What is the impact of 10 years of Cristo Rey Jesuit? We asked alum Imanol Ruiz, ‘20 to create a short video that answers that question, and we invite you to view it below.

Imanol has shared that his connection to the arts began in his time at Cristo Rey Jesuit and made him feel that storytelling was something he felt called to do. Imanol now runs his own video production company, and his film, “The Time You Were Given” won the best documentary category at the Mometu College Film Festival in Los Angeles last July.

GENEROSITY IN ACTION: $1.5M GIFT LAUNCHES ENDOWMENT FOR CRJ

As Cristo Rey Jesuit celebrates its 10th anniversary, we continue to plan for the future. As part of the Trailblazer Award ceremony in May, President Stith shared, “I feel incomparable gratitude for all we have accomplished together during the last 10 years as well as immeasurable hope for what we and our students can continue to accomplish in the next 10 years and beyond. To support making those dreams a reality, I’m excited to publicly announce that two anonymous donors have contributed 1.5 million dollars to launch our endowment to ensure the future success of our school and most importantly, our students, in the years to come. We are so grateful for this tremendous opportunity to start an endowment in our 10th year of operating and to think about our long-term hopes and dreams.”

Such generosity reflects a strong vote of confidence in CRJ’s future, and the Cristo Rey Network wholeheartedly agrees. During a recent Mission Effectiveness Review marking CRJ’s first 10 years, the Network offered the following praise:

"Since its founding in 2015, CRJ has demonstrated a remarkable trajectory in achievement, growth, and transformative impact in Milwaukee. It is well-positioned to pioneer the next iteration of the Cristo Rey model. We want to reiterate how rare such a strong launch is amongst our Cristo Rey Schools. As Cristo Rey Milwaukee celebrates its 10th anniversary, it stands out as a rare success story in Cristo Rey school launches, marked by the stability of its leadership and the unwavering support of its community - students, parents, staff, and board members alike. Cristo Rey Milwaukee's commitment to excellence, resilience, and innovation positions it as a beacon of education opportunity and transformation in the community."

Donald Driver and President Andrew Stith pose with senior Zharick.

Last week, after our all school Mass in front of our gathered student body, I announced that a special guest was present to deliver a surprise to one of our students. Former Green Bay Packer Donald Driver stopped by Cristo Rey Jesuit to present one of our students with a scholarship from the Donald Driver Foundation and Cousins Subs. Driver entered the gym on his way to the podium to present the big check and as the students recognized who he was, the noise volume in the gym increased dramatically! It was another great Cristo Rey moment. As we celebrate our 10 year anniversary, I think of all the special moments we’ve enjoyed and the tremendous accomplishments of our students as they prepare to go to college. This year is no exception!

The Class of 2025 has been awarded an impressive collection of scholarships. Ethan D. was named a Gates Millennium Scholar - the only student in the entire Cristo Rey Network of 40 schools to receive this honor. Less that 1% of 50,000 applicants are selected nationally for this full-ride scholarship. Ethan will be attending UW-Madison in the fall.  

Samantha S. received the prestigious, nationally competitive QuestBridge full-ride scholarship - the 4th recipient in our school’s history - and will be attending the University of Notre Dame. Read more about Samantha.

Briseida H. will be attending UW-Milwaukee after receiving the Anu and Satya Nadella Scholarship, which provides financial and academic support and covers tuition, fees, and room and board for up to five years. The scholarship was set up through a gift from UWM alumnus and Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella and his wife, Anu. “When I first received the email that I had been selected to receive a full-ride Anu and Satya Nadella Scholarship for UW-Milwaukee, I was shocked and couldn’t believe it! I was grateful knowing that my hard work that I did during high school got me somewhere where my college will be completely paid for.”

In addition, 19 CRJ graduates were awarded All-In Milwaukee and All-In Marquette Nursing scholarships. Combined, they will receive more $230,000 for their four year college education at local universities like Carroll University, UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Marquette University, Wisconsin Lutheran College and UW-Madison.

Finally, CRJ’s valedictorian Elizabeth R. will be attending Milwaukee School of Engineering and salutatorian Yoseline M. will be venturing out to the east coast to attend Yale! It is only through the hard work of our students and the support of staff members and teachers, work study partners, and donors that we can achieve these tremendous outcomes. We’ve certainly had many moments over the last 10 years and look forward to all the good that is yet to come through our graduates and alumni in the next 10 and beyond!

Please join us in the celebration of our seniors by watching our graduation ceremony live stream on June 6th at the link below.

CRJ JUNIORS WIN NATIONAL BUSINESS PLAN CHALLENGE IN U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

CRJ students Sebastian (third from left) and Mia (second from right) pose with their championship team.

In the summer of 2024, Cristo Rey Jesuit students Mia X. and Sebastian A. entered a week-long local competition through the Boys & Girls Club. This would eventually lead to an all-expenses-paid trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands and a chance at winning $1,000 in a national competition this past April. The local competition began with teams preparing a rough draft of a business plan presentation. Mia and Sebastian's team created a business plan proposal for an antibacterial, bamboo-fiber-infused towel which would be marketed to the facial care and beauty industry. Mia said, "We presented our idea in front of judges, and we were selected as the winners. Just like that, we had to prepare to compete against high school students from across the country in the Virgin Islands!"

Over the fall, Mia and Sebastian worked with their group on their project and presentation with advisors from JP Morgan Chase. Sebastian said, "The CWSP experience and knowledge that Mia and I had was really helpful in helping our group craft a high-quality presentation, marketing materials, website, and even a commercial." Their team practiced their presentation all winter before going to the U.S. Virgin Islands in April for the Young Entrepreneurz Solutions National Business Plan Challenge.

Their practice and hard work paid off as Mia and Sebastian's team won, besting competitors from high schools across the US! Sebastian said that experience made his personal sacrifice worthwhile. "I was set to be a starter on the soccer team this past season, but I lost that position because I wasn't able to attend many practices due to our meetings for this competition. I'm relieved and glad that my work paid off. It was also great having a 3-day excused absence at an island resort, and coming home with $1,000." Congratulations to Mia and Sebastian, and thank you to everyone who helped them achieve their success!

CRJ ALUMNA NAMED TO THE NATIONAL CRISTO REY NETWORK 40 UNDER 40

Cristo Rey Jesuit Milwaukee is among 40 Cristo Rey Network schools celebrating 31,000 graduates across the nation. Recently, the Cristo Rey Network National Alumni Association has named their 40 Under 40 awardees for 2025 - including CRJ’s own Victoria Jara Rios, ‘19!

“Cristo Rey Jesuit's support has been an instrumental part of my journey as a first-generation college student and now as an alumna. My time at CRJ provided me with the head start I needed to prepare for a promising future. Cristo Rey Jesuit made me the person I am today because they instilled in me the values of resilience, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to service. The Jesuit value of Cura Personalis, caring for the whole person, was first introduced to me at Cristo Rey, and it has been a guiding principle throughout my education and professional journey.”

Beginning at the age of 14, Victoria worked at Baird as a student at Cristo Rey Jesuit, continued to work there throughout her college years, graduated from Marquette U., and now works as a Client Services Specialist in Baird Asset Management. She was also a ballroom champion at our Milwaukee Stars Merengue event in November 2024. Congratulations Victoria, and thank you for being such a shining example for our current students to follow.

CRJ AWARDS INNAUGURAL TRAILBLAZER AWARD

(L to R) Fr. Jim Flaherty, S.J., Dr. William (Bill) Henk, President Andrew Stith, Anne Zizzo and Jeff Snell, PhD

The Cristo Rey Credo calls for us to make the Kingdom of God concrete in the here and now. At Cristo Rey, no one has ever taught that we should be content with doing something small. In honor of our 10th anniversary, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School has created The Trailblazer Award to recognize an individual or organization who has been instrumental in effecting this transformational change in Milwaukee.

We are thrilled to announce the inaugural Trailblazer Award recipients, who were honored at a ceremony in May. Beginning in June of 2012, these four individuals served as co-chairs of the feasibility study to determine if Cristo Rey could succeed in Milwaukee, and whose hard work led to the school's opening in 2015.

• Fr. Jim Flaherty, S.J. - "Education and employment are crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty and overcoming those social structures and policies that prevent less advantaged populations from actively taking part in society. It was an honor and joy for me to serve and make Cristo Rey Jesuit possible."
• Dr. William (Bill) Henk - "I regard my involvement with the creation of Cristo Rey Jesuit as THE SINGLE most important pursuit I've ever undertaken as an educator over a career spanning half a century. Cristo Rey Jesuit was and always will be an extension of God's will."
• Jeff Snell, PhD - "I'm thankful to have been part of something that has come to beautiful fruition because God smiled on and indeed blessed this endeavor."
• Anne Zizzo - "Cristo Rey means so much to me as someone whose life has been profoundly shaped by faith, family, and the transformative power of education. Participating in the founding of Cristo Rey Jesuit is one of the most meaningful chapters in my life."

Congratulations to our four Trailblazer Award recipients, and thank you for helping make Cristo Rey a possibility in Milwaukee.

CRJ STUDENTS PREPARE FOR MISSION TRIP TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Thank you to everyone who donated their metal as part of Alter Trading’s Go Green For The Green fundraiser. Your efforts raised over $8,000 and that amount will be doubled by Alter Trading to fund CRJ’s second annual international service trip. 12 students and 3 CRJ staff will volunteer time from their summer break to bring water to communities in need in the Dominican Republic.

Junior Carlos volunteered for the trip because it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. "One of my friends went last year and he talked about how much of an impact it had on him. I'm excited to meet and engage with a culture that is so different than mine."

Junior America added, "I felt that the service trip would be a good way to continue building my relationship with God through service for others while also getting to explore the world. I also felt like this would be a wonderful learning experience that would help me live out this school year's theme of AMDG, living for the greater glory of God, as our work there will create a positive change within their community."

Is your business interested in partnering with our work study program?

We would like to speak with you about how your business or organization can partner with our Corporate Work Study Program! Contact Everette Fernandes at 414.436.4600 Ext. 3141 or efernandes@cristoreymilwaukee.org.

Make a difference in the lives of CRJ students!

The generous support of Cristo Rey Jesuit donors like you makes it possible for us to offer a Catholic, college-prep education combined with unique professional work experience to young women and men of all faiths and limited financial means.