MODERNIZING WORK-STUDY PROGRAM

Modernizing the Work-Study Program

The Cristo Rey Work-Study Program continues to adapt to the new corporate environment. We now offer our partners a hybrid model, aligning the days students go to work with the days employees are in the office. More importantly, we are continuing to invest in our students’ learning to better prepare them for the workforce. Through our curriculum enhancements (see pages 7-9), students are learning career-critical material, like data analytics and the foundations of engineering, and applying their learning to real-world scenarios. Together, our curricula and the Work-Study Program are better preparing students for their jobs today and in the future. Job partners’ investment in our students exposes them to industries and careers that they might not have considered before. As students have the opportunity to explore career pathways, job partners are building pipelines for a diverse, talented workforce ready to confront the complex challenges of our ever-changing world.

2021-2022

240

Hours Worked Per Student

92%

Timecards that met or exceeded expectations

$3.2M

Dollars Earned by Students

89

Job Partners

2022-2023

19

New Partners

92%

Job Partner Renewal Rate

Job Location

• On Site - 91% • Hybrid - 6% • Remote - 3%

“Conestoga Capital gave me opportunities to dive deep into work that I was itching to do and grow my knowledge in investing.” - Zakhiir Jackson, Class of 2022

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TRACK

“I want to be a hedge fund manager.” That’s what Zakhiir Jackson, Class of 2022, said to his supervisor at Conestoga Capital Advisors on his first day of work in his senior year. With prior experience in investment management from his Work-Study job at Hamilton Lane, Zakhiir arrived at the investment advisory firm Conestoga Capital motivated and eager to learn.

“He hit the ground running. He started joining calls with portfolio companies, meeting with portfolio managers and learning the different ways to analyze a company,” said Christina Kowalski, Head Trader and Operations Analyst at Conestoga Capital and Zakhiir’s supervisor. Realizing Zakhiir’s knowledge and interest in the industry, Christina wanted to provide him real, hands-on experience and opportunities to meet with other colleagues at the firm to learn about their roles.

“I was held accountable. They didn’t treat me like a child and they gave me real work,” said Zakhiir. His favorite day was sitting at the trading desk with Christina and learning different trading platforms and types of trades. “Conestoga Capital gave me opportunities to dive deep into work that I was itching to do and grow my knowledge in investing. I now know that [Finance] is a career I want to pursue.”

In Fall 2022, Zakhiir began his first year at Penn State, studying Finance and Business Economics on a Track & Field Scholarship. He has also started his own clothing company and attributes Cristo Rey and the Work-Study Program to his professional growth at a young age.

Now in their second year as a Work-Study Partner, Conestoga

Capital Advisors is excited to be sharing their passion for the

investment field with younger generations. “The program is a great way to provide opportunities for students in underserved communities, while exposing our field to diverse talent,” said Bob Mitchell, Managing Director at Conestoga Capital. “We look forward to providing jobs many years into the future.”