by Miranda Eby | Apr 2, 2024 | President’s Pen
Happy Easter! Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are so lucky that the Paschal season corresponds with Spring – both times of expectation, hope, and joy. It always amazes me how quickly Spring takes root, literally. One day, you’re walking along a wooded trail with bare branches and a forest floor of old wet leaves; the next, as if overnight, there are buds on the trees and various green shoots coming up through the plant litter. Rightfully so, we associate growth, renewal, and new life with both Spring and Easter.
Part of Easter came a little early to CRSM with visits by a few of our alumni. One of the realities of being an educator is that you often do not get to see the longer-term results of all your efforts on behalf of your students. In high school, especially, the four years we have with each student fly by. While we see some amazing transformations of students from being timid 9th graders fresh out of junior high to young adults walking across the stage to get their diploma, we do not often get a glimpse of what happens after they leave us. Alumni gatherings are always gratifying but, truth be told, we usually only reconnect with a fraction of our alumni at those events. Thank goodness for social media where we can check up on some more of our former students to see how they are progressing beyond CRSM, into college and careers.
So, having alumni on campus is incredibly rewarding because we get to see our great expectations for students coming to fruition. A CRSM senior once told a group of our freshmen, “Our teachers see things in us that we often do not yet see in ourselves.” We care deeply for our students and want them to follow their dreams. We also have faith that, in part because of their experience with us, our graduates will become persons who use their talents throughout their lives to better the lives of others.
Our Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) joined forces with our Development Office to host monthly “Lunch & Learn” sessions where we bring in Alumni in certain professions to talk with students about the path they took to get there: how they became interested, what courses they took, how they applied for their first job, and any subsequent moves they made in their careers. Two alumni working in the justice system visited just before Easter break. Armando (CRSM ’18) serves as a police officer in Pleasant Prairie, WI and Melissa (CRSM ’11) works as a Victim Specialist in the Gun Violence Prevention Initiative at the Lake County (IL) State’s Attorney’s Office. It was standing room only when they spoke.
Armando had been interested in law enforcement since grade school. He joined the Gurnee Explorers Program while at CRSM. After first starting a Nursing degree at Dominican University, he transferred to North Park to receive his Criminology degree and enter a career in policing. Armando came in full uniform and body armor since he was headed directly to work after his talk. He was able to stay a little while after the event, visiting with former teachers until his shift began. He cut quite the impressive figure in our cafeteria that day.
Melissa received her bachelor’s in criminal justice with minors in Sociology and Women’s Gender Studies from Concordia in 2015. After working as a Juvenal Counselor at A Safe Place where, not coincidentally, she worked as a CRSM student. She credits her work-study experience with influencing her career choice. From A Safe Place, she joined the State’s Attorney’s Office staff. She also shared that another job she held as a student in the CWSP was as a teacher’s assistant at Our Lady of Humility school where her own daughter now attends classes.
Another of our early Easter surprises came when CRSM hosted a public meeting by US Rep. Brad Schneider announcing the re-activation of a special visa program to reunite family members unable to see one another for many years due to immigration restrictions. The program was originally begun by US Sen. Mark Kirk who was also in attendance for the announcement. After Schneider and Kirk spoke (Kirk completely in Spanish), a third speaker was introduced. The person responsible for bringing the program back to life was none other than a CRSM alumna. Laura (CRSM ’13) who went on to get her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Engineering from Milwaukee School of Engineering. Laura had family members who benefited from the program previously and decided, while a full-time engineer at a firm in Chicago, that she would dedicate her free time working to resurrect the program so other families could get similar assistance.
Just as Easter calls us to live with joyous hope in the Resurrection – the ultimate example of God’s love for humanity, these alumni visits fuel our commitment to our students and mission. They feed our joy in seeing their dreams (and ours for them) coming true! Happy Easter!
by Miranda Eby | Mar 23, 2024 | Campus Ministry, School News
In 2005, former US Senator Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park of the 10th Congressional District, instated the Abuelitas program. This allowed for Mexican grandparents to visit their children in America, who now had children of their own that the grandparents had not been able to meet due to geographical barriers. This program was recently reintroduced by US Representative Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park.
The program provides short-term tourist visas to these grandparents, and on Sunday, March 10th, Cristo Rey St. Martin was able to host these families as they reunited for the first time after being apart for so long. Originally, it was CRSM alum from the class of 2013, Laura Pizano who reached out on behalf of a club/volunteer organization she belongs to in Waukegan called Club San Jose to have this event at Cristo Rey St. Martin. Since the event aligned with our mission of being people for others, CRSM gladly hosted 16 grandparents and their families for this special occasion.
Our student-run organization, Oportunidades Para Todos (OPT), was involved with the event as well, greeting families and welcoming them to the school, along with physically setting up and cleaning up the event. “This event overall has been extremely heartwarming”, says one OPT member. “When I spoke with the families here, it felt like I was speaking to my own family.”
Both Mark Kirk and Brad Schneider were asked to give speeches and speak with the families on behalf of the Abuelitas program. “It’s great that our representatives showed up,” adds another OPT member, “it shows how close they are to the people.” Laura Pizano, an alum of CRSM, also spoke on behalf of Club San Jose.
Club San Jose and Laura Pizano are continuing to find grandparents to participate in the program. The club members travel to and from Mexico with the Abuelitas. Cristo Rey St. Martin is proud to have an alumna dedicated to this cause, and to provide the space for this very special meeting of multi-generational family members. We hope to see more reunifications in the future.
by Miranda Eby | Mar 23, 2024 | Development, School News
There is so much that goes into planning a fundraising event. It takes countless meetings, logistical planning, auction arrangement, caterer sourcing, program drafting, and so much more! Without the help of a talented and dedicated group of volunteers, our Elevate and Founders’ events would not be what they are today. Our Event Planning Committee has had many wonderful volunteers over the years, and all have helped put together beautiful, successful events on all levels.
Our current committee consists of Joanne Eenigenburg, Susan Fellito, Cindy Rourke, and Ann Kendall. All of these women take time out of their busy schedules to help plan these events for Cristo Rey St. Martin. Each gala takes months to plan!
As Susan Fellito says, she and the other members are drawn in by the “contagiously positive environment,” that is CRSM. Susan, and the entire committee have dedicated evenings, mornings, and afternoons to helping ensure the event runs smoothly and wows our audience.
Ann Kendall, a member of the committee since 2013, remarks that it’s “a gift to be a part of something so dynamic and incredible”.
Cristo Rey St. Martin is grateful to have a volunteer Event Planning Committee that is so dedicated and works so hard to ensure each fundraiser is a success. We look forward to our upcoming Founders Dinner celebration, and many more events to come!
by Miranda Eby | Mar 23, 2024 | Alumni Spotlight, School News
From traveling the globe to achieving academic milestones ahead of schedule, Ada Rios’ journey has been full of excitement. Ada is a Cristo Rey St. Martin Alum from the class of 2020. After graduating from CRSM, Ada accepted a full-tuition scholarship to Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and began working right away as an intern for one of our long-term business partners, Abbvie. It was through this internship opportunity and with the skills she developed during her time at CRSM through the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP), that Ada was able to get a job right out of college, (graduating a semester early), with AbbVie as an Analyst in the Pharmacovigilance & Patient Safety Epidemiology & R&D Quality Assurance department (or PSEQ).
Ada’s parents always pushed her to do the best she could academically. Coupled with her own internal drive to succeed, Ada was able to get what she refers to as “a quality education and a foot in the door through Cristo Rey St. Martin.” Ada is a first generation college student, and seeing the low college graduation rate in the surrounding Waukegan community, Ada knew she wanted to attend Cristo Rey to increase her accessibility to resources and chances of getting to and through college. As Ada’s family always reminded her, “donde hay querer hay poder,” or, “where there is a will there is a way.”
At Hope College Ada was able to study abroad twice! Ada first studied abroad in the Dominican Republic in the city of Santiago. Hope College provided the same scholarships that Ada was already getting on campus, so she figured “why not take the chance to study in a different country.” Then, in 2022, Ada landed another opportunity to study abroad in Madrid, Spain- something that stemmed from her desire to learn more about her mestiza heritage and culture.
In the future Ada aspires to attend law school and eventually become an AbbVie corporate lawyer. Best of luck, Ada! We have no doubt you can achieve whatever you put your mind to!
by Miranda Eby | Mar 23, 2024 | Development, School News
Dating all the way back to 2007, The Gorter Family Foundation has always been a champion of Cristo Rey St. Martin. When we were still known as Saint Martin De Porres High School, Jim Gorter took a bus tour with Addie Morrison, of Lake County Community Foundations, and saw the old campus located on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. After seeing the crowded hallways and general collapse of the building itself, with the hard-working and driven students inside, Jim became overwhelmed with a feeling that he needed to help out. Thus starting the long-term relationship with the Gorter Family Foundation and Cristo Rey St. Martin.
For the past 17 years The Gorter Family Foundation has been a champion of Cristo Rey St. Martin. When we were still known as Saint Martin De Porres High School, Jim Gorter took a bus tour with Addie Morrison, of Lake County Community Foundations, and saw the old campus located on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. After seeing the crowded hallways and general collapse of the building itself, with the hard-working and driven students inside, Jim became overwhelmed with a feeling that he needed to help out. Thus starting the long-term relationship with the Gorter Family Foundation and Cristo Rey St. Martin.
The Gorter Family Foundation was founded by James P. Gorter in 1978. In 2006, the Foundation decided to focus its efforts on the Lake County area specifically, in order to provide educational opportunities for families and children of limited economic resources. The Foundation is mainly centered around assisting families in the North Chicago area, one of the areas that Cristo Rey St. Martin also serves. The Gorter Foundation has adopted the motto “Look North”. This is due to the fact that the Lake County area, north of Chicago, is their predominant area of service, and the organization strives to persuade other donors to provide financial assistance in the Lake County area as well.
According to Cheri Richardson, Executive Director of the Gorter Family Foundation, Cristo Rey. St. Martin was one of the first schools that their foundation chose to support back in 2007 when they were just beginning to support the Lake County area. Throughout our journey, the Gorter Family has always “tried to offer as many resources as possible” to us, from their first contribution of learning trailers used as science classrooms at the old campus, to helping fund our Corporate Work Study Program today.
Cheri states, “just the fact that the students have the opportunity to see themselves in a business setting (through the corporate work study program) and learn skills that will help them in their post-graduate and educational careers is amazing.” The Gorter foundation has generously given us support for our educational and Corporate Work Study pursuits over the years, and their leaders like Cheri Richardson profess to be “in awe” of our “school and students themselves”. Cheri states that CRSM is a “shining example of what a high school should be. The building itself is so inviting and beautiful, and the kids just seem like they want to be there!”
Cristo Rey St. Martin is truly grateful for the Gorter Family Foundation and their continued support over the years – from our humble beginnings as St. Martin De Porres with around 160 students, to the thriving college prep high school with 419 students we are today. Without their partnership and shared vision we would not be where we are today – providing a quality education to deserving young men and women who are changing this community!
