WORK STUDY

Oklahoma City businesses participate in Catholic prep school's work study program

Earlier this year you joined Cristo Rey Oklahoma City Catholic High School as the president and CEO. Tell us about the school and what attracted you to taking the reins there.

Cristo Rey OKC is part of a national network of 37 Catholic college preparatory schools.

We are unique for two reasons: first, we only serve students of low economic means who cannot afford traditional private or parochial schools; second, we employ a Corporate Work Study Program as both a financial tool and as a way to enrich our students' learning experience. Each student works for five days a month at a local Corporate Work Study Partner that pays the student a “salary,” which covers a sizeable portion of their tuition. Cristo Rey OKC opened in 2018 to one class of freshmen. Today we serve a total of 200 freshmen and sophomores, and we will add a class each year until we have grades nine through 12. I am really proud to be a part of this school because I can see it literally transforming the lives of our students every day. These are children who, without Cristo Rey, would probably not have college in their future. We are a game-changer for them and their families.

What kind of businesses participate in the Corporate Work Study Program?

We have 58 companies and organizations in our Corporate Work Study Program that cover a wide range of sectors. Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores has been one of our oldest and largest partners, and Judy Love has personally helped to fund student jobs in the non-profit sector including the Oklahoma City Memorial Museum and the Oklahoma City Art Museum. Other partners include BancFirst, OG&E, Express, Mercy, McAfee Taft, the Department of Wildlife Conservation, and far too many to list here, but we certainly appreciate them all. The Corporate Work Study Program keeps growing each year.

Why do you think employers are so attracted to this model?

Employers like this model for two reasons. First, they are getting something of real value. Our students take a Summer Success training program to ensure they are equipped to succeed in an office environment and make an immediate and positive impact for their employer. We constantly hear great feedback from corporate partners who love the work our students are doing for them. Second, this is a really rewarding way to give back to the OKC community. When you employ a Cristo Rey student you are not just writing a check and trusting that it is making an impact; you are seeing the growth and development in your student on a regular basis. The confidence these students receive by working in a professional environment is amazing. Several of our companies plan to employ the same student teams all through high school, and I am sure some of our students will go on to work for their employers after college. It's great to see Oklahoma businesses take that kind of ownership over a student's growth and development.