Accomplish something once and it could be beginner’s luck. Accomplish the same thing twice you start to get attention. But when you reach your goal seven times in a row...well, it’s in your DNA. Annually, 100 percent of Cristo Rey Kansas City’s graduates beat the odds and are admitted to college.
Despite strides to close the gap, The Atlantic reports that just 9 to 14 percent of low-income racial and ethnic minority students will achieve college graduation. Currently, 65 percent of Cristo Rey alumni have graduated from or are enrolled in college.
At Cristo Rey, each high school student receives a college prep education, corporate work-study experience, and are accepted to college with scholarships and financial aid packages. While tuition, room and board are essential, recent graduates in the Class of 2016 also benefit from community support for their transition to campus life. Church, civic and corporate volunteers step forward to provide them with the emotional and material support for the next leg of the journey.
On Tuesday, July 26, at 5 p.m., graduates will return to campus for College Send-off Night.
Recognizing that students at Cristo Rey also struggle with the practical reality of paying for the essentials, College Send-off Night caps off with the distribution of grad packs. With financial support from the Kansas City Plaza Rotary Club, volunteers from Christ Community prepared graduates a laundry bag stuffed with bed linens, a lamp, towels, and an assortment of dorm-life necessities. In addition to helping families with tight budgets, the gifts are tangible reminders of support from the broader community. Students who will be attending school in the metropolitan area receive day planners and personal care items.
DEMDACO and Group O’Dell Real Estate stepped up to purchase back packs for each college-bound student. Each back pack was filled with a calculator, a flash drive, and school supplies. The gifts lighten the load for students’ families and ensure that Cristo Rey’s newest alumni arrive on campus prepared for class.
"This collaboration assures our graduates of the ongoing community support for their educational achievement," said Alumni Director Sister Linda Roth, SCL.
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About Cristo Rey Kansas City
Cristo Rey Kansas City is part of the network of 32 Cristo Rey high schools that break the cycle of poverty through education and work experience. Cristo Rey Kansas City provides a Catholic, college prep education enhanced by an innovative corporate work study program to culturally diverse students with economic need. The model of education equips students to see past their urban roots towards college and beyond.