TRAILBLAZERS DISCOVER CAREER PATH

A New View Into Commercial Real Estate Careers

Junior Jacqueline (left) prepares for a construction site tour and Senior Socorro (right) met Pat Connaughton of the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the 2022 MKE CRE Summer Program.

While some teens spend their summer days playing video games or hanging with friends, two CRJ students recently discovered that the real estate industry is much more than just selling homes. CRJ Senior Socorro and Junior Jacqueline participated in the week-long MKE CRE Summer Immersion Program hosted by NAIOP Wisconsin and the Marquette University College of Business Administration's Center for Real Estate. Socorro and Jacqueline explored the world of commercial real estate as they lived on campus, took field trips to development sites across the city and learned from professors and real estate professionals about what goes into designing, building, managing, owning and selling commercial real estate.

While they didn’t know much about the commercial real estate field beforehand, both students expressed an interest in pursuing a career in it after the program. Jacqueline said, “My experience opened doors for me to learn more about the real estate field. It made me more curious about many career opportunities and showed me that the real estate field is much more than just selling homes like I thought. I would say that this program was definitely a great opportunity to learn and think about one's future.”

Pat Connaughton of the Milwaukee Bucks spoke to the students about his real estate company. “He shared with us the importance of networking and building connections with people. His message was very similar to what we learn in Cristo Rey's Corporate Work Study Program, and I felt like my experience at Cristo Rey Jesuit has helped me prepare for college and my future in the business industry,” Jacqueline said. “Cristo Rey has also taught us that networking and a good first impression are things that can positively impact our lives professionally and socially.”

Not knowing much about the real estate field, Socorro is glad she took the initiative and was open to new experiences. “Cristo Rey Jesuit has helped me become more prepared to take initiative, helped me be more open-minded, and willing to join programs like MKE CRE Summer Immersion. I really liked experiencing it instead of just being told what something like commercial real estate is.” She will encourage her classmates to do the same thing. “Take initiative in joining programs like this because you get to meet new people, build relationships, and create connections for the future from these experiences.”

CRJ staff work at Father Gene's Help Center as part of a staff service day to begin the school year.

The school theme this year is “Encounter Community, Encounter One Another, and Encounter God.” The theme calls us to pay attention, rather than just going through the motions of the day. We need to listen, instead of rushing ahead to judgment. We should seek to understand others before we make our decisions. We need to see who is asking us for help or care at a particular moment. We are called to practice this awareness of the world around us, and it starts with viewing the events of our day as a series of encounters.   

In order to immerse ourselves in this theme, all CRJ staff members took part in some community service work on our first day of staff orientation. What better way to encounter the community than to work at various places in the city which could provide us opportunities to meet new people and help out where we could. Some performed a neighborhood clean-up, while others spent time working with guests at food pantries. All of these opportunities represented time we dedicated to getting to know our community, one another, and God better. 

My small group was assigned to work at the Coggs Food Pantry at 12th and Vliet. My role consisted of welcoming and assisting visitors to the food pantry in getting their food items from the shelves and loading them into bags. The first person I assisted was there to get the essentials. Since everything was free, I naively thought he would pack his bags full. We got to the canned vegetables and the visitor declined to take any. I asked if he was sure he wanted to pass on the healthy, canned vegetables. He immediately responded, “Yes, they are too heavy to carry on the bus.” I hadn’t considered how a mode of transportation could affect someone’s diet.

That small realization stuck with me. I don’t have to limit what I take from the grocery store because I am unable to get my groceries back to my house. Yet, the gentleman I helped does. I wondered what the impact of that over time could be on his health? What about the impact on those he lives with? I also contemplated how else was he limited because he relied on the bus? It’s these types of realizations that are the hallmark of encounters. When we bring people from different life experiences together, we can learn from one another, begin to understand each others’ experiences, and ultimately care for one another.

As a Catholic and Jesuit educational community, we naturally enter into the complexities of the human experience and have the opportunity to encounter one another. Our school brings together people from across our city, including our students, staff members, families, corporate work study partners, donors, our alumni, board members, and many others. On a daily basis, Cristo Rey facilitates so many opportunities for meaningful encounters and relationships. However, if we are too busy to recognize, to care, and to reflect on our experiences then we may miss the daily invitation we have to see how God is ultimately at work through others in our lives. It all starts by paying attention to something that can be as small or seemingly insignificant as canned vegetables.

TRAILBLAZERS KICK OFF NEW SCHOOL YEAR

August 17th marked the first day of the 2022-23 school year! 455 students filled the halls and classrooms, the largest student body in the history of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. We look forward to sharing their stories, accomplishments and achievements over the course of the year!

SERVICE TRIP HELPS STUDENTS BUILD THEIR FAITH

Despite sweltering temps of 95+ degrees, eight CRJ students and Director of Campus Ministry Jodie Scordo, rolled up their sleeves and spent a week immersed in service to others at Jerusalem Farm in Kansas City, MO. Jerusalem Farm is an organization built on the four cornerstones of Community, Prayer, Simplicity, and Service. “All the work that we did is based in Catholic Social Teaching so our students were able to participate in discussions, prayer, and work that upholds these cornerstone principles," said Scordo. "In addition, the trip was an opportunity to build community with students and staff volunteers from other Jesuit high schools. Together we built relationships with the neighbors we served, working together for a more just society.”

The students worked to provide home repairs and greater accessibility to food for those in the community who were in need. In addition to transforming the neighborhood through repairs and service, the faith of some students was also transformed. Junior Maggie shared that the trip helped her grow her relationship with God by making her feel more comfortable in how she communicated with Him. “Because of this trip, I now feel like I can talk to God through music.”

“The service I did made me realize just how much of an impact I can have on people's lives. Even if it's just helping one person at a time, I can still make a difference and having that realization has helped me grow in my faith,” said Senior Rafael. “I also had meaningful interactions with the Jerusalem Farm community members and getting to know the other students from around the country. I really enjoyed my time there.”

NOVEMBER 5 - MILWAUKEE STARS MERENGUE

SAVE THE DATE: Milwaukee Stars Merengue

Saturday, November 5th, 2022 at Potawatomi Hotel and Casino

Don't miss this opportunity to see Milwaukee celebrities take the stage with a professional dance partner to entertain and raise funds to benefit Cristo Rey Jesuit High School's rigorous academics, innovative Corporate Work Study Program and faith formation.

Is your business interested in partnering with our work study program?

We would like to speak with you about how your business or organization can partner with our Corporate Work Study Program! Contact Andy Stith at 414.436.4600 Ext. 2250 or astith@cristoreymilwaukee.org.

Make a difference in the lives of CRJ students!

The generous support of Cristo Rey Jesuit donors like you makes it possible for us to offer a Catholic, college-prep education combined with unique professional work experience to young women and men of all faiths and limited financial means.