THREE GATES SCHOLARS HIGHLIGHT SENIOR SIGNING DAY

CRJ is proud to have three Gates Scholars in the Class of 2026: Mirian C., Dario G., and Cesar L. (left to right)

Below is a list of the colleges our seniors will be attending next year:

PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE

A REFLECTION FROM ANDY STITH

CRJ seniors' capstone presentations allow them to reflect on their growth in our six Grad-at-Grad values.

There is a dizzying amount of commentary on artificial intelligence these days! A whole new vocabulary is taking root in our daily lexicon. I feel as though I am constantly swimming in a sea of new terminology like data centers, algorithms, machine learning, prompt engineering, large language models and more. While AI definitely has some promising uses for education and the workplace, it makes me wonder about the future of learning, about how this technology will be applied, and what these applications will mean for humanity.

Last Friday, our seniors presented their capstone presentations. We share core values such as “openness to growth, loving, religious, committed to justice, intellectually competent, and work experienced” with all Jesuit high schools in the US. These are values we hope that our graduates will come to know and consider for their own lives by the time they graduate from Cristo Rey Jesuit. So, it is only fitting that seniors have the opportunity to present to family members, friends, and teachers their reflections on how they have grown in these values over the past four years in their capstone presentations. This important reflection inevitably leads students to express gratitude for their opportunities and for the many people who have walked with them along the way.

Leading up to this day, seniors worked with staff mentors on a presentation to illustrate their reflection on their learning and relationships with classmates, teachers, and family members in light of our Catholic and Jesuit core values. I had the opportunity to mentor David, one of our seniors, through the creation of his capstone. David was one of our few transfer students and, because of this, had a different perspective than most. He talked about how it was hard for him to make friends at first but that he ended up meeting his best friend through school activities and from there got to know many others. He talked about his experience on the soccer team as it related to our open to growth value. As a leader on the soccer team, he learned how to keep improving his game while encouraging, assisting, and sometimes challenging his teammates to be better. When he talked about our work experience value, he shared how his supervisor at Collier’s introduced him to the world of commercial real estate. This exposure created in him a desire to study commercial real estate next year at Marquette University. He credited his workplace with sparking his interest in the field and hopes to build on that next year in college.

Pope Leo recently released Magnifica Humanitas, his first encyclical, or official teaching, on a contemporary issue. In the document, the Pope discusses how artificial intelligence should be deployed to further human dignity rather than used for ways that undermine our shared humanity. Pope Leo writes, “Schools are not called to follow the pace of the digital world, but to offer that which the digital sphere by itself cannot provide, namely a shared time for learning and developing trustworthy relationships.” 

I love our capstone presentation day. It is a gift to sit back and hear from students where they have “found learning and developed trusted relationships” at Cristo Rey Jesuit against a backdrop of a world where technology claims to provide a faster, more meaningful, and efficient link to our reality. They allow for authentic human reflection, learning, and connection with respect to our Catholic and Jesuit values. Each student has his or her own unique experience of growth within our six values. In expressing this growth, they connect their perspective to others in an expression that is infinitely more authentic than anything artificial intelligence could create. In this exercise, our students are representing what the digital sphere cannot truly grasp: the human experience. By the way, no artificial intelligence was involved in creating this reflection. It is 100% human creativity and one of a kind!

GET TO KNOW A CRJ STAFF MEMBER:

Diana Pacheco, Art Teacher

How long have you been working at CRJ?

This is my second year at CRJ!

What is your favorite part of working at CRJ?

My favorite part of working here is the freedom of creating my own lessons and being able to have students showcase their voice through their artwork.

What is a challenge that you face?

A challenge I continually take on as a teacher is finding new ways to grow the arts department year after year. I’m always striving to make the arts experience even better than the year before!

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

I believe every student deserves access to meaningful opportunities and strong support systems. I value the emphasis on community, work ethic, and developing the whole student.

Fun fact about yourself:

I tend to thrive in creative chaos. I’m usually juggling different roles all at once, which keeps life exciting and always changing. I also serve as the cheer coach!

CRJ STUDENT TO SPEND SUMMER AT MIT PROGRAM

Junior Gabi T. will spend six weeks at MIT as part of the MITES Summer program.

During the end of May, most students are looking forward to some time away from school and a well-earned summer break. CRJ junior Gabi T. is not like most students. She will be spending six weeks of her summer break in the MITES Summer program at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts! The MITES Summer program is highly selective, admitting a small cohort of roughly 60 to 80 rising high school seniors from thousands of applicants. During the program, Gabi will take courses in math, life sciences, physics, and humanities, in addition to one project-based elective course, complete with mid-term and final exams, projects, and presentations. Gabi said, “I saw MITES as an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I’ve always enjoyed challenging myself academically, especially in STEM, and I wanted to spend my summer doing something meaningful that would push me outside of my comfort zone. I know the program will be intense, exhausting at times, and definitely stressful, but I think that’s part of what makes it worth it in the end.”

Gabi believes that her experience at CRJ in balancing her academics and multiple clubs has prepared her for the college-like experience of the MITES Summer program. “Being involved in Robotics Club, Ecology Club, NHS, theater, and photography has taught me how to balance a lot of responsibilities at once. There have definitely been stressful moments where I felt overwhelmed trying to manage everything, but those experiences taught me how to adapt, manage my time better, and work with all kinds of people. I’ve also learned how important it is to speak up, ask questions, and keep trying even when something feels difficult at first. I believe those lessons are going to help me a lot during MITES.”

As someone who hopes to major in Astronautical Engineering at MIT after graduating from CRJ in 2027, Gabi views the MITES Summer program as a launching pad to her goals and dreams. “MIT has been one of my dream schools for a while now because it feels like a place where people are constantly learning and pushing themselves to do bigger things. I love that it’s not just focused on academics, but also on solving real problems and encouraging students to think differently. Being around that kind of environment sounds really motivating to me, and it’s something I could genuinely see myself being a part of in the future. I’m especially excited that MITES will let me experience a small part of that environment firsthand because I think it’ll motivate me even more moving forward.”

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 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 a planned gift for tomorrow.

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