by Miranda Eby | Dec 26, 2023 | Campus Ministry, School News
Roberti Community House is a valued community organization in Waukegan, and particularly with the CRSM community. Roberti Community House assists those in need with a multitude of resources such as health service referrals, educational workshops, and access to food. CRSM has volunteered with the organization since 2015, and has expanded to send several student interns to work at the Community House through the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP). When volunteering through the campus ministry program with Roberti Community House, our students most often help out in their after school program.
While Roberti Community House is open to individuals in the Waukegan community of all ages, the afterschool program caters to the younger demographic. The purpose of this program is to alleviate the financial burden of childcare for parents in the Waukegan area, as well as give the kids a safe and positive environment to be involved in.
Pam Fisher, the Volunteer Coordinator at RCH, remarks how extremely helpful the Cristo Rey students have been in their program. “We truly value the relationship we have with Cristo Rey St. Martin. The students are always helpful to the kids in the afterschool program, and are constantly learning and growing during their time with Roberti Community House.”
Pam continues, “We are all here to share with each other and learn from each other.” It’s apparent that the afterschool program gives this to our students. They assist with the afterschool program, work in the kitchen to prepare food for the community through CWSP, and they in turn learn how to be leaders and role models for others.
Allison S., a CRSM freshman, is a consistent and enthusiastic volunteer with the Community House. Allison recalls one activity in particular where everyone “gave compliments to each other, and every compliment you gave, gives you a sticker on your badge”. This was a fun way for volunteers like Allison and the program recipients to spread and receive positive affirmations. Allison enthuses that her experience overall has been great, and states “I really like going because helping others makes me feel good.”
The Slogan of Roberti Community House is ‘Empowering the best in our neighborhood, community, and ourselves.’ CRSM is extremely grateful to Roberti Community House for helping our students become leaders and giving them the opportunity to work with such a crucial part of the Waukegan community.
by Miranda Eby | Dec 26, 2023 | Academic, School News
Cristo Rey St. Martin is relatively new to AP and college board testing, but this year we were given the Platinum Award for AP recognition and honor which is the highest honor an institution can receive. We began the AP program when we opened in 2009 in the old building and started with only 4 AP classes. Dr. Odiotti speaks more to the culture of CRSM academics and AP testing as he points out that “our focus on developing a rigorous curriculum and on getting results on AP exams has grown tremendously since we started as an organization… We now offer more AP courses than any other Cristo Rey Network School and over the last several years we have been increasing our results on these rigorous exams.”
The criteria for receiving the Platinum honor award goes as follows; College Going Culture (as measured by percentage of students taking at least one AP test), College Credit (as measured by percentage of seniors that earned at least a 3 on one exam), and College Optimization (as measured by the percentage of seniors taking 5 or more AP classes). “We achieved the highest level of recognition with 99% of our seniors taking at least one AP class and exam over their career, 78% of our seniors earning at least a 3 on one exam, and 36% of our seniors taking at least 5 AP classes,” says Principal Mike Odiotti.
Cristo Rey St. Martin continues to build a culture of driven and motivated students who strive to achieve more in everything they do. While we are new to the AP program as a whole compared to other schools in the area and college prep institutions, this does not stop our seniors from pushing themselves in their AP classes and on exams. Our faculty and teaching staff work with students to ensure they pass their AP classes, and succeed on exams. Through Professional Development days and staff collaboration with one another, teachers at Cristo Rey St. Martin are set on their students performing their best on AP exams, leading to our school being recognized by the College Board at the Platinum level.
Our AP program continues to flourish and exceed expectations of those in our community, as well as the students and staff involved in it. All CRSM students are encouraged to take at least 1 AP class during their time here to push themselves academically. Congratulations to our students of the AP classes in the past and current seniors for contributing to this collective success. Getting the Platinum Award is a significant academic accomplishment and is an achievement we will celebrate and continue to build upon.
by Miranda Eby | Dec 26, 2023 | Academic, School News
At Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep our goal is to get young women and men to and through college. Our teachers push our students academically, our counseling staff supports our students emotionally, and our college advisors assist students in applying to various colleges and scholarship programs. Chris C. and Luis G., class of ‘24, were awarded the prestigious Posse Scholarship for their outstanding academic performance.
The Posse Scholarship Program focuses on “expanding the pool from which top colleges and universities can recruit outstanding young leaders from diverse backgrounds.” It is a nationally recognized organization working with 20 high schools across the country, and 64 higher education institutions. CRSM is grateful and proud to be one of the 20 high schools affiliated with the Posse Scholarship Program.
Both CRSM students who received this honor went through a highly intensive Posse Scholarship Program application and interview process. Chris reflects on his journey of becoming a Posse Scholar and says, “I still remember the day I told myself I would go to college on a scholarship, but I never imagined the day truly coming. Now I’m honored to say that without the unconditional support CRSM, my friends, and family have always given me, I wouldn’t have become a Posse Scholar. Thank you!” Chris will be attending Trinity College next fall in Hartford, Connecticut, and extends his gratitude to Posse and the CRSM community for his admittance.
Luis Garcia will be attending DePauw University in Indiana. He professes his gratitude and excitement as well, as he states that “Posse is an amazing opportunity for me to fulfill my goal of going to college without the financial burden that is often associated with it. As a future Depauw student, I am excited to enter a new chapter in my life and pursue a career in the technological field. Thank you Posse and Depauw for believing in me and thank you to CRSM for providing me with the resources to succeed!”
Congratulations again to Chris and Luis for this amazing feat! We are looking forward to seeing all they will accomplish in their college career and beyond! Thank you to the Posse Foundation for partnering with us and our students in the hopes of creating brighter futures through college education.
by Miranda Eby | Dec 26, 2023 | Alumni Spotlight
Japanese culture and language have always fascinated CRSM ’20 Alum and Posse Scholar recipient, Edwin Morales. His interest was so profound that he chose to study abroad in Nagoya, Japan during his Junior year of college and pursue Japanese as one of his majors at St. Olaf College. Currently, double majoring in Biology and Japanese, and on the pre-med track, Edwin opted to study abroad at Nagoya University where he was able to take some classes in English, however most classes were predominantly in Japanese. In order to qualify to study abroad in Japan, Edwin explains that, “as part of our curriculum, we all needed to take a Japanese language exam and depending on our scores, we would be placed in one of the 7 Japanese language classes. This was really fun because the upper level classes I took would allow us to take classes fully in Japanese.”
Learning Japanese and completely immersing yourself in a new culture is no easy feat. Edwin embraced this opportunity and excelled. Edwin reflects, “overall Japan was a very unique experience and I would highly recommend visiting Japan to learn more about their culture and traditions. It was very interesting to have been able to learn the language and live in a culture very different to mine, and it has definitely helped me grow and see the world in a new perspective!”
When asked to recall a memorable experience from his time in Kyoto, Edwin talked about a time he “was able to visit an onsen (Japanese Hot Spring), various temples and shrines, … during the fall season.” Edwin remarks, “I went with three friends and it was truly something that was fun but challenging. On our way there we took the train, but had gotten lost since we got off at a different stop. We had to speak Japanese and ask questions to see if we were going the correct way. Thankfully, we were but our estimated time of arrival went from a 2 hour ride to a 4 hour ride.” While this experience was stressful for Edwin at the time, he now recognizes how that made him more confident as a traveler and also in his language skills.
Edwin’s love for adventure and learning was apparent as a student at CRSM. During his time at Cristo Rey St. Martin, he amazed his fellow students and our staff with his ambition and drive. Principal Odiotti states that “Edwin demonstrated that success knows no boundaries when determination and dedication lead the way. It is one of the reasons he was nominated and was recognized as our Spirit of St. Martin de Porres winner for his class for best living out our school’s mission. It is not surprising that he continues to thrive in college and beyond.”
by Miranda Eby | Oct 30, 2023 | Academic, School News
One Tuesday morning in October, Cristo Rey St. Martin physics teacher, Kumkum Bonnerjee, received a thick envelope and package from her fellow science teacher, Chris Call. Initially thinking it was more paperwork, Kumkum was less than thrilled to have it on her desk. Upon opening the package, Kumkum was pleasantly surprised to find an enclosed certificate and note stating she had been nominated for and won a prestigious award from the University of Chicago! Accompanying this wonderful news was a beautiful glass trophy recognizing her accomplishment. Kumkum discovered she was a recipient of the Outstanding Educator of the Year Award from the University of Chicago. Also written on her award letter was a quote from the former CRSM student who nominated her, Cristian Garcia, stating “I think you truly deserve this for all you’ve done for me and all your students”.
Kumkum, known for her challenging, yet supportive approach as an educator, reflected on this honor and expressed how proud she was to be a CRSM physics teacher and to be part of such a remarkable community of students and teachers.
She humbly acknowledges, “I did not win this award alone, it was a community cultivated effort”. This sentiment is demonstrated daily by the CRSM community, where mutual support is integral to our success. Kumkum extends her gratitude to “the entire math department for this award”, as she often collaborates with the math teachers regarding curriculum. Kumkum cannot emphasize enough how proud she is of her students, and wants to thank and acknowledge them for always “rising above, even when faced with demanding coursework”. Special thanks are reserved for Cristian Garcia, who remembered the impact she had on him during his time as a student, and took the time and made the effort to nominate Kumkum.
Kumkum asserts that, “teaching is [her] favorite job [she’s] had.” Prior to her 17-year-long term at CRSM as a teacher, she worked in the corporate world. Kumkum regards our school as something extraordinary, emphasizing how “the faculty are always supported by the administration and by one another.” This is a quality that sets our institution apart from others.
Receiving this award has deeply moved Kumkum. It has prompted her “to reflect on [her] teaching journey” and recognize the strides she’s made as an educator and motivator for her students. She exclaims, “the students are the best portion of my job. They constantly rise above my expectations, and perform their very best in difficult subjects like physics.” This award is a wonderful testament to how educators really do have lasting impacts on students, and that students benefit greatly from a supportive environment. Congratulations Kumkum Bonnerjee, you are more than deserving of this award!
