Featured Grantee
Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston
Many people take for granted the value of a good education and the tools necessary to be accepted to college. Cristo Rey Jesuit provides a college preparatory curriculum for economically disadvantaged students by requiring a monthly payment as low as $25. When even this nominal amount has proven to be too much, the school has worked with parents to find ways to make a Cristo Rey education a reality.
Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston, a Catholic high school, combines personal responsibility, academic rigor and a corporate work-study program to empower students of all faiths from economically challenged families to reach their full potential. Cristo Rey Jesuit is the 23rd school in a larger network of similar schools across the nation, adopting an innovative, successful twelve-year proven model of secondary education for those in need. Last year, 99% of the students who graduated from one of these schools were accepted into a two or four year college, including Georgetown, Loyola and Brown Universities.
Since 2008, Rockwell Fund has invested $50,000 in seed funds to launch Cristo Rey in Houston, and in August of 2009, Cristo Rey Jesuit opened its doors with 83 students from across the city, coming from the most economically disadvantaged homes and communities. The launch marked the beginning of a journey that will prepare these students for an excellent education, and ultimately, acceptance into some of the best colleges and universities around the country.
Located near Hobby Airport, Cristo Rey Jesuit is the only private high school in Houston that exclusively serves the poorest children in the community and the only one that offers hands-on experience in the corporate world in addition to a rigorous academic program.
The students help finance their education through an innovative model called the Corporate Work-Study Program, which places students in entry-level positions in businesses throughout Houston. This program allows the students to earn approximately 70% of their tuition by working one day per week. A mandatory summer training program gives the students the skills they need to be successful in the workplace. An impressive list of companies participate in the Cristo Rey Jesuit Corporate Work-Study Program, including Spectra Energy, Sterling Bank, Methodist Hospital System, United Way of Greater Houston, UHY Financial, Vinson and Elkins and others.
“The Houston business community has embraced this innovative educational model,” says Dan Walsh, Director of the Corporate Work-Study Program. “They not only see the benefit of educating these students, but they also see these students as future, professional employees.” Four students share one full-time, entry-level position with each of them working a total of five days per month. The students not only learn the value of earning their education, they also gain role-models and mentors at work.
Rev. T. J. Martinez, SJ, President of Cristo Rey Jesuit, is passionate about the school’s mission: “We believe that through our school, the cycles of violence and poverty that engulf our students’ lives will be broken as it helps them re-imagine their futures as successful and productive citizens, all of which benefits the community at large.”
To learn more about Cristo Rey Jesuit, visit www.cristoreyjesuit.org, where you can also watch a news clip of Cristo Rey Jesuit, as aired by local ABC Channel 13.