Nearly every student we serve faces difficulties that would overwhelm most of us.  Students come to us behind in math and reading, many face a challenging home life, and more than a few have lost close friends and loved ones.

One of our students had a .66 Grade Point Average (out of a 4.0 scale) freshmen year, managed to earn a 1.9 average sophomore year, and repeated his junior year.  Last year, while retaking junior year, he earned a 2.4 GPA, and after the first quarter of his senior year he has a solid 2.8 average.  The student is now on the path to a four-year college, a dream that was out of reach just a few short years ago.

What's remarkable about this young man is that during his time at our school his mother was terminally ill and passed away last summer.  The boy's father left the family long ago, and the young man lives with an older brother.  He tells counselors and teachers that he is motivated to do well at Cristo Rey Boston High School to honor the memory of his mother. The hope she had in him drives our student to succeed.

The young man has been helped along the way by school counselors who know and care about him, by teachers who support him, and by our Principal, Fr. Jose Medina, who consoled the student when his mother died and led a delegation of faculty and staff to the wake and funeral.

Our school works because expectations at work and school are high, and every student is known, loved, and supported.  This is the formula we use to help young people facing extraordinary circumstances rise above the challenges of poverty to reach their full potential.

At this time of Thanksgiving, we ask you to be generous to our school so that we may help more young people become all that God is calling them to be.