and by word of mouth. It also has scouts, called “gatekeepers” by Father Steve, throughout the local school system who relay names of noticeably fi t candidates. But the criteria have distinct
parameters, as well. “We target families with income levels less than
$40,000,” says Father Steve, noting more than half of the student body is Hispanic and roughly a third African American and African immigrant. “T ey have to qualify in that bracket to come. T ey need to demonstrate need. If they can aff ord quality education, we don’t admit them.” Parents, however, are still required to contribute fi nan-
cially. T ose contributions are negotiable but, according to Father Steve, range from $900 to $1,000 annually. Employment in the corporate sector generates roughly half of each student’s $13,000 annual tuition. T e remaining sum comes from grants, fundraisers, and other methods. T e fi rst Cristo Rey School in Chicago launched in 1996
by Father John P. Foley upon return from philanthropic work in Peru. T e success of that program paved the way for the establishment of the Cristo Rey network in 2001 and the extension of its unconventional corporate work- inclusion model. Don Bosco Cristo Rey assigns a four-stu- dent team to each sponsor, which together equal the hours of a full-time employee. Each student works one day of the week, and one Monday per month. Students are rarely rewarded their fi eld of work preference, due to logistical diffi culties, but embrace the opportunity nonetheless. “At orientation, I say there are no 14-year-olds in this
department. We treat them as adults and expect them to act as adults. And they do,” says Shannon Alford, conference center manager and coordinator for the students at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, referencing the age some freshmen enter the program. “We have very high expecta- tions and have never been disappointed.” T e students, under Alford’s direction and supervision,
assist in the logistical and administrative duties involved with hosting roughly 400 conference attendees daily. At Don Bosco Cristo Rey, basic interpersonal skills, like shaking hands, looking people in the eye and managing their time eff ectively, are honed during a summer prepara- tory, three-week session for incoming and transfer students, dubbed “business boot camp.”
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“It’s a wonderful program…very
successful,” she adds. “It’s an advan- tage for them. It’s a plus for us. It’s an amazing process to see the develop- ment of these students from the begin- ning of the school year to the end, and from one year to the next.”
Don Bosco Cristo Rey has yet to reach a sustainable
fi nancial model with its sponsor alliances, however. T e school wants to boost its student body to 500. According to Father Steve, a school annex, capable of holding nine classrooms, is slated for completion in the fall. At that point, Don Bosco Cristo Rey will have suffi cient real estate to incorporate additional students. But the need to forge new partnerships with sponsors remains. “We want warm referrals. We ask current clients about
potential additional sponsors. We also network through attending events,” says Alicia Bondanella, executive director of Don Bosco Cristo Rey’s Corporate Work Study Program, noting that 92 percent of sponsors recently said students met or exceeded expectations. “T e idea is the more stu- dents you have, the more the cost of education goes down. And we’re making more money. Otherwise, we have to do more fundraising.” Sponsor representatives invariably laud the Don Bosco
Cristo Rey student pool, and the program at large, praising the hard-working employees they receive at an aff ordable rate. Sponsors are also meeting corporate responsibility demands and, some say, uplifting employee morale through the Don Bosco Cristo Rey relationship. “If I had another corporation or sponsor ask me about
whether to get involved, I’d give them a high review,” says Kim Kenny, assistant administrator for White & Case, another Don Bosco Cristo Rey sponsor. “It’s a work-study program that I haven’t seen in other high schools that produces such high-caliber students. …We’ve had some exceptional students over the years.” “I want a bigger, brighter future,” says 16-year-old
Ambar Paulino-Polanco, the daughter of Dominican immi- grants. “I know I’m capable of anything I set my mind to. T is program was a good way to show me that.” D&B
Brian Dabbs is a freelance writer and editor based in Washington, D.C.
MAY/JUNE 2013 DIVERSITY & THE BAR® 41
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