Cristo Rey’s mission stands out among any school or mission, but for Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Finance Committee Brett Kenefick and his wife Becky, the school is about more than just simple education; it’s also about helping to create future leaders.
We asked Brett and Becky what stands out about Cristo Rey to them and why they have dedicated significant time, talent, and treasure to make this school a reality.
Q: Why Cristo Rey?
We believe educating the next generation of Christian leaders is an opportunity that allows us to leave behind the most meaningful fingerprint during our short journey here in this life. The world is desperate for leadership: We see it in our political discourse, our disorderly discourse over social media, and the world is even thirstier for leadership with a strong spiritual center.
Cristo Rey takes some of our most talented young people who are trapped in environments that will not allow them to develop the leadership skills that God bestowed upon them and provides them with opportunity—the same opportunity as provided to myself, my children, and my colleagues.
When [Cristo Rey Orlando President] Amanda [Livermore] came to me and opened my eyes to the amazing impact that Cristo Rey has had in 39 other cities, how could I say no to providing children in Orlando with access to this same opportunity?
Q: What is different about Cristo Rey?
Cristo Rey is being built for the long run and it is exciting. Its unique work/study partnership model allows the school to operate at a break-even. What other non-profit opportunities are able to do that?
And yet this work/study partnership is also part of the secret sauce to the future success of the students: These future leaders gain invaluable real-world training. They graduate from high school with incredible white-collar corporate work experience and a perspective that gives them a step up over most high schoolers, including my own children.
It is why when I visited the Cristo Rey in Atlanta, I was stunned to see where the children were attending college—Yale, Swarthmore, John's Hopkins, Tufts, Notre Dame. 94% of these students are going to college; that is transformational.
But it makes sense. These children bring a unique perspective and different kind of maturity that colleges and the workforce covet. And to bring that perspective to the future workforce with a strong spiritual Christian foundation is why we had to say "yes.”
Brett serves as the Vice Chair of Cristo Rey Orlando’s Board of Directors and as the Chair of the Finance Committee. He and Becky have contributed personal funds to significantly impact our capital campaign and Brett’s company, Vaxcare, has committed to employing 8 Cristo Rey students in our inaugural year.
If you’re ready to say “yes” to helping our mission and creating these kinds of futures for other Orlando-area students, please reach out! Forward this message to anyone you want to know about Cristo Rey.
