by admin | Feb 17, 2023 | Academic
The teen years are a time for young people to have a healthy start in life. Yet national statistics report a sharp increase in sadness in high school students, especially amongst teen girls.
At CRSM, students are learning “The Science of Happiness,” which models a Yale class that was created to redefine happiness and give students the tools to create protective relationships and redefine happiness. This six- week course aims to curb the teenage mental health crisis by bringing together the best insights from Dr. Laurie Santos’ popular Yale course “Psychology and the Good Life.” A recent survey found that 37% of teens say they have poor mental health. The goal: for students to feel better and build healthier habits.
Each Tuesday at the 11:40 a.m. lunch period CRSM, students (and some staff) grab their lunches and head to the science lab. There, counselor Christina Dippold is leading a six-week “crash course” designed to help students be happy in the moment and not just when they reach a goal or accomplishment.) With videos, handouts, and exercise prompts (and serving homemade chocolate chip cookies and Valentine’s Day candy) Christina is hoping to help students develop strategies about how to be happier, how to feel less stressed, and how to thrive in high school and beyond. There is also a remote option for students via this link.
“I love that this course provides the opportunity for students to hear lectures from a Yale professor and to learn about recent research in psychology,” said Christina. “Several videos focus specifically on the negative impact of phones and social media, and Dr. Santos offers specific strategies for monitoring how to use them in healthier ways. There are so many great take-aways for teens to use in their daily lives that can help improve mental health and overall wellness.”
According to new CDC data released earlier this month, nearly 3 in 5 (57%) U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021—double that of boys, representing a nearly 60% increase and the highest level reported over the past decade.
Christina explained that “our minds trick us about the things that make us happy, but many of these intuitions are ‘… not exactly right – or are deeply misguided’. That’s why we get it wrong. I know this stuff, but my instincts are totally wrong.”
“The course is designed to help students be happy now and not only when they reach a goal,” she said. “We think there are things that will make us so much happier, like getting cool stuff, going on trips or going to Woodfield Mall and buying the cutest shorts for $60, yet they don’t make us as happy as we expect.”
by admin | Jan 20, 2023 | Alumni Spotlight
Ruby Hernandez has been inspired by the world of business ever since her high school internships at Wintrust and Gewalt Hamilton Associates through Cristo Rey’s Corporate Work Study Program.
Now, the CRSM Class of ’21 grad juggles full-time studies at Arrupe College of Loyola University with an apprenticeship at Grant Thorton LLP, rotating through the accounting, analytics, and tax departments. Next fall she will attend Loyola University as a junior and accounting and analytics major, on her path to becoming an accountant.
Last year Ruby received the 2022 President’s Medallion from Loyola University. She also serves her fellow students as a student orientation leader and as a peer instructor for ACUNI (Arrupe’s first-year seminar). Ruby also participates in Arrupe’s Emerging Leaders Program, Career Club, Entrepreneurship Program, Phi Theta Kappa, and the Grant Thornton Apprenticeship Program.
“Ruby embodies what we hope for all our students at Arrupe College; she understands the value of hard work and demonstrates that value daily. In addition, Ruby exhibits authentic qualities: she is person-centered, compassionate in her dealings with others, and is committed to excellence, especially when it comes to her personal growth,” said Fr. Tom Neitzke, S.J., EdD, Dean of Arrupe College.
The President’s Medallion honors students from each of Loyola’s 14 colleges, schools and institutes who exemplify the meaning of being a true “Loyolan.”
“Exceeding not only in the classroom, but also in the world around them, these students add immeasurable value to society by answering the call for leadership, scholarship and service,” state’s Loyola’s web site. “It is through helping other that they empower their community, upholding integrity and reputation along the way.”
Ruby said: “I like Loyola because it is a Jesuit institution. I feel like it’s my destiny to be here because my grandfather’s aunt, Madre Nati, was the first Mexican woman to be sainted. There are three churches named for her in Mexico. I feel like she’s watching over me. It helps me spiritually.”
She says her call to service was kick-started as a student at CRSM.
“My experiences in high school and at Arrupe helped to be motivated, energized, and goal oriented,” said Ruby. Through CRSM’s work-study program she said: “I had to talk to people in the community and the workplace and I used to be a very shy and reserved person. They instilled in me a sense of confidence and empowerment during my formative years that I never would have thought was possible.”
Ruby’s older brother Rodrigo Hernandez, 23, also is a CRSM graduate. Class of ’18. He is the team manager working for the men’s soccer team at Loyola University Chicago. Additionally, Rodrigo also works for the Chicago Fire FC and has done work for Chivas de Guadalajara as well as the Mexican national team.
Her advice to CRSM students: “Don’t wait until your junior year to start working on your GPA. I wish I had realized how many resources CRSM had for me. But once I took school seriously, I have never veered from that path.”
For now, she’d focused on driving her dreams.
“I really want to learn everything I can and about business and figure accounting is the smartest place to be,” says Ruby, 19. “My goal is to come back to Waukegan and run a family business that in some way helps the community. But that is further down the line.”
by admin | Dec 20, 2022 | School News
During this holiday season, we want to shine the spotlight on the “Angels Among Us” doing extraordinary work to advance our mission day in and day out throughout the year. We’ve been thinking about what inspires them to donate their time and money and passions to Cristo Rey St. Martin at a time when our students and their families — along with the world — need our help more than ever. We feel it is very important to point out that we are featuring only SOME of the many, many standout volunteers in this issue. We are very grateful to so many people who give generously of their time and talents providing support for CRSM in everything, from helping to write resumes, training and accompanying our freshman to their first day at work, and others who share their expertise at our career exploration days. We will be launching a monthly spotlight to feature all our volunteers in depth. Stay tuned in future months for more angels among us.
Meet Our Campus Ministry Volunteers who Help Feed and Nourish the Spirits of Our Neighbors in Need
Once a month, for the last two years, the CRSM community has manned the parking lot to help distribute food to area residents in need through the Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Popup food bank. Taking a lead directing traffic are Mary and Kathleen Popit, and working alongside her son is CRSM mom Anaid Hernandez. Hunger relief is just part of what our volunteers do — because “food is the foundation of kindness and compassion for our neighbors,” says Mary Popit. “These volunteers embody and live a core part of our mission to be people for others,” said Jim Dippold, Director of Campus Ministry. “They are helping to feed more than 600 families a month. This would not be possible without their help and dedication.”
Meet Erin Foley, Joanne Eenigenburg, Cindy Rourke and Ann Kendall our event planning gurus
From creating the theme, the decor, inviting their friends and family and providing overall direction for our two major fundraisers — elevate and Founder’s Dinner — this team of volunteers works tirelessly to pull off these mega fundraising events which financially support tuition and programs for our students, who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford a college prep education. “We couldn’t put these events on without this committee,” says Candice Tonon, Director of Development or Wendy Feldhaus, Assistant Development Director. “They are a very special community of supporters.”
Volunteers Gear Students Up for Corporate World
Meet the Corporate Work Study Program mentors, Ignatian Volunteer Corps team: Keith Schoeneberger, a retired attorney, Susan Carsello, a wealth management advisor, Kate Kniest, a retired college nursing professor and Mari-Lou Menezes, a financial services executive and business development strategist with JP Morgan Chase. Phil Balog, a retired accountant from Waukegan, has been volunteering for more than a decade. From scouring through student’s on-the-job work study reports, to coaching and mentoring students who are facing challenges at work these IVC Chicago volunteers “are hugely important in helping student develop workplace skills and giving them after work support,” says Brian Weinberg, Director of the Corporate Work-Study Program.
Teaching Writing and Academic Skills
With a culture that immerses students in becoming college and career ready, helping students achieve academic excellence is vital to our mission. That’s why CRSM is grateful to the volunteers who share their expertise with students in the academic arena. In the college counseling department, Gretchen Cooper Athas, a Career Management and Admissions Coach and Jeanie Sullivan, work with seniors on their personal statements, resumes and college applications. .”We couldn’t do it without them,” says Sharon Holdvogt, college counselor. “They are incredible with working with our students to encourage them to elaborate in their writing while also allowing the student to maintain their voice and style. John Simons, a retired Abbott scientist, with a PhD from MIT and MBA from Northwestern and an Ignatian volunteer, offers academic counseling twice a week through the CRSM Academic Assistance Program (AAP). “I was lucky to retire early and wanted to do something that really makes a difference in these student’s lives,” says John. “Now I can finally put my ‘over educated’ self to use and make a true impact.”
by admin | Nov 29, 2022 | President’s Pen
Gratitude…
Last Monday, twenty-two CRSM students gave up their evening to be here at school calling nearly 400 donors simply to say, “Thank you.” They reached more than ninety in-person. What a treat to hear them talking to benefactors on the other end of the line, expressing gratitude while answering questions about their studies, hopes for college, and dreams for the future.
Gratis…
Another evening, some of our staff and students gathered after school (as they do every week), to get on a bus and go over to the local PADS shelter where they make beds for the homeless and then prepare a meal and eat it with them. CRSM does not require community service hours. Instead, students are invited to freely give their time and talents without expectation of reward or credit. Service is done gratis or it is not truly service.
Congratulate…
I visited Arrupe College at Loyola University Chicago earlier this month and was greeted in the lobby by a large poster of a CRSM alumna now studying there. She had just been awarded a 2022 President’s Medallion from LUC. Here is what the Dean of the college said about her:
“[She] embodies what we hope for all our students at Arrupe College; she understands the value of hard work and demonstrates that value on a daily basis. In addition, [she] exhibits authentic qualities: she is person-centered, compassionate in her dealings with others, and is committed to excellence, especially when it comes to her personal growth.
For her part, she says that her teachers at CRSM and Arrupe, “have taught me to be selfless, to be motivated, and to be brave and caring.” Congratulations to a remarkable young person who is and will be making a difference in our world!
Agree…
Recognizing that soccer is king in Waukegan and that most of our students yearned to watch Mexico play in the World Cup, we agreed to alter the school schedule so that the lunch hour coincided with the weekday matches. The first game was televised in our cafeteria on the large monitors we use for weekly assembly. Imagine the entire school community – faculty, staff, and students (except for the students working that day) – all crammed into one space cheering and sharing the moment. So much fun!
Grace…
Educators do not often realize the full impact they have on the lives of their students. Often, students don’t fully appreciate teachers until they have the perspective that only time and life experience can give. “Thank you’s” aren’t always practical to make when you are years and often miles apart. Once in a great while, a “thank you” does make it back and it is truly a grace to get one. Our Principal received this unsolicited email from a CRSM graduate who saw a license plate with the word “grit” on it:
“Grit is something you told us about possibly every chance you got and while sometimes it was repetitive, it really stuck. Back in the day, I didn’t realize how important Grit would be in my life, but believe me, college made sure that I knew I needed it in order to succeed. I will never forget when I tried to convince you to give us a snow day because of how cold it was going to be and you instead, showed me a picture of how cold it was going to be in Russia and told me that if the Russian kids go to school in negative degree whether then we can too, because we have grit. Believe it or not, I think about this conversation from time to time, especially when it’s freezing outside, but also when I feel like giving up on something because no matter what, life keeps moving and we have to learn to keep moving with it.
Anyway, I’d like to say thank you for making sure we knew about grit because it truly has helped me in college with my classes, [and now with my] work opportunities…”
Grateful, gratis, congratulate, agree, grace…
These words all share the common Proto-Indo-European linguistic root of “gwere” meaning “to favor, to thank, to praise.” Not coincidentally, they also each require a level of selflessness to enact. We cannot be grateful without acknowledging that someone has given us something; something cannot be offered gratis without first giving up any conditions placed on the receiver – there can be no quid pro quo; we cannot truly congratulate someone if we think only of ourselves; we can only agree on something if we acknowledge the other side; and we cannot receive grace without first recognizing our own vulnerability. Somehow, we cannot be truly thankful without looking beyond personal interests and we cannot find grace without thinking about the needs of others.
During the Eucharist (which, by the way, means “Thanksgiving” in Greek), there is a point in the mass when the priest says, “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give You thanks, Lord…”
Community is a prerequisite to giving thanks. We are called to be persons for others because it is the only way we can recognize God’s grace already at work within us. Recognizing that we belong to one another and have a responsibility for one another is what saves us. Giving thanks is both our duty and salvation. Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Advent! And thank you for supporting CRSM!
by admin | Nov 21, 2022 | Academic
Getting to graduation day is not always an easy task – but it is, ultimately, a rewarding one. A high school diploma opens doors for more postsecondary education options, career pathways and earning potential.
That’s why CRSM is proud of scoring #1 in three of the Cristo Rey Network’s key performance indicators for college readiness, according to the Network’s recently released Annual Data Report 2022. Out of the Network’s 38 schools in 24 states across the country, CRSM ranked top in:
- College Readiness: With 72%, CRSM scored #1 in college readiness, based on the proportion of seniors who had a 3.0-plus GPA and earned a qualifying score on at least one Advanced Placement. The Network average was 42%.
- Student Retention: With 90%, CRSM scored #1 in the Class of 2022 student retention 9th grade through graduation: Network average was 72%.
- College Enrollment: With 92%, CRSM scored 5th in the Network for the Class of 2021 percent of students enrolled in a 4-year institution as of August 2022. The Network average was 73%.
The Cristo Rey Network of high schools delivers a career focused, college preparatory education in the Catholic tradition for students with limited economic resources, uniquely integrating rigorous academic curricula with four years of professional work experience and support to and through college.
