NON PROFIT | july 2010

Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory

Class is almost out at Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory. There is a palpable sense of relief, but students are still eager to learn. Some will be back for summer school, others for an SAT prep course, and the new freshman class will arrive in early August for work-study training. Welcome to the Cristo Rey Network, where 6,000 students from low-income families across America are experiencing an educational revolution.

Since the first school was founded in 1996 in the basement of a condemned Chicago church, the Cristo Rey Network has grown exponentially. With 24 high schools in diverse, urban areas around the country, the nonprofit organization boasts a superior Catholic curriculum at a minimal cost – and a 96% college acceptance rate.

Houston’s Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory opened this past fall, one year ahead of schedule, welcoming 82 students into its inaugural Class of 2013. Situated on the expansive campus of the former Mount Carmel High School, Cristo Rey Jesuit is the youngest and largest school in the network. “Typical Texas,” jokes Father TJ Martinez, SJ, president of the school. With 77% of students dropping out of high school before junior year, this area of southeast Houston was determined by a Cristo Rey sustainability advisory board to be the most in-need of a network school out of all areas studied nationally.

The students are accepted based purely on economic need (translation: qualify for free or reduced lunch), providing they are 14 years of age before September 1 and show a certain level of maturity. They are in class until 4pm, four days a week, with mandatory tutoring until 5:30, since many students are up to three grade levels behind. The fifth day is spent doing entry-level work at a reputable Houston corporation. Four students share one position – each student goes one day a week and takes one Friday per month – and their salary pays for their tuition. Nearly 70% of costs are covered by their hard work; they brought in half a million dollars this year.

Not only does the work-study program bring money to the school, but the students love their jobs and are treated as equals. Companies like Sanchez Oil & Gas, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. and the University of Houston are providing opportunities for the students to learn professionalism and the value of an education, in addition to bolstering the kids’ résumés. “Colleges are falling over themselves to get these kids,” said Fr. Martinez. This ground-breaking program is actually “an old idea, resurrected,” according to Fr. Martinez. In decades past, it was typical for teens to go to school and have a job. “We’re bringing that idea into the 21st century,” he explained.

In a nutshell, Fr. Martinez is well-loved, energetic and totally hip. Everything from his sleek pointed-toe cowboy boots, eye-catching belt buckle and occasional faux-hawk to his outgoing demeanor says “approachable.” He loves wandering the halls and joking with his students; a self-professed cheerleader, he loves to be right in the middle of everything – both the good and the bad. The zero-tolerance gang and cheating policies can put him in a difficult position, but at the end of the day, Fr. Martinez says he is the “luckiest Jesuit priest in the country.” As the face of the school, Fr. Martinez is doing an outstanding job telling their story and raising money. “Our goal was to raise $10 million by 2011,” said Susan Martin, Director of Communications. “We’ve already raised $7.5 million, since November!” Every chair, desk, floor tile and flat-screen television has been donated, and advertising company Brand Extract created the orange and yellow logo and crest pro bono.

Despite the great success it has seen in fundraising efforts, plenty is still needed to accommodate the growing school. They are hoping to be at capacity (500-plus kids) within five years. Volunteer opportunities are endless, and the need for work-study jobs and building renovations is increasing.

In three years, the first graduating class of Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory will walk across the stage, diploma and college acceptance letters in hand. Previously victims of the soft bigotry of low expectations, these students will have transformed and proved to everyone that with higher moral, behavioral, professional and academic expectations, they are truly the leaders of tomorrow.

“Everyone has taken a leap of faith for these kids,” said Fr. Martinez. “Corporations, the city of Houston, students, families. Nobody thought these kids would be graduating from high school. Their graduation will be the most moving moment of my entire Jesuit life.”

For more information:

Susan Branda Martin, Director of Communications
832.794.9662 | smartin@cristoreyjesuit.org
www.cristoreyjesuit.org

By Evan Wetmore
Photography by Cody Bess