Nelson Mandela once said that education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world. With so much talk surrounding the state of the education system and inner-city schools, it’s easy to fall skeptical or even pessimistic of that philosophy.

But every week day, students make their way down Broad Street and into the doors of Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School (CRPHS), a transformational college prep school for low-in- come families, to silence the skeptics. Behind those doors, that very change is underway and La Salle has been with them every step of the way.

Just four years ago, Kristian Gutierres and Wilfredo Ruiz were among those students. As freshmen in CRPHS’ inaugural class, their futures were riding on hope and opportunity. Today, both students stand a little wiser and taller as proud La Salle Explorers—an achievement made possible by the Cristo Rey Scholarship.

The scholarship is available to any graduate of CRPHS looking to attend college. Knowing that students are not only prepared for college but are also taught the same values, La Salle is eager to welcome them.

“Cristo Rey serves motivated, capable students from low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia,” explained Bob Fabiszewski, ’82, director of CRPHS’ mentorship program. “[CRPHS] provides access to college, which may otherwise lie beyond their reach.”

Like La Salle, the Cristo Rey model is built on a strong, mission-based foundation held together with the dedication of the administration, hard work of students, and generosity of donors. But the secret sauce, as they say, is in the work-study program.

“We get them thinking about their futures from day one,” Fabiszewski said. “We get them into internships and help give them a vision of the future.”

Students like Gutierres are paired with local businesses that provide professional, hands-on work experience one day a week. Their wages are pledged to CRPHS, covering 60 percent of each student worker’s tuition. The remaining four days of the week, students attend regular classes where they receive a top-notch education and mentorship.

“Students love the program,” Joanna Wusinich, director of the work-study program said. “They have built really strong relation- ships with their supervisors and the best part is that they’re doing real work.”

The 90 plus job partners currently in and around Philadelphia love it, too. Many partnerships are made possible by La Salle alums, including Trustee Chair Steve Zarrilli, ’83 (Safeguard Scientifics), Bill Sautter, ’70 (Elliott Lewis), Tony Hayden, ’67 (Hayden Real Estate), and Jack Pierce, ’80 (Saul Ewing). Other notable businesses involved include Comcast, The United Way, the Philadelphia Police Department, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and many more.

Gutierres spent most of his work-study learning customer service through Comcast in Center City. Gutierres said, “The hands-on training has helped prepare me because now I have an idea of what the workforce looks like and what [employers] expect of me.”

“Cristo Rey serves motivated, capable students from low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia and provides access to college, which may otherwise lie beyond their reach.”

—BOB FABISZEWSKI, ’82

Kasjae Wilson learns bedside manner in labor and delivery during her work-study at Holy Redeemer Hospital

This real-world training isn’t limited to the inside of an office building either. At CRPHS, faculty and staff work tirelessly preparing students for college and beyond, teaching everything from job interviewing skills down to how to tie a tie. And because of the special relationship La Salle shares with CRPHS, the University holds a two-week-long summer workshop teaching students crucial skills like communication and time-management.

“Cristo Rey prepared me for so many things when coming to [La Salle],” Gutierres said, adding that college hasn’t always been easy. “It requires a lot of motivation, dedication, and time to be successful. But Cristo Rey helped me become a more prepared college student… They showed me how to manage my time and how to study for assignments, tests, and projects… It has been great.”

To Wusinich, the most rewarding part of her job is watching each student’s evolution. “Seeing their confidence and trans- formation walking out is incredible,” she said. “They’re given all of this experience along with the ability to use it when they graduate and go out into the real world.”

Fabiszewski has witnessed the student transformation firsthand from day one. In 2010, after feeling stuck on the corporate tread- mill, he took a leap of faith and sold his successful real estate private equity business to follow his calling to teach, mentor, and make a difference in the city. He returned to La Salle teaching real estate finance for one semester. During that time, he helped start CRPHS and its work-study program from the ground up to great success, much of which he credits to La Salle and Philadelphia businesses.

“La Salle is the reason that it’s all possible,” he said. “They gave me the opportu- nity to teach with open arms which then welcomed the opportunities and [partner- ship] with Cristo Rey.”

Fabiszewski explained that the work-study program, which expands by about 30 jobs every year, provided 118 jobs at the start of this school year, supporting the school’s 475 student enrollment. He attributes the success of CRPHS and the Cristo Rey Scholarship to an intentional network of CEOs in the Philadelphia area and individual donors who are given the unique ability see the direct influence on a student’s life.

“Philanthropists don’t always get to know the student directly,” Fabiszewski said. “But in the case of Cristo Rey, they do. Our job partner companies get to know the student and also receive the benefits that far outreach the educational and workforce development prospects.”

As La Salle looks forward to enrolling more CRPHS graduates through the Cristo Rey Scholarship, Gutierres hopes donors will continue to contribute. “Not every student has the money to attend college,” he said. “The [Cristo Rey Scholarship] provides that opportunity and gives them the chance to show their potential and be successful.”

For more information on CRPHS and the Cristo Rey Scholarship, contact Dan Joyce by emailing joyced@lasalle.edu or calling 215.991.3593.