“Cristo Rey Didn’t Change Me – It Changed Everything”: An Interview with Oscar Gonzalez

“Cristo Rey Didn’t Change Me – It Changed Everything”: An Interview with Oscar Gonzalez

by | Oct 30, 2019 | Alumni Spotlight

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 Network and the transformative effect that CRSM had on his whole family. The following conversation has been edited and condensed.

Thanks for taking the time today. We saw each other briefly at the reunion at CRSM. I didn’t know at the time that you were headed to NYC.

No problem, I love talking about Cristo Rey. The last time I was back to the new campus was winter break. It’s been really busy ever since I accepted the internship with the Clinton Foundation.

I’d like to talk more about the internship, but I’m also interested in talking about the things that led up to that success. Was it always obvious that you were going to CRSM?

 It was to my Mom (laughs). I was in public school and I was captain of my soccer team, I wanted to go to school with my friends. My mother did not want me to go to public high school. My aunt went to Cristo Rey and my mother insisted that I go to CRSM. I was very lucky. That turned out to be a very important decision for the whole family.

And it looks like it went really well, you graduated with a 3.7 grade point average.

There were some rocky times. As I began my freshman year, my family went through some tough changes. As I and my 3 sibs worked through those changes, it also became clear that middle school had not prepared me well. So if I wanted to accomplish something “major”, I had better step up my game. After many nights with 2- 3 hours of sleep and a commitment to the Schuler Scholar Program, my academic performance got up to speed.

It sounds like diligence and grit carried the day. You used the term “something major”, where did that come from?

 My grandfather and I talk almost every day. He is a very disciplined man and always had high expectations of me. He used that term quite a bit. And now that you and I are talking about this, I would say my dad is a really a hard worker, my grandfather is very disciplined, and my mom is very bright. I like to think I got a few brains from her as well!

It sure sounds like that happened; a Schuler Scholar, a high GPA, acceptance into the College of The Holy Cross…

It wasn’t quite that simple. I ended up leaving the Schuler program for senior year, which was not a positive thing. I became worried about working on my own on the college search and acceptance process. But I got lucky again. The Counseling Department, especially Ms. Kainic, were all there for me. Many, many extra, hours were given to me. If it weren’t for those efforts, I would not be at Holy Cross. I saw thirteen colleges, but I was encouraged to participate in a “fly-in” to Holy Cross and I fell in love with the school.

So the fly-in visit made your decision easy and you were accepted. In terms of academics, how is the transition from high school to college going?

 It’s going very well. I changed my major from Pre-Med to Business & Psychology. As a result, purely by coincidence, I met a mentor/alum who was connected to Cristo Rey. That’s how I found out about COHC’s internship in New York with Clinton Global Initiative University. They mentor and provide seed funding to student innovators from many different campuses.

Congratulations. It sounds like a fabulous opportunity. I know your work-study experiences with Gewalt Hamilton Associates and Discover Financial were very successful as well. Did those experiences change you?

 Completely. In fact, I still work for Discover when I’m home from school. This is what we talked about earlier; if I hadn’t gone to CRSM, I don’t know where my life would have gone. It is the single most important event of my life. It didn’t just change me, it changed everything – my acceptance into college, the ability to earn money during school, the way I interact with people in business, even the way I dress. It changed my family. I wouldn’t be as close to my parents as I am now. And I wouldn’t have become a role model for my younger brothers and sister.

We’re almost out of time – with a 35 page paper in the works, I know your free time is at a premium. How do you use the little that you have?

Well, because of my love of soccer I enjoy training and playing club. I’ve been able to get to some of the museums here in the city with the other foundation winners. I’m also having fun working on my public speaking skills.

Thanks for taking the time. Anything that I forgot to ask you?

 When I start making some money, I want to go to Barcelona. And when I do start earning, I plan on contributing to Cristo Rey St. Martin.

 

“To embrace accountability and responsibility”: An Interview with Liz Martinez

“To embrace accountability and responsibility”: An Interview with Liz Martinez

by | Sep 30, 2019 | Alumni Spotlight

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 Bank.

The following conversation has been edited and condensed.

 

First of all, thanks for taking the time to speak with me. It was great walking through the new campus with you.
Thanks, I love the new facility. The natural light is wonderful, what a change from the old campus!

You’ve also experienced some big changes here in Waukegan.
That is really true. Moving from Lakeshore Catholic to public school took some adjustment – but attending Cristo Rey College Prep signaled the beginning of real change.

Let’s talk more about that, but I’m also interested in why you decided to attend CRSM.
My brother and I (Oscar Martinez CRSM ’11) met with Cristo Rey St. Martin when they visited our middle school. My parents always wanted us to go to college, and they love what CRSM stands for. We are a working class family; Dad works in the construction business and Mom works as a housekeeper. Our family hadn’t saved any money for college because we just didn’t know that college was an option – until Cristo Rey.

How did CRSM impact you and your family?
As a Cristo Rey Family, we began talking about college and how we could go about it. Is it expensive? What do we need? Things like FAFSA, the actual applications, essays and recommendations were completely new to us. We had no clue on how to proceed with any of it. At CRSM, there was always conversation about what was needed. Workshops were always happening. It was an eye-opening experience. Even the terminology was difficult for us – what does gross income mean? It didn’t take long for us to adjust.

The financial issues associated with college are so significant. Can you talk a little about the the academic side?
Sure. Going to school four days a week instead of five and waking up extra early for work study, all while taking a challenging course load, took some getting used to. I wanted to be involved in extracurricular activities as well, so I was forced to become very organized. I learned how to prioritize – to embrace accountability and responsibility.

It appears that you were successful at that. Good grades, a trip to the volleyball finals – with time left over for Campus Ministry. How did work study go for you?
It was quite an experience. I found myself working in the State’s Attorneys office in Waukegan as a 14 year old. Working in that environment required me to develop my people skills very quickly. In my sophomore year I worked at the Boys & Girls Club. They were very supportive and offered me a summer job. In my junior and senior years I worked as a teller for First Midwest Bank, where I now work as a personal banker.

You graduated from Lake Forest College with a double major, Communications and Spanish. Was that always your plan?
No. I started in International Business at Marquette University. At the time of my transfer to Lake Forest College, my mother became very ill. My father was working day and night, my little sister was in middle school and my brother was in Milwaukee, so it fell to me to take care of my mom. I would go to school in the morning, pick up my sister from school in the afternoon, take care of my Mom and then work a night shift as a waitress in the evening.

My grades began to suffer and I was on the verge of quitting, but my parents insisted that I finish. Luckily, I had significant Spanish and AP credits, so without too much catching up I was able to graduate with a double major in Spanish and Communications.

I’m not sure how you were able to handle that for a year and a half.
My parents had a lot to do with it.  Their attitude was, you made it this far – why are you going to stop? In the end, things have turned out great. My mother got better. My brother and sister are doing well and I found out how much I enjoy working in the banking industry.

Any new and exciting plans you care to divulge?
I’ve been working with Waukegan To College (W2C) for quite awhile now. I’m impressed with the work they’re doing. I’ve just joined their alumni board. Regarding my work, I’m looking at a number of different areas at my company; and a master’s degree may be in my future.

“Don’t Give Up; You’ll Get There”: An Interview with Jessica Borjon

“Don’t Give Up; You’ll Get There”: An Interview with Jessica Borjon

by | Jul 24, 2019 | Alumni Spotlight

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, thanks for taking the time for us. I know your job in human resources at the City of Waukegan keeps you really busy.

Busier than ever! I just received a promotion to HR Manager. But I will always have time for Cristo Rey; they played an important role in my life. I’m proud to say I was one of the thirteen in the first graduating class of CRSM.

Congratulations on your promotion! What made you decide to apply to the “new” CRSM in 2007?

My twin sister met someone from CRSM at a job fair and made it clear to me that Cristo Rey was the future. I jumped in as a sophomore and loved every minute of it.

You said you enjoyed school, but health issues made school more difficult than it should have been. Can you talk about that?

Sure. I was very sick when I was younger. It was a serious childhood illness and it took quite a while to get it under control. It landed me in the hospital for weeks at a time – but my sister helped, bringing my assignments to me, so I could keep up with school work.

It’s so impressive that you were able do well in spite of that challenge, how did your Work Study experiences go?

I loved my all my Work Study jobs – in payroll, in accounting and in human resources. My mother works for the Waukegan Police Department, so I was able to take summer jobs working for the city. I learned early how life-changing it is when an adult, in the workplace, appreciates you for a job well done. Your confidence soars.  The truth is that both my parents and Cristo Rey enabled me to do well at work.

Were your parents just as supportive around your goals for college?

They were great. I didn’t graduate from Loyola University until 2014. I was working and going to school, trying different majors to find something I loved: Pre-Med, Accounting and Accounting & Finance. It wasn’t until I worked with the YWCA of Lake County, training CRSM students, that I realized how much I enjoyed helping people and how much I love working in HR.

And congrats again, a degree from Loyola University and a recent promotion. Do you have any advice for our student readers?

Well, in light of my experiences with graduation delays, with waiting for promotions and the time it took to find a field I could be passionate about, I’d say: be patient. Don’t give up; you’ll get there.

“Challenges Became My Fuel”: An Interview with Brisel Jiménez

“Challenges Became My Fuel”: An Interview with Brisel Jiménez

by | Jun 3, 2019 | Alumni Spotlight

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, and her work with the Corporate Work Study Program in Chicago and San Francisco. The following conversation has been edited and condensed.

Luckily for me, we met at a business partner appreciation event – I didn’t know about your involvement with Cristo Rey work study. And congrats on your graduation from UIC!

Thanks. Both have been such important experiences for me.

You’re graduating with a major in Economics with minors in Sociology and Entrepreneurship, was HR always a goal for you?

As a student at Cristo Rey, I worked at Advanced Group for 3 years. I never thought of HR as something I could do, but I had mentors at Advanced Group who helped me find that I love anything “HR”. They believed in me. So when I graduated CRSM, I continued working for them. They were extremely flexible with my hours while I worked toward my bachelors which provided me with an income to finish school. By the time I was a senior at UIC, my position at Advanced Group included mentoring twelve Cristo Rey students.

It sounds like your academic and work study experience at Cristo Rey made the transition to college easy.

I did very well at Cristo Rey, but my performance as a freshman at UIC was not what it should have been. I struggled. I felt overwhelmed; I didn’t expect that so much would be thrown at me so quickly. Suddenly I’m in a huge lecture hall with a professor on a microphone. I had doubts about myself. I was in the city, learning to navigate public transportation. It was easy to become overwhelmed. You don’t feel at home at college…and you can start doubting. There were times when I did not feel like I was supposed to go to college.

How did you deal with all of that?

It became clear to me that this was my biggest challenge – that this could hold me back. I recognized that there was something about overcoming this obstacle and getting my college degree that was going to make me – make up my character.

And that became my fuel.

I found the power of asking questions, of advocating for myself. If you don’t, the currents will take you. I know how powerful your thoughts are – thoughts of self-doubt, internal negative comments. It comes from not knowing what is going to happen. And pride holds you back because you think it’s too late to ask questions. But it’s never too late, no matter what stage you’re in. I was surprised at how many people were willing and happy to help. Though sometimes I wonder how I found the courage to finish. And now I’m helping students get through those same feelings.

So where did that courage come from?

[pause] Thinking about it now, it came from several places. My mother is a fearless “go-getter”. She doesn’t have a lot of education, but she learns how to get what she wants and tirelessly works toward it. She has been my inspiration. When I had struggles, the simple words I believe in you were the most powerful. Cristo Rey, including Principal Odiotti’s speeches about grit, and the Work Study Program gave me the benefit of the doubt – which put me in a position to win.

 

As a new graduate what are your thoughts about your future?

I find that I don’t spend too much time thinking about the future. Concentrating on what’s in front of me right now seems to work better for me. I am going to start on my Master’s in Human Resource Management right away so I can help the company with my current projects.