CRJ Newsletter: CRJ Robotics Team Sees Success In Second Season

TOP TIER TECH: CRJ ROBOTICS TEAM MAKES LEAP IN YEAR TWO

In just its second year, the CRJ robotics team is showing growth and potential that has the team excited for the future. In 2025, the CRJ robotics team was made up of 9 students. This year, more than 20 students took part in the team! The increased number of students allowed for the team to take on additional challenges to showcase their building and coding skills. Senior Mary said, “This year, we were able to customize our own robot rather than relying on a kitbot like last year. This introduced the ability for us to learn about CAD, prototyping materials, and customized code for specific subsystems which overall made the robot really feel like something we as a team built from scratch.”

Being on a FIRST robotics team means more than just building, coding, and operating a robot. Robotics team leader Andrea Spykstra said, “FIRST Robotics emphasizes the business side of a team for marketing, fundraising, making apparel, promoting to the school, etc. We had 10 members of the team whose sole focus was this business side of the team, and they were able to help the robotics club in a completely different way than just competitions.”

Junior Teo was a new team member this season, and he enjoyed the ability to contribute in a variety of different areas. "My first job on the team was to help build the robot. I enjoyed working with my teammates to build this brand new creation! After the robot was built, I was able to be a driver at the competitions. I really enjoyed being able to drive and control something that I helped build. Seeing how other teams built their robots has already inspired me to think about ideas for next year's robot!"

The team's hard work came to fruition at the Mukwonago District competition. Competing against over 40 teams, the CRJ Robotics team took home a third place finish - the highest in the team's short history! Mary said, "Everyone put in their best effort to learn from our past competitions. The days of practice, testing, rebuilding, and trying new ideas have all led up to this. I truly am proud of this team for how far they have come, and I will miss having FIRST robotics and CRJ as a welcoming and hands-on opportunity to experience engineering, finance, and community."

See CRJ's Robot - #9760 - in action

CONGRATULATIONS 2026 TRAILBLAZER AWARDEES

In the Cristo Rey Credo, Fr. Foley writes “Our mission is to make the Kingdom of God concrete in the here and now, in other words, not merely to make things slightly better but to effect transformational change at every level. At Cristo Rey, no one has ever taught that we should be content with doing something small.”

We are thrilled to announce this year's Trailblazer Award recipients, who were honored at a ceremony on April 30th. Congratulations to this year’s recipients of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School’s Trailblazer Award: Betty & Peter Bell, Paul Eberle, Froedtert Health, and Mike Giffhorn!

The Trailblazer Award is given to members of the CRJ community who have helped affect transformational change at every level here at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee. Congratulations to this year’s awardees, and thank you for your dedication to making Cristo Rey Jesuit High School a success in Milwaukee.

GET TO KNOW A CRJ STAFF MEMBER:

Brian Kitzke, Finance & IT Manager

How long have you been working at CRJ?

I’ve been working here at CRJ for two years now.

What is your favorite part of working at CRJ?

My favorite part of working at CRJ is the people, without a doubt. There’s a shared sense of purpose here that you don’t find everywhere. Whether it’s staff or students, there’s a real commitment to showing up for each other and trying to do meaningful work.

What is a challenge that you face?

In IT and Operations, we’re always balancing big expectations with finite resources so it forces you to be creative and prioritize effectively. While the work can be challenging, it definitely pushes you to keep learning and growing.

What about CRJ’s mission resonates most with you and why?

The focus on creating opportunities and preparing students for real-world success really resonates with me. We’re giving students the skills and tools they need to succeed in a very competitive world, and our impact is real.

Fun fact about yourself:

I run an Instagram account called @muralsofmke414 that documents outdoor art across Milwaukee. I also co-own a home services company, Hoan Sweet Home, with my wife, who’s a realtor here in the Milwaukee area.

KAIROS RETREAT GIVES STUDENTS A SACRED PAUSE AND LASTING IMPACT

Members of the April 2026 Kairos Retreat at Redemptorist Retreat Center in Summit, Wisconsin

CRJ alumni often refer to their Kairos retreat as one of the most memorable parts of their Cristo Rey Jesuit High School experience. Kairos is a three-day retreat during a student's junior or senior year dedicated to focusing on their relationship with God without the distraction of school or work. During the retreat, there are no electronics or cell phones and all clocks are removed to eliminate the worry of appointments or places to be other than in the present moment. The retreat is based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius and shows students how the exercises can be put into action every day in our community, school and family.

The Kairos experience is about finding God’s voice, spirit and who we are called to be by eliminating one’s attachment to time, schedules and electronics. Junior Zaw shared, “The most memorable moment of my retreat was waking up early enough on Day 2 of Kairos to thank God for another day, then going into the chapel to sit in silence. In that quiet moment, I was able to hear God through everything that was going on, listen to my inner thoughts, and come to a deeper realization with Him.”

Following the retreat, students are encouraged to "Live the Fourth". This saying encourages participants to live every day (the "fourth day" and beyond) with the same spiritual intensity, love, and vulnerability experienced during their three-day retreat. Senior Crystal shared, “Like all retreats, it’s not guaranteed that our lives will be resolved at the snap of our fingers, but my experience helped me find reassurance in being able to ask questions to deepen my understanding of my faith. The environment of vulnerability we allowed ourselves to express and create for one another is something I’ll never forget. I was able to realize how much I truly cherish living and growing in this CRJ community. I also realized the importance of self-reflection and prayer, which is something I plan to continue by Living the Fourth.”

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.

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The generous support of Cristo Rey Jesuit donors like you make possible a Catholic, college-prep education and professional work experience to young women and men of all faiths and limited financial means. Consider a gift today or email Shannon Watry to discuss an estate gift for tomorrow.

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