In addition to the Corporate Work Study Program, Cristo Rey Jesuit has also given me opportunities to grow and see interesting places. I traveled to Washington D.C. to present at the Ignatian Family Teach-In For Justice. I served in the Dominican Republic to help a community get access to running water. The most impactful opportunity was the LEDA Scholars Program, a five-week, all-inclusive, summer program at both Princeton University and Yale University. My college counselor Ms. Ancira helped me with my essays, the three phases of the application, and did mock interviews with me. Thanks to her support, I was accepted into the program!

During the summer of 2025, I spent three weeks at Princeton and two weeks at Yale. We also visited Brown University and University of Pennsylvania. In addition to being really fun, the program helped me identify what I wanted in a school. The trip also reaffirmed that I could do things far away from home. It was a new experience that made me step outside of my comfort zone.

One thing I really enjoyed about the program was the collaborative - not

competitive - atmosphere. We took classes on the aspects of leadership, SAT prep, and writing. I wrote research essays on home births and the potential dangers they present to the mother and baby. My mother and all her siblings were born by home births, and that is what inspired my interest in the topic, in addition to my interest in it as a potential career as an OBGYN or pediatrician. I was able to have my research essays reviewed by a college professor from Columbia University. I’m even able to use the research that I did during that program for my AP Research class currently at CRJ.

I am applying to Yale, Princeton, Georgetown, USC, and Stanford. I never would’ve imagined myself in these places. My experience at Cristo Rey Jesuit has given me access to programs and opportunities that have expanded my knowledge and my resume. Because of CRJ, the Corporate Work Study Program and the opportunities like LEDA, I know that I really am on the path to be the best version of myself.

Mirian C., Class of 2026

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