Cristo Rey St. Martin just finished its first academic quarter of the year with 98% of our student body achieving a GPA of 2.0+, and 89% earning a GPA of 3.0+. GPA is a strong indicator of college readiness and completion, and this certainly indicates that CRSM students are on the path to college success. In fact, CRSM leads the Cristo Rey Network in college readiness!
One key factor that can be attributed to these successful outcomes is the Academic Assistance Program (AAP) at CRSM. This program was established four years ago in order to ensure students who are struggling with one or more academic subjects get the support they need in order to pass those classes with a 2.0 or higher.
The program is based in a classroom right next to the campus ministry office and is the place where students come during their study halls to meet with one of three full-time faculty members or one of many of our dedicated program volunteers.
Ian King, a new addition to the AAP team as a volunteer remarks how, “the AAP program is an invaluable resource.” Ian volunteers with the program on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in between studying for his LSAT exam. Ian speaks to the importance of the program for CRSM students, as he says “It prevents students from getting lost and left behind, the faculty and staff know when a student needs to be in here, and the students know they need to be here as well.”
Other program volunteers are John Simons, Catherine Sazdanoff, and Dr. Kathleen Lee who all specialize in helping students through different subjects from science to social studies.
Pati Vasquez, the Director of the AAP program, speaks to the intended lasting impacts of the program on the students. “I hope that what they learn here will help them for the rest of their lives, discovering that they can do more than they think they can”. Pati loves working with our students helping them improve their academics. She hopes that through the help she and her team provide the students can realize their potential and be prepared to succeed in the classroom, and one day in college.
Recently, Pati has been streamlining communication between parents, teachers, and students by sending out frequent emails, response surveys, and instructions on how parents can access PowerSchool to monitor their student’s grades. Through this, parents can now be an essential part of their child’s educational success, as Pati notes the main reason for academic struggles is not completing homework at home.
This Academic Assistance Program is continuously improving its structure which has resulted in the continuous academic success of our CRSM students. The diligent team of faculty and volunteers are instrumental in helping students succeed and become college-ready. We expect continued success in this second academic quarter, and are thankful to the individuals who provide academic support when necessary.