Celebrating 10 Years of Service

This post originally appeared on In Our Company on October 29, 2014

Cristo Rey President, Fr. Joseph Parkes, SJ, presenting the Celebrating Our Success Award to Neil Radey on behalf of Credit Suisse. Also pictured is Cristo Rey board chair Susan Braddock.

On October 27, Cristo Rey New York High School commemorated its 10-year anniversary by holding a gala celebration in New York City. The event was not only a chance to highlight the accomplishments of the school and students, both past and present, but also an opportunity to raise funds for future students.

Cristo Rey New York High School is a Catholic, co-ed, college-prep school and part of the national Cristo Rey Network which includes the recently opened Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School. The model enables students to gain real-world working experience in a wide range of fields and provides them with valuable professional mentors

“Cristo Rey laid the foundation I needed to branch out and chase my dreams,” said Cristo Rey alumna Khadija Angrum CRNYHS ’12 who also served as master of ceremonies for the evening. Khadija, an aspiring broadcast journalist, shared her story of how Cristo Rey helped her in pursuing this dream by placing her in the production department of a public relations firm. “I was able to practice writing scripts, editing news packages and assisting my supervisors on shoots. With the work-study program I gained the hands-on experience I needed to be a working professional. And it all started at the age of 14.”

During the celebration, Cristo Rey honored the work of two partners: Credit Suisse and Fordham University’s Higher Education Opportunity Program. Credit Suisse has been part of Cristo Rey New York’s work study program since 2005 and is one of the largest corporate partners in the entire Cristo Rey Network. Fordham University’s Higher Education Opportunity Program helps graduates of Cristo Rey by providing a more affordable college option for students from low income backgrounds.

Cristo Rey President, Fr. Joseph Parkes, SJ, ended the evening by lauding the hard work of the faculty, staff, and students of Cristo Rey. He also thanked the work partners who have provided work experience for students and the donors who have helped support the school over the years.

Click the audio player below to listen to Fr. Parkes talk about some of Cristo Rey’s successes throughout the years.