by Miranda Eby | Sep 8, 2023 | Alumni Spotlight
Cristo Rey alumnus from the class of 2019, Andy Estrada, has recently earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University Chicago, majoring in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. He has also accomplished the remarkable feat of securing a Research Assistant position at Northwestern University. Adding to his impressive achievements, Andy has contributed to collaborative research that was published in an article by The American Journal of Cardiology. Andy’s notable contributions to the field of medicine underscore his ambition to advance his education further, with aspirations of attending medical school someday.
Andy Estrada’s initial fascination with Neuroscience was sparked during his time at CRSM when he was confronted with his grandfather’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. Spending considerable time translating for his grandfather at the hospital until his unfortunate passing, kindled Andy’s zeal for aiding individuals grappling with neurological disorders. This poignant experience marked the beginning of his journey towards his eventual accomplishments after graduation.
Andy’s journey as an undergraduate at Loyola was not without challenges. He recalls struggling with Chemistry as a freshman, a subject notorious for its difficulty within Loyola’s curriculum. Freshman Biology and Chemistry at Loyola are renowned as demanding “weed out classes,” designed to rigorously test first-year students. Andy commented that his initial struggle with Chemistry, combined with the adjustments to college life, fostered feelings of being “out of place” and doubting his fit within the academic program. However, his affiliation with a Cristo Rey program, particularly ‘Brothers for Excellence,’ equipped him with the confidence to withdraw from the challenging Chemistry course and later master its content. Andy acknowledges Cristo Rey for providing him with a sense of belonging and mentorship, which proved pivotal in his academic journey.
Through the unwavering support of the Cristo Rey Network and his own tenacity, Andy triumphantly graduated from Loyola University Chicago. More recently, he participated in a summer program sponsored by the University of Chicago, collaborating with Cardiologists on Myocardial Bridges research. The results of this research were subsequently published in The American Journal of Cardiology. Andy, along with his research team, had the opportunity to present their findings in New Orleans last year.
The entire Cristo Rey Community extends its best wishes to Andy as he embarks on his continuing voyage in research and the pursuit of higher education!
Read Andy’s collaborative piece in The American Journal of Cardiology Here.
by Miranda Eby | Sep 8, 2023 | Academic, School News
For the past two school years and throughout the summer, Andrea Horcher has been completing courses in Curriculum and Instruction in ESL at Concordia University to obtain her Master’s Degree. ESL (English as a Second Language) is something that Andrea considers extremely important for educators to be well-versed in and equipped with strategies to work with students, especially at Cristo Rey St. Martin. Over 30% of the CRSM student population speaks English as their second language, with Spanish being predominantly spoken as their first language. Andrea observed the challenges of teaching STEM classes to students who had to internally translate all instructions. She decided to acquire the necessary skills to better assist these students.
Andrea Horcher began her studies in August 2022 and hopes to complete them by Summer 2024. She chose to focus on ESL Strategies because she realized there were few strategies in place for STEM instructors at CRSM when attempting to help ESL students grasp complex concepts and equations. She recalls an instance from a few years ago when “an incoming student asked for math help,” and she “didn’t know how to assist the student due to the language barrier and the fact that he was ESL.” This is one example of the kind of challenges STEM instructors at CRSM have encountered during their teaching tenure and served as a catalyst for Andrea’s decision to further pursue these teaching strategies.
Through this program, Andrea aims to share her learnings with her fellow STEM colleagues on how to develop better strategies for teaching ESL students complex curriculum pieces. While the ESL classes Andrea has been taking aren’t STEM-specific, she has been able to extract methods on how to work with ESL students in her classes. “Math is a different type of language,” Andrea says, emphasizing the importance of helping students understand this language.
At Cristo Rey St. Martin, the commitment to serving students is unwavering. Being fully bilingual in the language spoken by the ESL student population isn’t required, yet Andrea chose to embark on the journey to better serve her students. Andrea has already begun weaving ESL strategies into her math classes, witnessing tangible success among her ESL students as they navigate their educational path. It’s a testament to the dedication of educators like Andrea who strive to provide the best support they can to our diverse student body.
by Miranda Eby | Sep 8, 2023 | Campus Ministry, School News
House of Peace is a recent partner with the Cristo Rey St. Martin community, and it’s quickly become a passion for the students involved. This organization is a domestic violence transitional house that focuses on helping those who have been affected by domestic violence to heal and recover. They run a program that lasts for six months, providing a safe space and support for up to six families at a time. During their stay, these families participate in a program designed to empower them, offering resources for secure housing, finding jobs, and ongoing assistance. The goal is to encourage self-sufficiency and provide them with the tools they need to embrace positive change.
The House of Peace residence was established in November 2011, but its partnership with CRSM started in 2022. Every Tuesday, CRSM sends a group of about 6-10 student volunteers to the shelter, where they engage with the children of the resident families. According to Pili Rocha, a dedicated CRSM volunteer who has been involved since the partnership’s inception, the students are responsible for caring for about 20 kids during their visits. They help with tasks such as “feeding the children and babies, playing games with them, and teaching them in art classes.” Art plays a significant role in the healing process at House of Peace, and both children and parents create artwork that is showcased in art shows and displayed throughout the residence. You can explore a variety of these artworks on the House of Peace website.
Aida Segura, the Director of House of Peace, emphasizes that “what’s beautiful about House of Peace is that it reminds us that when we support the agency of women, they are able to flourish and turn their lives around- for themselves and for their children”.
House of Peace is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Chicago and operates as one of Catholic Charities’ transitional homes. Remarkably, over the years, it’s been reported that none of the program’s participants have returned to situations of domestic violence.
Students from Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep who have volunteered with House of Peace have nothing but praise for the experience. Pili Rocha reflects on it as a “great volunteer experience” for her and her fellow students, who have thoroughly enjoyed connecting with the children at the shelter. CRSM looks forward to nurturing this strong community partnership for years to come and is grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact in the community.
You can find more artwork and information on House of Peace through their website.
by Miranda Eby | Sep 8, 2023 | Development, School News
If everything goes according to plan, the completion of Zach Perry Field is projected for the end of the 2023. This field holds significance far beyond being a mere soccer pitch for the Cristo Rey Community; it will also serve as a tribute to the late Zach Perry and as a hub for community collaboration.
‘Zach Perry Field’ was chosen as a heartfelt memorial to Zach Perry, the cherished nephew and godson of Chris and Kathy Perry, and the son of Marty and Barbara Perry. Over an extended period, Chris has lent unwavering support to CRSM, even serving on the board of the original Cristo Rey School. An instrumental figure in the establishment of the new CRSM school, Chris Perry’s contributions as a leading benefactor have been substantial. His affection for the Cristo Rey Community is profound, paralleled by his deep fondness for his nephew, Zach.
Regrettably, Zach Perry passed away in 2020 after his long battle with Leukemia. An enthusiastic soccer fan, Zach’s passion led him to traverse the globe to watch soccer matches, even waking up at all hours of the night to catch European games on American television. Wishing to honor Zach’s memory and remember his passion for futbol, Chris & Kathy Perry and their family generously donated the funding needed to construct the soccer field, knowing that CRSM always dreamed of having a home field.
The field itself is intended to honor Zach’s love of soccer with a state-of-the-art playing surface and charming surrounding features. Boasting professional-grade artificial turf, a patio area for future events, and bleachers with a capacity for 200 spectators, the field promises to dazzle. The pad, turf, and fill in particular, are a highlight as they are identical to the products utilized in the Chicago Fire Major League Soccer Stadium.
The environment surrounding the field will come from the collective endeavors of the adjacent Chicago-land and Waukegan community, alongside CRSM. The Morton Arboretum has pledged to contribute trees to plant in the green space near the field. When not under CRSM Athletics’ purview, the field will be available for lease by community non-profit organizations like “Heart of the City” for soccer camps and play. CRSM hopes to host external soccer tournaments as well as exhibition games.
The Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep community extends its profound gratitude to the Perry family for their invaluable backing and magnanimity, which allowed CRSM to begin construction of the field several years ahead of schedule. A celebration of Zach’s life with his family and friends is anticipated during halftime of CRSM’s first exhibition match on the field, pitting our boys and girls varsity teams against CRSM alumni.
by Miranda Eby | Sep 8, 2023 | CWSP, School News
They always say ‘It takes a village,’ and in this case, we see that phrase played out in full effect when prepping our freshmen for the school year at Cristo Rey St. Martin. Over 80 volunteers played an integral part in getting the Class of 2027 ready this summer through a rigorous and exciting 2 weeks of speed-networking, mock customer service calls, and creative shark tank pitches. Our volunteers came from far and wide across the northern Chicagoland area. Some were our own CRSM staff members, Board Members, benefactors, and many were CRSM business partners from companies such as AbbVie, UL Solutions, and Grainger. These events gave the freshmen some insight into real-life corporate America and prepared them for the school year, Corporate Work Study, and ultimately life after school.
The speed-networking event consisted of 62 total volunteers. This event was meant to mimic speed-dating in a more professional sense. Students practiced their professional networking and conversational skills in 3-minute periods. Networking is an important part of corporate success, and it was amazing that so many people came out to help our students develop this skill.
22 generous volunteers participated in the mock customer service call event where the volunteers pretended to be upset customers calling with complaints on the phone, and the students had to be the customer service representatives and resolve the problem. This gave the students insight into what it was like to implement problem-solving skills in a professional setting and remedy situations in which customers may be upset with them.
The shark tank event was one of the most exciting events for our students to experience. Eight volunteer judges came out to assess student pitches on products or businesses that they designed. The students were put into groups where they created the product or service, presented in the form of a slideshow, and identified key departments within a company that would assist in launching their pitch. One volunteer judge, Joshua Taddeo, Senior Manager of Channel Strategy and Performance at UL Solutions, spoke to the importance of events like these for students. Taddeo expressed that “there are so many scenarios in business and in life where developing a clear message and influencing an audience to support your decision is vital.” The main objective behind the event was allowing students to feel more comfortable presenting in front of an audience.
“Being able to speak in front of others will also be a regular occurrence in business regardless of your chosen position. Learning to be comfortable presenting in group sessions will make day-to-day interactions in business easier. Clear and comfortable communication between team members helps everyone focus on what they need to do to achieve mutual goals,” stated Taddeo, emphasizing the importance of the shark tank event.
These summer workshops would not have been possible if it weren’t for our community of volunteers and Corporate Work Study business sponsors and partners. Our volunteers made this a possibility and gave our freshmen the confidence they need to begin the school year, their Corporate Work Study careers, and, just possibly, their future professional careers.
