You know the story. In the midst of the debate over urban education, there are success stories.

All young people deserve a quality education. For 9,000 students in the 28 schools of the Cristo Rey Network, students are defying the odds. They are proving that they can and will succeed in college when given a high quality, college prep experience. For students at Cristo Rey Kansas City, success is found at 211 West Linwood Boulevard, in the heart of Midtown.

By mid-October of the current school year, the 81 members of the senior class had submitted more than 200 college applications. Remarkably, each and every member of the senior class had at least one college acceptance letter – 100% college acceptance. The statistic – a tradition at Cristo Rey – has held for each successive year of graduates since the school’s first class graduated in 2010.

Throughout their four years of high school, every Cristo Rey student is enrolled in a Seminar Class to explore career aspirations, research educational requirements of occupations, assist with degree-program research, and hone skills for the college admissions process. The result:  graduates have a values-based education, academic rigor, and high expectations.