Daniela Garcia: Igniting Passion and Purpose: The Beginning of My Journey with CRSJ

Cristo Rey is a “Catholic high school in San Jose that empowers students from underserved communities… to be men and women for others who are prepared spiritually, academically, and professionally to complete college.” When walking in, you can immediately feel the passion and dedication of everyone there all working towards Cristo Rey’s mission. Founded in 2014, Cristo Rey has grown tremendously, making a profound impact on the community.

In just the past few months, I have been able to help and see firsthand all of the big and small details that go into CWSP. CWSP stands for Corporate Work Study Program, which is a program that is unique to Cristo Rey and allows the students to gain real-world work experience while funding a big portion of their education. Having no experience working for a non-profit organization, I was interested to see the unique aspects they use to establish smooth operations. Needless to say, there is a lot behind the scenes working to ensure success. After conducting interviews around the office, I quickly learned that everyone works as a team, wearing multiple hats, to meet the school’s needs. Additionally, every day is unique. There is always something new to work on, making it extremely interesting and allowing me to tackle new challenges and dive deeper into new opportunities. 

What surprised me most about Cristo Rey wasn’t just the passion of those around me but the depth of their commitment. Through my role as a Leavey School of Business Community Fellow in CWSP at Cristo Rey, I made a promise to myself to exercise the same admirable passion to contribute as much as I can towards their mission. Every team member exudes an enthusiasm that is truly inspiring and contagious. Just like those I work with at Cristo Rey, I have many roles allowing me to help as much as possible. This has allowed me to dive into a little bit of everything. I’ve had the chance to participate in a variety of tasks and support many initiatives, which has given me a holistic perspective of the program’s operations. I hope to contribute more by continuing to bring fresh perspectives and a strong work ethic to every task I undertake. Beyond the office, I also hope to spread awareness about the importance of education and give students the adequate tools to advance their education regardless of their financial situations and backgrounds.