Susan Carsello knows a thing or two about smart investments. By day, she works in the investment business. Outside of work, she invests her time and energy in Cristo Rey St. Martin as a member of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, and she says the return is immeasurable.
“I truly believe in the mission at CRSM,” Susan shares. “Giving students the opportunity to experience the workplace at a young age is incredibly powerful. Between the CWSP program and the great teachers, it is a really special place.”
Susan comes from a family of educators, with two sisters who are high school teachers. As a working professional and a mother raising two boys, mentoring students feels especially meaningful to her. While she once visited students regularly at their workplaces, she now spends more time checking in with them after work, especially those who may be struggling academically.
“Sometimes it is just sitting down with a student who has not been submitting assignments and helping them focus on one thing at a time,” she says. “Those conversations matter.”
Susan often works with students using The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, asking them to read the book and reflect on what they learn from it. One student she worked with initially struggled with attitude and accountability. When Susan learned he was a soccer player, she helped him see the connection between expectations on the field and expectations in the workplace.
“That was the moment things started to change,” Susan recalls.
By the end of the school year, the student spoke at a school event and publicly thanked Mrs. Carsello for believing in him. In another case, a student who had been struggling at her workplace completed the 7 Habits and later wrote Susan an email describing the positive changes others had noticed in her growth. Susan proudly shared that message with Preston.
“It is such a rewarding experience,” Susan says. “I feel like I get just as much out of this as the students do.”
For Susan, being part of the CRSM community is more than volunteering. It is a true blessing to work alongside the students, staff, and supporters who make the mission possible.