by Miranda Eby | May 14, 2025 | Campus Ministry, School News
The Northern Illinois Food Bank, also known as NIFB, has been a valued partner of CRSM for many years. We often send groups of students on a monthly basis to volunteer their time packing food for their local food bank, as well as hosting the food drives in our parking lot at least once a year.
NIFB is based out of a warehouse in Lake Forest, IL, and is run primarily by volunteers and only four full-time employees. Our students and staff go every month to pack potatoes, cabbages, and so much more, in order to be people for others within their community.
Now that the school year is coming to an end, the volunteers and employees at NIFB wanted to host a celebratory pizza party just for our student and staff volunteers.
Ralph Mohica, one of the four full-time employees at NIFB, says, “it has always been a pleasure working with Cristo Rey. The students are very hardworking and seem to love coming here. We really appreciate their help and this partnership.”
The students who attend this monthly volunteer excursion are often consistent, with several students volunteering 9 out of the 10 monthly trips, and one senior volunteering all 10 months.
“We love being able to volunteer together and help people in our community,” agreed sophomores Allison and Azul.
CRSM extends its thanks to NIFB for the pizza party and for having our students and staff each month. They are a true community partner and a pillar of the Lake County community!
by Miranda Eby | Apr 17, 2025 | President’s Pen
A very good friend of CRSM frequently marvels at the results our students are getting. He repeatedly asks, “Why is it that your incoming 9-grade academic and behavioral profile is essentially the same as other schools serving low-income youth from Waukegan and North Chicago, and yet, the outcomes for CRSM graduates are exponentially stronger?” My frequent response is that, first and foremost, everyone – students, faculty, staff – want to be here. Of course, wanting to be here is just the beginning. While it is elemental to our students’ success, there is far more at work in our educational model.
As is likely the same with you, I have a backlog of articles, books, and research studies that I want to read but never get the time. One of my New Years’ resolutions was to try to make a dent in reviewing them. In doing so, I came across a policy report from August put out by TNTP, a forward-looking educational institute entitled, Paths of Opportunity: What it will take for All Young People to Thrive. The authors start by citing research (from Raj Chetty of Harvard whom I greatly respect) that supports their statement that, “The opportunity gap in the U.S. is… real and widening, and income mobility has been on a steady decline since the 1940’s.” They then go on to propose a plan with five critical factors to guide educational programs. As they say, “It’s time to build a future in which …education can truly make it possible for all young people to thrive in life, pursue careers of their choosing, and shape our democracy.”
Their 5 factors for reforming education for the future are:
- A Strong Academic Foundation bringing students up to learning at their grade level
- Career-Connected Learning to unite education with real-world work experiences
- Opportunities to Build Social Capital beyond family and neighborhood
- Personal Support in the form of advising, tutoring, and career coaching
- Civic and Community Engagement to promote a sense of belonging and agency
As I read the report, it occurred to me that CRSM embodies all these factors for the benefit of our students, and we have done so for the last 20 years – I really believe the factors in this report describe our “secret sauce” as a highly effective institution.
Strong Academic Foundation: On average, students come to CRSM 1.5 to 2.0 years behind grade level. Yet, in the four years they are with us, they catch up and are college-ready by graduation. The proof is in the pudding: This is our 6th year in-a-row with 100% of the CRSM Senior Class accepted to at least one college bachelor’s program.
Career-Connected Learning: Our Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) is a defining characteristic of our school. One full day per week, every student is sent out into a professional work environment to perform a real job and contribute value. Students gain important life-long skills and experience while earning a substantial portion of the cost of their education.
Opportunities to Build Social Capital: Through the CWSP, students build a network of relationships that bear fruit in many ways, lasting far beyond high school. Supervisors and co-workers serve as references for college applications, help students find summer work and even their first jobs after college. For many, they find important career mentors who advise and encourage them for years.
Personal Support: CRSM is very intentional in scaffolding customized supports for each student. Our Student Support Team (SST) consists of teachers, counselors, CWSP coordinators, and the Dean of Students. It meets weekly to discuss students’ needs and then develops individualized plans for students that also include engagement with parents or guardians. How many other schools of only 400 students do you know that have 2 full-time college counselors, 2 full-time alumni support counselors to ensure students get through college and into the careers, 2 full-time social/emotional counselors to promote mental health, a part-time licensed therapist, and a full-time nurse? In addition, CRSM’s Academic Assistance Program (AAP) offers students access to 3 full-time dedicated teachers who provide tutoring during study halls and after school. We also engage a cadre of 6 part-time, highly experienced business professionals to support students’ success in the CWSP. This is all about creating an environment where students can be challenged, grow and thrive.
Civic and Community Engagement: Yet another area that sets CRSM apart for typical schools is our Campus Ministry program because it challenges students to think about what they believe and how they live out their beliefs in the world. Community service opportunities are myriad – from working at food pantries to tutoring grade schoolers to comforting the homeless to praying with immigrants and their families as they face deportation the list goes on. Despite not requiring any service hours, about 2/3’s of our students participate in regular service beyond the walls of our campus. What’s more, CRSM hosts food drives, summer academic camps, various sports camps, townhalls for elected officials, health fairs and blood drives; all supported with student volunteers. These experiences not only connect students with issues facing our community and world, they also instill in our students a sense of responsibility for others and the first-hand knowledge that they can make a real difference in the world through their own actions.
How reassuring it is to read a research-based paper that affirms everything we do at CRSM!
College acceptances continue to roll in and students will be making their decisions about where they will attend in the next few weeks. Some already know where they will go. So far this year, we have students committed to MIT, Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, Smith, Tufts, University of Chicago, Middlebury, Notre Dame, U of I – Champaign, Loyola University, Marquette, and Lake Forest among many others. As each acceptance gets announced, I can’t help but think, “If that isn’t proof of concept that what CRSM does day-in-and-day-out is highly effective and defies conventional educational practice, then what is? We’re on the right track.
¡Viva Cristo Rey!
by Miranda Eby | Apr 17, 2025 | CWSP, School News
Cristo Rey St. Martin’s partnership with AbbVie reached new heights during a recent lunch celebration with junior and senior student participants in the AbbVie Mentorship Program. Seven students, along with their mentors Carlos Perez DeJesus and Eric Ruiz, were joined by CRSM work-study staff for an afternoon of connection and reflection.
Students shared how impactful it has been to have mentors as supportive sounding boards. The mentors, most of whom share similar backgrounds with their mentees, have become like older siblings to the students, offering guidance during critical moments of college and career discernment.
The AbbVie Mentorship Program is currently in its pilot year with 23 student participants. It meets 3–4 times per semester, often during workday lunches, and mimics a hybrid workplace with both in-person and virtual connections. This program is designed to enhance communication skills and promote overall personal development.
As our largest corporate partner, AbbVie continues to invest deeply in our students’ futures, and this mentorship program is a powerful extension of that commitment.
by Miranda Eby | Apr 17, 2025 | School News, Student Life
The National Honor Society’s Spring Blood Drive was a success, thanks to the generosity and teamwork of our CRSM community! 20 successful whole blood donations were made out of 29 attempts—a fantastic turnout.
“Giving blood is something simple that I can do to help. It’s a relatively easy thing to do, and there is such a high demand for blood,” said Ms. Partenach, CRSM English and Fine Arts teacher.
NHS extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who played a role: from moving furniture and checking in donors to walking participants back and resetting the space. Special appreciation goes to those who scheduled their donation in advance and to those who stepped up last-minute. Even deferred donors—many of whom were simply too short to meet the height and weight requirements—were appreciated for showing up!
“I want to be a nurse someday, so I am interested in this type of work,” stated CRSM junior, Kendra. “I want to give back and help those in need by giving blood.”
In an email to the CRSM community, NHS shared:
“To put things in perspective: each donation equals about a pint of blood (that’s like two cafeteria milk cartons), and the average transfusion requires about three units. We’ll let you do the math on how many lives were saved—extra credit awaits in your math classes!
Thank you again for making a difference, and we look forward to seeing you at the next drive this fall!”
by Miranda Eby | Apr 17, 2025 | School News
April is National Volunteer Month, and at Cristo Rey St. Martin, we would not be where we are today without our volunteers. That’s why on April 11, 2025, we hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast as a small way to thank the large contributions of all of our volunteers.
At the breakfast, we had representation from all the departments our volunteers help with, including Campus Ministry, Corporate Work Study, College Counseling, Development, AAP, and general frequent volunteers.
CRSM appreciates having the opportunity to honor these individuals, as they give so much time and effort to our students and mission.
“I believe in the CRSM Mission and access to education for all, as well as access to healthcare,” said Dr. Venoncia Bate-Ambras, a CRSM volunteer of 3 years.
Many of our volunteers also come from the organizations we partner with for the Corporate Work Study Program. Tania Bedrosian, a research microbiologist at AbbVie, has mentored our students for about a year. “As a Latina, growing up, I always wished I had someone to mentor and guide me while I was in high school. I am happy to do that for these students and give them guidance.”
At CRSM, our volunteers are more than just helpers— they are mentors, role models, and champions of our mission. Their generosity of spirit and time uplifts our entire community and impacts our students’ lives. We are deeply grateful for their commitment, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.
