DRAFT DAY CELEBRATION RETURNS

After a six-year hiatus, Draft Day returned to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School with all the energy, excitement, and CRJ spirit that you’d expect! Draft Day brought CRJ students and corporate partners together for a high-energy afternoon to kick off the school year. It also marked the first time more than 100 business partners met their student workers for the school year.

With eager anticipation, all 467 students moved to the gym through the halls lined with cheering corporate leaders, supervisors, mentors, staff and the Milwaukee Hittaz Drum Corp. Keynote speaker Jennifer Schomburg, President of Aurora Southeast Wisconsin and President at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, spoke to those in attendance about how a small work task may seem minor to you, but it’s incredibly important to those it helps. “What I learned in my first job was how neat it was for strangers to walk into an office who needed help, and I got to do something as little as replacing a battery in their hearing aid, and I made a difference in their entire life.”

CRJ alumna Victoria Jara Rios, ‘19 spoke to students about how the Corporate Work Study Program impacted her life since being placed at Baird 10 years ago. “As a 14 year old, I walked into my internship at Baird, and it showed me a world of careers I didn’t know existed. I had never even considered working in the financial services industry. 10 years later, I work at Baird full-time and with the same team of co-workers I started with. It all started with just showing up and being willing to learn.”

According to CRJ Junior Caleb, "Walking into the gym, it felt like I was getting ready for a big game! Being able to be a part of an event like this made me feel good, proud, and happy. Hearing my name called on the stage and having confetti all over while the crowd was cheering - it made me feel really special!"

President Stith fires a confetti cannon to celebrate the announcement of a team of students being drafted.

The week following the Labor Day holiday means one thing for students at Cristo Rey. It is time to get to work! At Cristo Rey, every student from the time they are a freshman works in some type of job as part of the school’s Corporate Work Study Program. We introduce work as an integral part of the educational formation of our young people that will benefit them now and in the future. We do this because we recognize that important lessons can be taught and connections made both inside and outside of the classroom.

To celebrate this special place that student work experience has at Cristo Rey Jesuit, we brought back our Draft Day tradition this year. This unique event was created to honor the opportunities so many in Milwaukee were offering our students through a job at their companies or organizations. Representatives from our workplace partners stand on stage to greet students and welcome them officially to the team. We had a drumline, loud music, confetti cannons, and over 650 people in our gym cheering with each announcement! 

We were pleased to welcome Jennifer Schomburg, President of Aurora Southeast WI area and St. Luke’s Medical Center to share with students about her first job. When I hear very accomplished executives talk about where they started their careers, it is a good reminder that everyone starts somewhere! At Cristo Rey, we know for some students it will start with their work experiences as a student at our school.

What was inspiring to me this year, different than in previous years, occurred when students were called up to be matched with their company or organization where they would work. In three cases, the companies or workplace partners were represented by our Cristo Rey Jesuit alumni, who now work for the companies and are charged with supervising the company’s CRJ student workers. It was so powerful to see our alumni welcome our current students on the stage that day to their companies. They were showing their commitment to building their own careers while opening the door for others behind them, a core tenet of our mission. I imagined how this Draft Day scene might look in another 10 years. How many CRJ alumni will be on that Draft Day stage in the future to welcome CRJ student workers to their companies? What impact will that have on our students and our city? While we can’t know the future, what an exciting glimpse of our vision to help us know we are on the right track!

ARCHBISHOP GROB CELEBRATES MASS AT CRJ

Archbishop Grob celebrated the Mass of the Holy Spirit at Cristo Rey Jesuit on August 29th.

With special blessing for a successful year, the Most Reverend Archbishop Grob led the Mass of the Holy Spirit at CRJ. During his first official visit to the school, he was met with an enthusiastic student body. As a Catholic and Jesuit school, the tradition of the Mass of the Holy Spirit marks the beginning of a new academic year and is an opportunity to bless the year ahead for students, staff, families, and partners. The Archbishop read an excerpt from Margery Williams' book The Velveteen Rabbit and asked students to consider what it means to "be real" in today’s world if we consider ourselves Christian? We are grateful to Archbishop Grob for his guidance, wisdom, and blessings for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year.

"As a new school year begins, we're asking for God's blessing and asking for the Holy Spirit to help enliven and deepen our faith, and to engage the students as they start this year," said Archbishop Grob.

"Because of my strong Catholic faith, it was very meaningful to me for the Archbishop to celebrate mass here at CRJ," said senior America. "I knew how important and special this was, and it was even more notable since I'm a senior and this was my last first mass of the school year. Since I was also part of the choir, I wanted each song to contribute to the reverent atmosphere. I want to thank Archbishop Grob for helping us start this school year off in such a special and unique way!"

Sophomore Erick was one of the students who was able to have lunch following mass with Archbishop Grob. "It was an unreal experience to talk to, and have lunch with the Archbishop. He was so friendly and talking with him felt like talking to someone I've known for a long time. Having him here at my school and leading our mass had a revolutionary impact on me. I felt so grateful for this experience and the Love God has for me."

COMPANIONS ON THE ROAD

President Stith welcomed every student back to school on August 20th.

As we welcome the new school year with joy and anticipation, we are excited to introduce this year's theme: "Companions on the Road." The theme draws its inspiration from the powerful Gospel story of the Road to Emmaus, where two disciples encounter the risen Christ as their traveling companion, transforming their journey from despair to hope, from confusion to clarity, and from isolation to community. Just as Jesus walked alongside those early disciples, accompanying them through their struggles and revealing deeper truths along the way, we recognize that education at its best is never a solitary journey but one traveled in the company of caring mentors, supportive peers, and a loving community.

The concept of companionship lies at the very heart of our Jesuit, Ignatian tradition. St. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus as a community of "companions of Jesus," who were united not just by common goals but by a shared commitment to accompany others in their spiritual and human development. This Ignatian vision of accompaniment permeates every aspect of our educational mission at Cristo Rey Jesuit. 

As we embark on this new academic year together, we invite you to see yourselves as essential companions with us on our student's educational journey. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, our students are discovering who they are called to become, often through moments of challenge and uncertainty. With your partnership, our faculty's dedication, and God's grace, we will continue Cristo Rey Jesuit's mission of empowering young people not only to succeed in college and life, but to become compassionate leaders who will, in turn, serve as companions on the road for others. Together, we walk in faith, hope, and love toward the bright future that awaits each of our students.

SAVE THE DATE: MILWAUKEE STARS MERENGUE 2025

Milwaukee Stars Merengue

Saturday, November 15, 2025 | Baird Center - Rooftop Ballroom

Downtown Milwaukee

Don’t miss this opportunity to see Milwaukee celebrities take the stage with a professional dance partner to entertain and raise funds to benefit Cristo Rey Jesuit High School’s rigorous academics, innovative Corporate Work Study Program and faith formation.

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. Consider a gift today or email Shannon Watry to discuss a planned gift for tomorrow.