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!
by Miranda Eby | Mar 23, 2024 | CWSP, School News
First Insurance Funding (A Wintrust Company) has been a Corporate Work Study Partner of CRSM since 2007. Currently, First Insurance employs five Cristo Rey St. Martin students, four in Office Services, and one in the Marketing Department.
Our Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) coordinators recently sent out a questionnaire to our business partners, asking them what goals they had for their student interns, and how the students will reach those goals. Not expecting a formal plan or goal oriented assignment, Lori Bell from Corporate Work Study was pleased to hear from Blanca Vasquez at First Insurance Funding that she was creating and implementing SMART Goals for her student interns.
Traditionally, SMART Goals are to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Sensitive. Each student in Blanca’s Officer Services department was given a specific goal based on something that they previously struggled with or needed to complete for their job. For example, Yahir, a senior at CRSM, was given the goal of: BAI Courses – Individually Productivity Enhancement and Time Management. Following this was the SMART acronym drawn out in steps of when, why, and how to achieve this goal. SMART goals are to be completed by the end of the school year, challenging students to focus their efforts toward improving their work performance. As an extra measure of motivation for our students, Blanca encourages other First Insurance employees to recognize students’ achievements with awards and certificates of recognition to celebrate and reinforce meeting their goals.
In addition to working with our students directly, Blanca takes the time to acclimate the interns to the rest of First Insurance Funding as soon as they begin working there, by featuring each in the company’s newsletter, “First Things First”, sharing their hobbies, favorite movies, and other fun facts about each.
Thank you to Blanca Vasquez and First Insurance Funding for taking these extra steps to help our students thrive and become purposeful professionals!
by Miranda Eby | Feb 29, 2024 | CWSP, School News
7 months into our first year with students working at Overture Promotions, and already a strong, and collaborative relationship has been developed through our Corporate Work Study Program.
Overture Promotions is a certified minority-owned company located in the Waukegan, IL area that was founded 23 years ago in 2001. They specialize in the operations and creation of promotional materials. Some of their clients include DoorDash, TikTok, and AbbVie. At Overture, they do everything from sourcing, to embroidering and screen printing, to designing and branding promotional materials, such as t-shirts, backpacks, employee hire kits, and so much more! The company is made up of over 200 employees, operating out of their front-facing office spaces, or their vast warehouse area in the back.
Overture hired four CRSM students across various departments – Lili M. in Marketing, Habi R. in Art and Design, Andrea A. in HR, and Chance H. in Customer Service at the beginning of this school year. The feedback from Overture has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, the HR director, Andrea’s supervisor, said they “wish Andrea could come in every day” instead of her one work day a week!”
CEO Jo Gilley had nothing but kind words to say about the partnership as well. Jo explains that “overall it’s been really great. The students have been positively contributing” to Overture, and in turn she hopes they are “gaining experience and skills from [the opportunity].”
CRSM looks forward to continuing the Corporate Work Study partnership with Overture Promotions. We are eager for our students to gain further experience and are grateful for the ongoing support. Thank you Overture Promotions for providing a rich experience for our students!
