Their mother, Gabriella, was so impressed after attending the CRJ 9th Grade Open House four years ago that she immediately pursued registering her children into CRJ, making it worthwhile to drive the 40 minutes each way from home to school for four years.
“Jesuit values are important to us,” said Rebecca, who plans to pursue the pre-med track at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisc. “We’re leaving CRJ well prepared. I’m nervous, but excited to start this next part of our lives.”
“We are so sad to leave Cristo Rey Jesuit,” said Daniela, who will be attending Gonzaga University In Spokane, Wash. Daniela will be participating in the college’s ROTC program. Several relatives, including their grandfather, graduated from Gonzaga
“There are so many wonderful people at CRJ that care about us,” Daniela said. “It’s rigorous here, but manageable. There’s a support system in place.”
Johanna will be attending the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., and is considering a career in Communications. “I wouldn’t have been accepted into so many colleges if I hadn’t gone to CRJ. We received individual attention here from our teachers and college counselors, which has made our relationships with our teachers very strong.”
“One of our most memorable moments here was in 2014 when Father Martinez {founding president} was at the Mass of the Holy Spirit even though he was very sick,” Rebecca said. “That showed us how important we were to him.”
Daniela, who worked at the Holocaust Museum as part of our Corporate Work-Study Program, said in addition to being an alter server at Father Martinez’s last Mass of the Holy Spirit before his death, that meeting a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor has been one of her most memorable moments during her high school career. “She was so inspirational. In spite of everything she’s been through, she’s not bitter; she ‘s loving.” Daniela and her family remain friends with the survivor.
“We worried for years about how we would pay for college for our children. You don’t know how hard we prayed, “ Gabriella said with tears in her eyes. “Coming to Cristo Rey Jesuit was a blessing and now the scholarships they’ve earned are a blessing. I’m so grateful to this place. There’s an unbelievable depth of caring here.
“Father Martinez was wonderful,” Gabriella continued. “When we came to the open house, we told Father Martinez that Alessandra was deaf and that she would need a special place to grow. Father Martinez assured us that she would be well provided for and CRJ has bent over backwards to help her succeed.
“I’m very proud of my children,” she said. “I’m not sure what to expect when they all leave for college; other than my grocery bill will go down,” she chuckled.
