We held an in-person graduation this past Saturday – the first in our new gym! Thank goodness we now have a gym because, with new CDC guidelines and appropriate distancing, the space was large enough to accommodate four guests for each senior. We also live-streamed the event so other family members not in attendance could view the ceremony from home. … Read More
April President’s Pen: “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.”
On May 1 we will hold our annual Founders’ Dinner. The event will be virtual and last just over 20 minutes – but those minutes are jampacked – we have alumni, students, and others sharing uplifting stories. Fr. John P. Foley, SJ will also be joining us since 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the Cristo Rey movement; the silver … Read More
March President’s Pen: A Time for Hope
This week we modified our school schedule to allow students two full days per week of in-person instruction for the remainder of the school year. Freshmen and Sophomores responded very favorably to the expansion with about 60% and 62% respectively opting to come in; the response from Juniors (34%) and Seniors (16%) was a bit more disappointing. Someone asked, “Can’t … Read More
“I wonder how the staff at CRSM had any patience with me”: An Interview with Marco Carrillo
Marco graduated from CRSM in 2012. Immediately after graduation he went to art school, studying animation graphics. He now works for a production studio in Chicago as a motion graphics artist. He has a unique and positive attitude about art and creativity – one that’s been a driving influence in his life for as long as he can remember. I’m … Read More
“Grateful, Resilient and 100% Committed ”: An Interview with Ryan Scott
Ryan graduated from CRSM in 2016, and received his Bachelor’s degree in 2020. He is now working with a non-profit that focuses on supporting the development, growth and success of students in under-resourced schools. He is a full-time student success coach, partnering with classroom teachers in the city of Chicago, doing one-on-one tutoring and helping students cultivate social, emotional and … Read More
February President’s Pen: Once in a While, Blessed with Grace
Every once in a while I have been blessed with an experience of Grace – a momentary sense of God being present in the here and now. Something like that happened at CRSM a couple weeks ago when we cohosted with Jewel-Osco our second COVID vaccine drive on our campus. After helping nearly 1,200 at our initial event, this day … Read More
January President’s Pen: Cristo Rey’s Baptismal Vows
In January 1996, my first day of work at a new job was the press conference that announced the Jesuits would be opening a new and unique college prep high school in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. Fr. John Foley, SJ; Sr. Judy Murphy, OSB; and I sat at the table while the Jesuit Provincial announced the planned opening of … Read More
“Let the Barriers Drive You; You’ll Break Through”: An Interview with Klaudya Padilla
Klaudya graduated from CRSM in 2012, received her Bachelor’s in 2016, and finished her Master’s this past December. She is now a College and Career Navigator at the College of Lake County. As an interesting sidenote, her family may hold the record for the most children to enroll at CRSM. We spoke about her family, CRSM, her studies at Marian … Read More
December President’s Pen: Goodbye, 2020.
Goodbye, 2020, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out! With the first vaccines now starting to be distributed and more approvals on the way, 2021 is certainly shaping up to be a much better year – full of hope and promise. But let’s face it, 2020 set the bar pretty darn low for 2021. Just thinking … Read More
“Commitment, Appreciation and Grit”: An Interview with Alexis Alvarez
I spoke with Alexis (CRSM ’15, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ’19) at his home during a break from his new job at PwC. He just recently finished his Master’s in Accounting Science and is prepping for the CPA exam, so I promised to keep it brief. That wasn’t easy; he’s a thoughtful guy with some very interesting observations. We … Read More