TRAILBLAZERS GIVE THANKS

On behalf of the students, faculty, and staff, we are thankful for YOU, our partners, of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School! Whether you have supported our mission through a vote for a Merengue dancer, as a CWSP partner, or giving your time to volunteer, you are helping to shape the future of Milwaukee by investing in Trailblazing students. Thank you!

Andrew Stith's grandfather: Frank Fabianski

Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays of the year in my book. It’s a time in the semester when we can take a breath before the final push towards finals. It’s a time for us to remember all the blessings for which we are grateful. It’s a time to spend with family and friends where the obligations are few, except maybe making (or eating in my case) a great meal, catching a movie or some football, or just catching up with others on the happenings of life. Whatever our traditions, it is a good time to recall the gratitude we feel for the many blessings we experience in our lives. 

One of the people I was grateful to know was my maternal grandfather. He was a down to earth person, loved his family, and always was looking to share a laugh. My grandfather was also a WWII veteran who earned a purple heart for his service in Europe during the war. He lived to be 102 years old. At his 100th birthday celebration, I can recall him being asked, in light of his life experiences, if he had any advice for future generations. He responded “Be grateful for what you have…and make it better.” This comment still resonates deeply within me.

As a Jesuit school, our students and staff members try to practice our gratitude on a daily basis with our Examen. The Examen is a brief daily school-wide reflection where we physically pause to realize how God is present in our day. We stop to note where we can be especially grateful to God for the blessings in our lives. I guess you could say that it is a bit of the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday that we try to bring to mind everyday. We don’t stop with our recognition of God’s presence or the gratitude that we have for our blessings, however. We take our reflection a step further and acknowledge where we can, in my grandfather’s words, “make it better.” Students and staff alike think to themselves in the Examen how we can use our gifts more generously to build a better community and relationships with others. 

As I sit down to our family’s Thanksgiving meal this year, I will be thinking about Thanksgiving, my grandfather’s advice, and our work at Cristo Rey Jesuit. I am so thankful for our students, staff, work study partners, donors, volunteers, and community members who support our community in some way. Together, we can be grateful for the blessings so many have generously shared with our community so that we can continue to help our young people use their God-given gifts, see a hope-filled future, and contribute to the world to make it better.

IFTJ BRINGS TRAILBLAZERS TO WASHINGTON DC

Earlier this month, eight Trailblazers and two teachers attended the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ) in Washington D.C. IFTJ is an annual gathering for members of the Ignatian family (those affiliated with both Jesuit institutions and the larger Catholic Church) to gather in the context of social justice and solidarity to learn, reflect, pray, network, and advocate together. Students were able to meet with the offices of both Senator Ron Johnson and Senator Tammy Baldwin as well as Representative Gwen Moore. In addition, seniors Citlally and America presented on Folklórico dance and the importance of expressing your culture and using art as a form of justice.

“IFTJ allows students to connect their faith identity with their interest in social justice and to understand the long history of Catholics advocating for social justice, peace, and the dignity of all people. In addition, the Conference culminates with a visit to our elected officials' offices where students advocate for policies aligned with Catholic, Jesuit values. This teaches students the importance of advocacy and civic engagement,” History teacher Ben Rangel said. “I love seeing students involved and passionate about improving our society, and the students love their experience at IFTJ and in DC. We've had former and current IFTJ participants apply for colleges in D.C. because of their trip and some even make adjustments to their potential college majors because of the things they learn while in DC and at IFTJ.”

CRJ’s IFTJ cohort was also able to see some of the sites in Washington, D.C., including a tour of the White House, exploring the National Mall, and visiting landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and Washington Monument. We are so grateful for experiences like these that give students opportunities to put their faith in action thanks to generous financial support from the CRJ community.

HARD WORK LEADS TO CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP AND INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES FOR SOCCER TEAM

Cristo Rey Jesuit’s boys soccer team continued its reign of dominance in the Lake City Conference with another conference championship this fall. Five of the last six seasons have ended with the Trailblazers at the top of the conference. Assistant Athletic Director Clemente Martin said, “Our team sees the success that past teams have had and the mentality of the team has become that conference championship wins should be the standard of our team. Last year's loss in the conference finals proved to be a huge motivator for this year's team. It showed them that a conference championship is something that they have to work for.”

In addition to a conference championship, CRJ midfielder and team captain David B. was named Lake City Conference player of the year, and he was named to the All-State team by the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association! The senior said, “It feels nice to receive recognition for all the hard work I’ve put in, but I couldn’t have done it without the help of my teammates. While this award puts the spotlight on me, I hope it also puts the spotlight on our program and the rest of the team as well because the best part of this season was the brotherhood I built with the guys.”

While the Trailblazers season ended at the State Quarterfinals this season, there is optimism around the future of the program. Martin said, “We are losing some valuable seniors like David, there are several juniors who are capable of doing great things. I think that the group of upperclassmen for next year need to be leaders in order to keep our program producing at its full potential. It is up to them on how they want their final season to go next year.”

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. Consider a gift today or email Shannon Watry to discuss a planned gift for tomorrow.