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Cristo Rey Jesuit would not be where we are today in our 10th year as a high school without community collaboration. Cristo Rey schools have a remarkable number of stakeholders by any measure. I have always thought this was a strength of our schools. We thrive because of so many who help us bring this transformational educational model to the Milwaukee community. We are blessed to see human goodness emerge and give life to our mission in various ways. This was particularly important in the beginning, where this entire educational endeavor in Milwaukee relied on a small but courageous group who were willing to advocate and give of their time and financial resources so the vision of this school could become reality. I was new to Milwaukee at the time so it was a true collaborative effort!
Collaboration is a fundamental component of Jesuit education. A key moment in the founding of the Society of Jesus (aka “the Jesuits”) occurred when St. Ignatius, who was credited with founding the Jesuits, enrolled in the University of Paris. Ignatius knew the University was world class and could potentially lead him to people who he could engage in this new spirituality he had in his heart and mind. At the University, Ignatius met Peter Faber and Francis Xavier who were drawn to the spirituality Ignatius expressed. They were eventually recognized as co-founders with Ignatius of the Jesuits. Along with them, I am sure there were other lesser documented, yet still meaningful early collaborators who were ambassadors of the Jesuits’ mission around the world. Ignatius had bold ideas about sharing this spirituality and he knew he would need others who were brave enough and could see the impact of his vision to accomplish this.
When I came to Milwaukee to determine if a Cristo Rey school would be needed and supported, I began to identify people who might help me in this effort. Certainly, at the time, both Bill Henk, Dean of the College of Education, and Jeff Snell, Special Advisor to the President, at Marquette University were willing to assist as they hired me for the project. Not long after I started, we began to look for others in the community we thought would believe in the vision of Cristo Rey.
Two other collaborators who joined our efforts early on included Anne Zizzo and Fr. Jim Flaherty, SJ. Fr. Jim was President of Nativity Jesuit Middle School and, given this role, was a natural fit to help us connect to the community. I can distinctly remember when Jeff Snell and I visited Anne Zizzo’s office to determine if she would be our other co-chair of the Cristo Rey feasibility study. Anne is the CEO of Zizzo Group, a very successful business she started. When I walked into Anne’s conference room and sat down before she arrived, I looked at the many honors that were on the shelf that lined the wall and said to Jeff, “I love to work with entrepreneurs!” Anne met with us, asked us really good questions in true entrepreneurial style, and in the end said “yes” to our invitation to co-chair the feasibility study. Jeff, Anne, Fr. Jim, Bill, and I were the earliest collaborators who saw the possibilities and potential of this new school model’s impact on our community.
From those early days until now, our mission is thriving because of our 460 students, our teachers and staff members, our 100+ Corporate Work Study Program partners, our board members, our alumni, community volunteers, donors, and so many others! I look back with awe on the many pivotal moments, where, if not for a collaborator in the community, we may not be where we are today, and I am grateful. The Jesuits have ministries world-wide because Ignatius taught them the value of collaboration. I’d like to think if Ignatius was around today, he’d appreciate the collaborative efforts of so many to make Cristo Rey Jesuit Milwaukee a reality now for 10 years!
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