Voices

Cristo Rey San Diego completely changed the way that I see myself and what I believe that I'm capable of. When I first came to Cristo Rey, I would have never imagined that I would have become ASB president, a student ambassador, work in law firms, and eventually attend the US number one public university, UC Berkeley.

The Corporate work study program has helped to improve my confidence as I'm more open with people. I get to talk to my supervisors. I get to go around and ask people if they need help with anything and if I could help them out with their computers.

Cristo Rey San Diego has changed my life because it gives me a real fighting chance to get into a good college. They will also help with financial aid so I won't have to get thousands of dollars of loans and be debt for who knows how many years.

Cristo Rey San Diego has definitely improved my school life and my confidence at school. ...when you are struggling, all of the teachers are very supportive, always provide help, and are always there.

I feel seen and supported at school. At the 10th grade retreat we did a circle and if you felt like [a statement] related to you, you would step into the circle. It felt really empowering to see all these people stepping into the circle and being able to relate to each other. It let me know that, hey, there are other people in my class that are just like me. We have the same struggles and dreams. Cristo Rey has been a real blessing.

I grew up in a family where we would just go to church, and we would just pray. Faith was just, you go there, you get it done, and you get out. But then Cristo Rey taught me that faith isn’t just something you practice. It’s something you express. It’s something that you can grasp and something that you can put out to the world.

My Corporate Work Study experience at Kitchens for Good helped me to socialize with more people and has also allowed me to learn a few other skills that could help me later on in my future work experience. Working at Kitchens for Good has been a wonderful experience because everyone there treats me with lots of respect. One of my favorite things to do at Kitchens for Good is bake cookies and organize. Overall my working experience had really helped me to understand what work skill I still need to work on.

At the beginning of the partnership, you think you’re providing an opportunity for a student–and you are–but over time, you realize it’s not a one-way street. It ends up impacting your culture in ways you don’t expect.