Las Obras Summer/Fall 2021

SUMMER/FALL 2021

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2021 On June 5, the conclusion of an exceptional year in our school history, the Class of 2021 finally celebrated graduation! At two smaller, socially-distanced ceremonies, faculty and staff welcomed graduates to campus to walk across the stage and collect their diploma - a well-earned and powerful symbol of their hard work and dedication over the last four years.

The Class of 2021 submitted more than 1,400 college applications and received more than 1,000 acceptances to 137 different postsecondary institutions, including: one to Amherst College, two to Boston College, one QuestBridge full scholarship to Bowdoin College, 64 to Dominican University, three to Fordham, four to Georgetown, one to Johns Hopkins, 40 to Loyola University Chicago, two to Macalester College, 28 to Marquette University, two to Middlebury, three to Northwestern, three to Notre Dame, two to Occidental College, 67 to University of Illinois at Chicago, 28 to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, seven to University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, four to University of Wisconsin-Madison, and one to Villanova... just to name a few.

These graduates have already received $11,726,000 in financial awards covering 79% of tuition and fees they plan to attend next school year - 86% four-year institutions - with an average out-of-pocket expense of just $1,927.

After a most challenging year, these hard-working young Men and Women for Others are ready to set the world on fire!

FOLLOW CRISTO REY See the great works of Cristo Rey as they happen on social media and continue to visit www.cristorey.net. If you would like to join our e-newsletter mailing list, send an email to info@cristorey.net.

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ALUMNI SUPPORT

DEAR FRIENDS, As I reflect on the past school year, I am flooded with emotion. 2020-21 was a year full of highs and lows. We all made this journey together with our students and their families who were faced with more uncertainty than ever before. I’m so grateful for your support of Cristo Rey as we walked with our students.

Going forward, I am both grateful and hopeful. In looking at the stories of triumph, creativity, and leadership on the pages in this season’s Las Obras, I am humbled by the dedication of the adult community of Cristo Rey. And that includes the thousands of alumni who now are giving back in time, talent, and treasure to the school that launched their careers at the age of 14. Our alumni are now formally the leaders of the future of our school, as we welcome our first two alumni to the Board of Directors. Their voices are vital, and we will hear them.

I am hopeful for the students of Cristo Rey as I saw them persevere through a pandemic and come out the other side of the year as accomplished, polished, and driven young Women and Men for Others. The Class of 2021 exceeded all expectations, and I am so excited to see where they go in their college careers and beyond.

As we finalize plans to welcome back our entire student population this August, I ask for your continued prayers for our students, their families, and the faculty and staff of Cristo Rey. We are all ready to be back in class and in the office and are thankful to have your support. Please come for a visit and see our mission in action. You make it possible, and we are grateful. ¡VIVA Cristo Rey!

Cristo Rey bids a fond farewell to our Director of College Support and Alumni Relations, Dr. Elizabeth Galka. Elizabeth has been a great support for our alumni for more than four years. Under her direction, Cristo Rey created a refined alumni database, expanded college support counseling, and increased College Retention Emergency Funds awarded. Last month, Elizabeth earned her PhD and will continue her career supporting the wellbeing and development of young people. We are grateful for the work Elizabeth has done at Cristo Rey and can’t wait to see what’s next for her!

We warmly welcome Citlally Delgado as our new Manager of Alumni Support. As many of our new alumni know, Citlally (Lally) joined the Cristo Rey community in September 2018. As a College Counselor, Lally oversaw the college application process with her caseload of seniors, developed and maintained partnerships with universities and community organizations, and managed summer enrichment programming. Prior to joining Cristo Rey, Lally served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Recife, Brazil.

Lally is a proud first-generation college graduate and a Schuler Scholar alum. She holds a BA in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies from Smith College and is currently in graduate school at Northwestern University pursuing a Masters in Higher Education Administration and Policy.

Our alumni represent the best in what Cristo Rey has to offer, and we incredibly grateful to both Elizabeth and Lally for their dedication and hard work in supporting our graduates.

IN THE NEWS President Antonio Ortiz was recently featured in Crain’s Chicago Business in a roundtable discussion on the “Future of Work,” highlighting the importance of preparing our next generation of diverse leaders in Chicago’s workforce.

Gratefully,

Antonio Ortiz, President

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Scan the QR code to read the entire Future of Work roundtable:

25TH ANNIVERSARY SPOTLIGHT: FIRST ALUMNI ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School is proud to announce the appointment of two alumni as new members of the CRJHS Board of Directors. Tiffany Luna ’06 and Guillermo (Memo) Cruz ’03 are the first ever alumni elected to the Board. Luna and Cruz will each serve a three-year term.

“I am incredibly proud to welcome Tiffany and Memo as Board members for Cristo Rey,” said Dominick Zarcone, President, LKQ Corp., and Chair of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School’s Board of Directors. “This is a significant moment in Cristo Rey’s history. Memo and Tiffany are shining examples of the long-term impact of the Cristo Rey education and our Corporate Work Study Program as a pipeline for workforce development.”

Tiffany Luna, MBA, is a Private Equity Principal at PPM America, Inc., where she has been working for the past 10 years. Luna studied International Relations and History at Wellesley College and earned her MBA in Finance and Marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 2018. In her four years at Cristo Rey, Tiffany worked at GTCR, a private equity firm. And, as a senior, Tiffany played the role of La Virgen de Guadalupe at the school’s annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass. She is married to a fellow Cristo Rey alum, and they have a daughter.

Tiffany’s path to success has given her the skills, resources, and the desire to give back to her alma mater in this special way. “Cristo Rey

and GTCR provided me with social capital, and created bridges to people that have the influence and resources available to help others,” she reflected. “I'm not going to say that my hard work didn't get me to Wellesley, but also Cristo Rey is creating amazing bridges to the social capital that our community needs. At first, I believed that since I had crossed the bridge, it was now my responsibility to help guide others across. However, the more I reflect, the more I realize that I want to serve as a bridge for the students, the alumni, and the Board of Directors.”

Guillermo (Memo) Cruz began working at Aon as a freshman through Cristo Rey’s Corporate Work Study Program. He worked there throughout his college years and upon graduating from Harold Washington College then DePaul University, he was offered a fulltime position. For the past 21 years at Aon, Guillermo has been working amongst senior corporate leaders globally in various capacities, including communications management,

Cristo Rey is proud to welcome Juan Gabriel Moreno, AIA, to its Board of Directors.

Juan Moreno is an award winning architect and President/ Founder of JGMA (Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects). He was born in Bogota, Colombia and studied architecture at California State Polytechnic University Pomona.

Juan has been creating provocative architecture for more than 30 years. His firm, JGMA is one of the most highly acclaimed architecture studios in Chicago. JGMA’s portfolio includes the UNO Soccer Academy, Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy, The Cube at Westfield’s Old Orchard and the Northeastern Illinois University El Centro Campus. JGMA is currently working on a diverse array of notable projects including: a residential high-rise

marketing content development, and international network coordination. Cruz is married to a fellow Cristo Rey alum, and they have two children.

Since graduation, Memo has stayed involved with Cristo Rey, coaching flag football, and head coaching the boys’ volleyball team from 2003-2018. “It is our responsibility as alumni of Cristo Rey to give back by providing mentorship and making contributions that will positively impact the student body and the school alike,” he said. Memo also currently mentors Cristo Rey students working at Aon. “I’ve had the joy, along with their families, of witnessing Memo and Tiffany’s journeys from high school student, to college graduate, to workforce professional,” said Antonio Ortiz, President, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. “Their individual successes will bring meaningful perspective and insightful leadership to our Board. I am more hopeful than ever for the future of our school, students, and alumni.”

for the John Buck Company, a Sustainable Design Center at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and a revitalization of the historic Lathrop Homes Development.

Juan's projects have received numerous awards and recognition from his peers. JGMA was recently selected by Modern Interiors Magazine as the “Best Architecture Firm” in their annual Best of Design Issue. In 2014 JGMA was recognized by Crain’s Business as one of the architecture firms “Reshaping Chicago.” Juan had the honor of being recognized by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos as one of the “100 COLOMBIANOS” for 2013, and he was a recipient of the 2013 “PIECE” Award for International Excellence which recognizes Colombians working outside of the country and making a difference in the lives of children and communities.

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THE WORKS OF CRISTO REY Each day, Cristo Rey students and alumni live our mission as they work to become Men and Women for Others through academics, sports, work study, extracurriculars, and faith.

Career Day 2021 pivoted this spring, both to a virtual setting and to a month-long series of programming: the first-ever Career Month!

Cristo Rey's young professionals board, the Leadership Advisory Council (LAC), once again led the effort behind this tradition for juniors, focusing on programming to build up students’ professional profiles, notably and fittingly, their virtual presence. The LAC developed and led an interactive workshop on resumes and the basics of LinkedIn. To build on their LinkedIn profiles, Cristo Rey welcomed a professional from LinkedIn to lead a follow-up workshop on best LinkedIn practices, straight from the source. The final event of our adapted Career Month was a student Career Conference. Mimicking a professional conference, students were able to choose two of 15 breakout sessions to attend, each providing various college and career advice from a wide range of speakers.

Especially exciting for the school and students, 12 panelists were alumni representing nine class years!

To lovingly welcome the Class of 2025, Cristo Rey reimagined the traditional Summer Business Training for incoming freshmen. The new Summer Bridge Program, running for three weeks in July, expands on business training to also include new social-emotional and executive functioning components.

Freshmen also had a chance to meet senior mentors and participate in icebreaker games to get to know one another. Cristo Rey is grateful to the Howley Foundation for a generous grant that enables us to continue to lead the way in preparing our students for school and work.

The 2020-2021 school year, while challenging, provided the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) the opportunity to apply new strategies to train and equip students with skills for the jobs of tomorrow. Along with sister Cristo Rey schools, the CWSP joined a nationwide initiative to teach students the fundamentals of Microsoft Excel and to earn the official Microsoft Office Specialist certification. Over the course of the year, students went from learning basic navigation to applying advanced functions, formulas, charts, and graphs to manage and analyze data efficiently and effectively – knowledge that will help set these students up for success in their college and career undertakings and future CWSP placements.

After much preparation, students took the official Microsoft Excel Certification exam in the spring, and we are happy to announce that 200 students are now certified Microsoft Office Specials for Excel - more than 75% of all students who participated in the class and over a third of the entire school. And a very special shout out to Alberto Cueto ('21) who earned First Place in Illinois for the Microsoft Excel Certification Exam!

Visit us at www.cristorey.net and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more news about our students!

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CRISTO REY ALUMNI GRADUATES Cristo Rey recognizes some of the most recent college graduates who are now moving on to new chapters of their lives. They give us hope for what’s next for Cristo Rey. Not pictured:

Noel Ruiz ’17 Clarke University

1 1 Alexis Garcia ’16 University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, Master of Accounting Science. Alexis will be working as an Assurance Associate with Ernst & Young.

3 Diana Medina ’16 University of Southern California; Master in Public Administration.

4 Corina Salas ’17 Saint Xavier University; Bachelor 2 Cindy Lopez ’17 of Science in Computer Science Loyola University Chicago; Cum and a minor in communications.

Laude, Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in philosophy.

5 Giselle Hurtado ’17 Dominican University; Bachelors in Accounting & Finance. Giselle has accepted a job at Deloitte as a Multi-State Tax Associate

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Annette Garcia ’17 Dominican University Bachelor’s degree in Neurology with a concentration in neurobiology and a minor in chemistry.

Annette is working with Eye and Ear Infirmary of UI Health as a clinical research associate.

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MURALS AT CRISTO REY If you visited our campus in the past, you would have seen the smiles and welcoming faces of our students, faculty, and staff. But a visual representation of Cristo Rey's iconic neighborhood was missing. Pilsen is known for its art, culture, and creativity and Cristo Rey is a cornerstone of this vibrant community. In early 2021, EVP Morgan Collier reached out to local artists who are nationally known to come and provide our students the experience of creating murals start to finish. Two of our first murals were completed by local artists Sentrock and Sam Kirk.

Chicago-based street artist Sentrock (Joseph Perez) moved to Chicago from Phoenix, Arizona in 2012. Since then, Chicagoans have seen his signature murals of brown children in red bird masks all over buildings in the city. With his art now on display across the country, Sentrock still shows the most love for Chicago and Cristo Rey is honored

that he worked with a team of students to create “Fly Higher” in the new counseling hub of the school.

Also nationally-known, Sam Kirk is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist, who explores culture and identity politics. Her artwork focuses on a variety of intersections which encompass a call to celebrate differences and enact change. Sam’s vivid and powerful images of women, members of the LGBTQIA community, and those who have historically been underrepresented are celebrated in narratives that share the journeys that have made them who they are.

Sam’s work telling the story of Cristo Rey students is now on display in our main lobby.

We are thrilled to showcase art at Cristo Rey and plans to continue the mural program are underway. If you are interested in supporting art and culture at Cristo Rey, please contact Morgan at mcollier@cristorey.net.

Above: Artist Sam Kirk (third from left) and her team, along with students Anahi, Lizette, and Heidy stand proud in front of the new lobby mural. Left: Sentrock (second from right) with students Fernando, Emily, and Lizette in front of their mural displayed by the new College Counseling office.

Learn more and virtually meet the artists at our Cristero Chat on October 21. Register to attend at www.cristorey.net/chats.

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CORPORATE WORK STUDY PROGRAM: THE FUTURE OF WORK This school year, nearly 100 students collaborated with 30 CWSP partners to deliver added value work and participate in professional development. Remote work represents an opportunity to achieve the intended outcomes of the work study model for both student workers and job partners, but in a wholly new, innovative manner. Meet a few of our students who represent the future of work: JUAN is a rising junior who worked remotely for Brookfield Asset Management in the Public Security Group’s Legal & Regulatory department. Associate Dameeka Sweeney shared that his contributions helped to build out their Vendor Management Program and have been instrumental to organizing data inflow to Brookfield.

PRISCILLA worked remotely for Mesirow in its Human Resources department. The rise of unemployment filings and jobless benefits in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic increased fraudulent claims using stolen identity information. Priscilla was tasked with creating an IL Unemployment Scam User Guide to help impacted Mesirow employees. “Pricilla’s contributions enabled me to have high level, complex conversations centered on these fraudulent claims. Her work also helped us to roll out a new benefit called ‘LifeLock Benefit’ that provides employees with identity theft protection,” says Michelle Bean, AVP HR Business Partner.

KEVIN is a rising junior who worked remotely for Advanced Group in its Operations Wunderland Staffing department. Kevin supported the team’s talent acquisition process, conducting initial candidate research, identifying prospective leads, and recording talent notes in ERecuit. “While I was hesitant at first, I am so glad we worked through the uncertainty of hosting a remote student worker. On a daily basis, Kevin generates 50-60 leads; his pre-validation saves me, and others on the team, a lot of time,” says Paul Owen, Director of Operations.

Alumna Lizbeth Saucedo ('17) recently graduated from UIC and has accepted a full-time job with CIBC, where she worked as a student at Cristo Rey. Lizbeth's story is a shining example of what happens when companies partner with Cristo Rey to provide opportunites for our students - the future of work. Reprinted from LinkedIn, Lizbeth shares her journey in her own words:

“After years of all-nighters and long study days, I’m proud to announce that I’ve graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and a minor in Data Analytics. Even more so, I’m proud to announce that I’ve accepted a full-time job offer as a CRA Specialist with the CRA team at CIBC. Reflecting on my life, my mother was a young, single-mom and had to provide for herself and for me for a long time. She, also, had allnighters and long days because she was a full-time mom, a full-time student and had a full-time job. Often times, growing up, I heard the phrase “figure it out.” If I needed help and my mom was unable to help me, she would tell me to “figure it out.”

This phrase quickly became my motto, if I ever was struggling with anything, I knew I just had to figure it out. This is part of being a firstgeneration student- figuring it out. You pave the way for yourself and the generations after you, you learn and dive into different worlds as you go.

I remember being a 13-year old Latina, walking through the Financial District of Downtown Chicago, into a big bank, afraid of an unbeknown world. At the time, I’d only been to downtown probably once or twice before.

Many thanks to my manager, Maria Guzman and the head of the CRA department, Beth Witczak, for their unconditional support throughout these last 8 years at CIBC. They believed in that 13-year old and my work ethic from the start, they allowed me to work with them for 4 years throughout high school and continued to believe in me when I was off to UIC. If it hadn’t been for the opportunity to continue to work with them, I was prepared to work 2-3 jobs to afford my tuition.

Moreover, special thanks to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School because if it wasn’t for their CWSP program I would not have gained all these years of experience.

I’ve come a long way and I’m thrilled to continue to learn and grow with CIBC.”

Learn more about how you can become involved in the future of work with our students at Cristo Rey. Contact Maureen McInerney, Director of Business Development & Strategy, at (773) 890-6820 or mmcinerney@cristorey.net.

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MAKING WAVES FOR CRISTO REY On August 18, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Board Member and friend, Br. Matt Wooters, SJ, will be swimming eight miles in Lake Michigan in honor of our 25th anniversary! Br. Matt has been training with CR alum Ivan Rios ’12 (pictured left).

Br. Matt tells us why he is attempting this amazing feat in his own words:

My name is Br. Matt Wooters SJ and this summer I am hoping to make a splash for Cristo Rey Jesuit High School's 25th anniversary! Cristo Rey has changed Jesuit education for the better. In the 25 years since Cristo Rey's founding, 36 more schools have opened based off of Cristo Rey in Chicago. In total, more than 20,000 scholars have been educated via this network. What started as a ripple on the Southwest Side of Chicago has turned into a massive wave of social change to break the cycle of poverty around the country.

To celebrate this sea change of hope, I am going to swim from Loyola University to Chicago's Navy Pier (eight miles!) to represent the trajectory of success for Cristo Rey students: to higher ed and then onto successful careers in business, medicine, law, nonprofits, and more. Join me in celebrating this incredible school on its 25th anniversary!

With my big swim, I am boldly aiming to raise $25,000 for Cristo Rey. Can you help me?

Learn more about Br. Matt and his ambitious swim, how you can get involved, and donate today at www.cristorey.net/making waves.

SAVE THE DATE MAKING WAVES FOR CR Wednesday, August 18 May be rescheduled for inclement weather www.cristorey.net/makingwaves CRISTERO CHATS: Hispanic Ministry Thursday, September 16, 2021 www.cristorey.net/chats ALL-SCHOOL REUNION Saturday, September 18, 2021 Cristo Rey Plaza www.cristorey.net/reunion 3RD ANNUAL CRISTO REY GIVING DAY Thursday, September 30, 2021 More info to come!

2ND ANNUAL RUN THE REY 5K October 2021 Stay tuned for details!

CRISTERO CHATS: Art & Murals at CR Thursday, October 21, 2021 www.cristorey.net/chats CRISTERO CHATS: Our Story of Gratitude Thursday, November 18, 2021 www.cristorey.net/chats ¡VIVA! 2022 Thursday, May 5, 2022 Bridgeport Arts Center More info to come!

WAYS TO GIVE Online www.cristorey.net/donate Phone (773) 890-6800

Mail Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Attn: Advancement Office 1852 West 22nd Place Chicago, IL 60608

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For More Information Morgan Collier Executive Vice President mcollier@cristorey.net (773) 890-6818 Support us every time you shop!

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SUMMER/FALL 2021

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

• T he Class of 2021 • F irst Alumni on Board of

Directors • Alumni Graduates • Murals at Cristo Rey • CWSP: The Future of Work • B r. Matt Wooters, SJ, is Making Waves for Cristo Rey

cristorey.net/reunion

T H E WOR KS OF C R I STO R E Y J E S U I T H I G H S C H O OL