteer requirements, I continued to work at the University of Illinois at Chicago as a Clinical Research Coordinator. Shortly after I graduated I received my citizenship and I was able to apply to scholarships, attend UIC, work fulltime with Dr. Darbar, the chief of cardiology at UIC, and publish a research paper in the Journal of American Medical Association as first author. I was able to have enough experience to be granted with a Grant Award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute that helped me pay for my school. I plan to graduate UIC with a bachelor's in Biological Science in the year 2021 and enter medical school by 2022. I hope to influence many young boys and girls who wish to become doctors or any other vocation.”

Watch UIC’s video featuring Aylin here.