Cristo Rey St. Martin is 15 years old! She is our Quinceañera. La Fiesta de Quince Años is a tradition in many Latinx cultures. It celebrates a young woman’s entrance into adulthood. Last Saturday at our annual Founders’ Dinner, we celebrated Cristo Rey St. Martin’s first 15 years. I like to think that our school looks fantastic every single day, … Read More
The College Degree Equation; Solving for Low Income
“I came to realize that, in every step along the way, we had to do more because we had less.” This quote is from an Op-Ed in the New York Times this week called The Implicit Punishment of Daring to Go to College When Poor by Enoch Jemmott, a young man from a low-income background now attending Queens College. He has … Read More
Through Our Foyer: Profound and Interrelated Experiences
Funny how seemingly unrelated, small goings and comings sometimes coalesce into deeper, more profound and interrelated experiences. A recent school assembly is one example. A few weeks ago, we finally were able to put up some signage in spaces around the new building recognizing some of the very generous donors who made our first phase of construction possible. We passed … Read More
January President’s Pen: A Great Opportunity If You’re Planning to Help
What if you could multiply by FOUR times the already generous amount of money you donate each year to CRSM students without a net additional cost to you? The Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship Program (aka “Invest In Kids”) effectively acts like a matching gift program for your donations. For every $10.00 you donate to the program, you receive a $7.50 … Read More
December President’s Pen: God and the Underdog
God loves the underdog. No month reminds us more of this than December. At CRSM, we celebrated the Feast of La Virgen de Guadalupe on December 12. If you don’t know the story, a poor campesino named Juan Diego is singled out by God through the appearance of Mary to become a conduit for the miracle at Tepeyac – roses … Read More
November President’s Pen: The Month that Calls Us to Action
If there were ever a month in the liturgical year that belonged to CRSM, it is November. The month starts with All Saints on the first, followed by All Souls on the second and both overlap with Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos celebrations that run through November 2. November 3 is the Feast of St. Martin de Porres … Read More
October President’s Pen: Creating opportunities for deserving young people
In Economics, there is a term called Opportunity Cost. Essentially, it means that we have choices about how to use our resources. If we use them one way, we forego using them in a myriad of other ways. By considering the alternatives, we can weigh the cost/benefit of our choices. Sitting in my office in Waukegan, I can’t help thinking… … Read More
President’s Pen: Ghost writer Junebug, therapy dog, recounts a day in her life
Preston Kendall is on hiatus this month, he will return to the President’s Pen in October. I really can’t control it. I mean the whining. It usually starts as we are exiting off Highway 41 onto Belvidere Road because by then I know for certain where we are going. I can’t help myself. I just get so excited. The backseat … Read More
President’s Pen: An invitation to witness hope living in Waukegan
Come visit us. Seriously, you must come visit us. You really owe it to yourself to see Cristo Rey St. Martin in action. I am not inviting you out of some hidden agenda for donations. I am not inviting you because I get such a kick out of showing people around – even though I do! You owe it to … Read More
July President’s Pen: Opening doors to opportunity
Although my business card says I am president of Cristo Rey St. Martin, I have come to the conclusion that I am really just the doorman. I don’t have a special brimmed cap or epaulettes or a line down the leg of my trousers, but all I really do is open doors. Essentially, my job is providing students access: access … Read More