NEW SPORT KICKS OFF AT CRJ

CRJ's inaugural flag football team with Athletic Director Darryl Ingram practices in the hallway after school.

Girls Flag Football is the fastest growing high school sport in the country, and flag football will also be an Olympic sport for men and women in the LA Olympics in 2028. This growth of interest in the sport, including sponsorship and national support from the NFL along with support across the state of Wisconsin by the Green Bay Packers, has led to the creation of the Cristo Rey Jesuit Girls Flag Football team. 

CRJ Athletic Director Darryl Ingram has been involved in football his whole life. “My youth, high school, collegiate and NFL experience playing football has led me to coach youth football for the last 20 years.” Although it is not a WIAA sanctioned sport yet, Ingram feels it soon will be. “As Trailblazers, CRJ is one of the leaders in building this sport in Wisconsin.” 

The team kicked off the inaugural season on January 10th, with a group of 12 young ladies who joined the team with no previous knowledge or experience playing the sport but saw an opportunity to try something new. “I have young ladies on the team that have never participated in any other sport here at CRJ. They were all brave enough to come out and take the first steps toward learning something completely new to them. Additionally, this opportunity has increased student inclusion and participation.”

Freshman Kassidy said, “I always wanted to play football so when I heard that they were going to make a team here, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to join.”

"I joined flag football at CRJ because I wanted to be a part of a trailblazing team," said senior Trinitee. "Our coaches were very supportive of our concerns about not knowing how to play, and they constantly reassured us that they'll be there every step of the way to help us get better, but most importantly to have fun."

The team anticipates playing 8 to 10 games this year against other teams from Milwaukee, Madison, and the Fox Valley. Ingram has high hopes for the future of girls flag football at CRJ. “I am very confident that we will thrive and be one of the better teams playing girls flag football in the state.”

President Andy Stith and Fr. Bill Johnson, SJ speak with Archbishop Jeffery S. Grob after his Installation Mass.

Two weeks ago, I was privileged to attend the Installation Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, and it was a beautiful celebration of the leadership transition from Archbishop Listecki to Archbishop Grob. The elaborate tradition, symbolic acts, welcome by representatives from various communities, variety of languages spoken for the readings and petitions, and Archbishop Grob’s words of wisdom during his homily were all very inspiring. Archbishop Grob took the opportunity to articulate three main parts of his vision for all who were gathered, and I couldn’t help but think of how his words spoke to our Cristo Rey mission.

Archbishop Grob spoke to how we are all God’s creation, created in God’s image and likeness. He said, “This understanding compels us to recognize the inherent dignity possessed by each and every person…regardless of how different he or she may be from you and me.” In many communities, the educational opportunities available to young people are dictated by their family’s financial situation. High quality schools are often for those who can pay the tuition or test at a high enough percentile. At Cristo Rey Jesuit, there is recognition that with some creativity and community partnerships, we can serve young people who might not have an opportunity to go to a great school because of where they live or their income. We are motivated to provide this education by what the Jesuits call “cura personalis” or care for the whole person. Because every young person is created in God’s image and likeness they need and deserve an education that pushes them to develop their God-given intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social capacities.  

This is challenging work where we may not have all the answers. Archbishop Grob reminded the congregation, “The challenge before each of us is that our lived experience not become static but remain vibrant - ever hopeful - even when confronted with what can seem to overwhelm. It is a walk by faith, not by sight, as St. Paul tells us.” At Cristo Rey Jesuit, a core part of our mission is to be a beacon of hope in a world that can seem so far from Gospel values. We certainly use our vision to do a lot of planning and preparation, critically analyze student performance data, and always seek to improve on our outcomes. However, our future, our students’ futures, and our community’s future are often so clouded by the challenges, the disappointments, and the tragedies that arise. So, ultimately, we walk by faith and not by sight in order to stay true to our mission when the world around us seems rudderless.

Throughout the last ten years at Cristo Rey, we have only been able to bring our mission to life because we do not walk alone. The Archbishop reminded the Church that “Long days filled with hard work necessitate a spirit of cooperation in laboring as one rather than divided.” One of the distinguishing features of Cristo Rey’s innovative education is the number and diversity of stakeholders who come together to make the school work. It starts with the incredible students, staff members, and families who bring our mission to life everyday. Then, there are our work study partners offering our students really important work and life lessons outside of a classroom but definitely part of their education. Our active and committed governance board members, our donors, the Jesuits, university partners, and, yes, even politicians on both sides of the aisle have contributed to helping our school and community realize our vision to transform Milwaukee. With the start-up and growth of our school in the last ten years, we definitely have had those long days. It is precisely because of all those who’ve come together to support our mission that we are inspired to persevere and have hope in our future.

As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week in the United States this week, we recognize the distinct role Catholic schools play in our community. By acknowledging the inherent dignity in all our students, leaning on our faith to confront future challenges together, and uniting our community in a life-giving, Christ-centered way, we are answering the Gospel call of all Catholic schools. We warmly welcome Archbishop Grob as he joins Cristo Rey Jesuit and the rest of the Catholic schools in our Archdiocese in the pursuit of this vision.

CRJ STUDENTS ACHIEVE SAT TEST SUCCESS

Students take advantage of an SAT test preparation session.

The Cristo Rey model for academic success can be explained in a simple formula: high expectations plus high support equals college readiness. In order to solve this equation, CRJ has made growth in students’ SAT scores a strategic priority over the next four years and the early results are showing success worth celebrating.

The SAT was picked as an area of measurement because students take a version of it four times throughout their high school tenure. This makes it an ideal yearly assessment of students' growth as the SAT is a high quality academic assessment and measure of college readiness. As part of our long-term strategic plan, we'd like to see students achieve an average of 40 points of growth per year. The results from the Fall 2024 testing shows that CRJ students earned an average of 63 points of growth - the equivalent of a year and a half of academic success! As a reward for meeting - and exceeding - their growth goal, each class earned a nacho party as their reward.

Interim Principal Patrick Bader explained the process of creating this growth. "We identified a challenge for us in that each freshman class is made up of more than 30 different schools from around the city. This makes it very important for us to see where our students come to us at and use different strategies for students when necessary." One of these strategies has been the focus on vertical alignment of classes over the last three years. "The work students do builds on what they learned in their last grade level, and in addition, our junior and senior level courses provide a college-ready level of work for students.”

Bader added that this success is a stepping stone for future growth. “Our goal is to see this same level of growth consistently over the upcoming years because it ensures students are college ready.” Join us in congratulating the CRJ students on their SAT successes as well as the CRJ faculty and staff for providing the support necessary to exceed the high expectations that are set for them.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: HALEY ALVAREZ, '24

Alumna Haley Alvarez snapped a selfie with Bucky Badger during a blood drive at UW-Madison this fall.

The freshman year of college gives students a chance to seek out opportunities that can form their future. Whether it's picking a major, joining student organizations, or finding jobs on campus, each decision shapes their college experience and beyond. Recent CRJ graduate Haley Alvarez joined some of her fellow alumni to offer words of encouragement and advice to current CRJ seniors earlier this month. We took the opportunity to catch up with her and see how her first semester has been going.

"My first semester at UW-Madison has been amazing! I’m really proud to share that I made the Dean’s List with a 3.83 GPA! I officially declared my major in Health Promotion and Health Equity, and am considering a double major in Neurobiology. There are a few certificates, especially in Health Policy, that I'm exploring as well because they might complement these majors and expand my range of healthcare knowledge.

"Madison has been an amazing place to be, there are so many cool opportunities! This fall I worked as a research assistant at UW's School of Medicine and Public Health with the Surgery Department investigating minimally invasive surgery techniques. I'll continue in a similar position this summer with the LASER program and plan to renew my school-year research fellowship in the fall. My hands-on CWSP experience at Madison Medical in downtown Milwaukee gave me skills that directly relate to my current research work, and honestly that's what gave me the confidence to take on these new challenges.

"I also wanted to make sure I could meet people, and so I got involved with several social organizations. The StEP-UP program connects students in pre-med tracks, supports us in our studies, and will eventually connect us to opportunities to work side by side with MCW faculty. I'm involved with PALMA, a pre-health group for Latino students on campus, and I’m mentoring high school students at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. I also joined a Bible study group, which has been a great way to meet new people and build connections.

"CRJ prepared me for college. In many of my classes, I find myself applying knowledge and skills learned at CRJ. In fact, I even helped some upperclassmen in my college math class using techniques that Mr. Estrada taught me at CRJ. My college shadowing experience through CRJ's Encuentros program at Marquette helped me understand what I wanted to do in college. The classes and opportunities I had through CRJ were definitely essential in setting me up for success this year. I’m looking forward to whatever the second semester brings!"

SUPPORT CRJ MISSION TRIP WITH METAL DONATION

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School will be the beneficiary of the value of all metal turned into an Alter plant throughout the year, and Alter will double your metal’s value during EARTH MONTH, April 2025. This is your opportunity to make a contribution for a 3 for 1 impact: the Earth, Cristo Rey, and a Tax Deduction!

ALL donations must mention “CRISTO REY JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL”. Please consider donating a load, partial load, or even a set dollar amount (any amount will do). Proceeds will be used to fund student trips to the Dominican Republic where they will help impoverished communities bring running water to their homes.

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.