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
“Don’t forget to Dance”: An Interview with Sharon Zavala
Sharon (CRSM ’11, Allegheny College ’15, Northwestern University ’20) has a family background analogous to the majority of Americans – immigration, harsh living and working conditions, financial hardship, dreams of a better life and college for the children. It’s clear that Sharon’s successes have a theme: High grades at CRSM = lots of involvement in service projects. College scholarships and … Read More
November President’s Pen: We have a great team, problem-solving while responding to what our students and community need.
If you could point to one month out of the year that epitomizes Cristo Rey St. Martin, it must be November. No month better defines who we are as a school community. November begins with the Feast of St. Martin de Porres and ends with the Feast of Cristo Rey. Both celebrations focus on creating a different and better world. … Read More
“From Criminology to Comedy to Communications”: An Interview with Kenny Robinson
Kenny (CRSM ’09 DePaul ’13) and I talked after he spoke to the student body at a CRSM assembly. I was particularly interested in hearing about how he fit his degree and his wide-ranging work experiences together. After a few minutes with Kenny, it became obvious that the glue for putting it together is his sense of humor and communication … Read More
September President’s Pen: Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive.
Even though it is astronomically already autumn, up until just a few days ago it still felt a whole lot like summer and, with COVID driving people outdoors, it’s been a very lively September. That certainly holds true for Cristo Rey St. Martin. For the last seven weeks, students are coming back to class once a week under our hybrid … Read More