José (CRSM ’16, Marquette ’20) spoke with me on the phone from his room on the campus of Marquette University. His story is one of contrasts – a small town in Texas to a busy suburb in Illinois, from a high school with 2000 students to 400 at Cristo Rey. As one of...
Alumni Spotlight
“The Genuine Article – Something Greater Than Just Me”: An Interview with Angel Gomez
I had lunch with Angel (CRSM ’14, Dominican University ’18) down the street from where he works as an Executive Team Assistant to the Deputy Superintendent of Waukegan Public Schools. His journey with his family from Laredo, Texas to Zion to Waukegan was interesting,...
“Cristo Rey Didn’t Change Me – It Changed Everything”: An Interview with Oscar Gonzalez
I caught up with Oscar (CRSM ’17, College of the Holy Cross ’21) while he was in New York City. He was good enough to take a time out for us during his semester internship with the Clinton Foundation. We spoke about his time at CRSM, tapping into the Cristo Rey...
“To embrace accountability and responsibility”: An Interview with Liz Martinez
I met with Liz Martinez (CRSM ’12, Lake Forest College ’16) during her first visit to the new campus on Belvidere Road. Our conversation covered a lot of territory; from her extracurriculars at CRSM, through a family health crisis, to her successes at First Midwest...
“I would not be where I am without CRSM”: An Interview with Antonio Mancilla
I spoke with Antonio (CRSM ’18, Lawrence University ’22) about his experiences in the Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study Program, his course work at Lawrence University and his blending of Mathematics, Art and the Japanese language – just before his departure for Japan...
“Don’t Give Up; You’ll Get There”: An Interview with Jessica Borjon
I spoke with Jessica (CRSM ’07, Loyola University ’14) about her extended stays in the hospital during the school year, her experiences in the workplace and her quest to find passion for a career. The following conversation has been edited and condensed. First of all,...
“Challenges Became My Fuel”: An Interview with Brisel Jiménez
I visited with Brisel (CRSM ’15, UIC ’19) during one of her visits to Cristo Rey St. Martin as a new full-time hire at Advanced Group, a staffing company operating across the US and Europe. She shared her experiences at Cristo Rey, University of Illinois at Chicago,...