Building Career Foundations with Cristo Rey Student Interns

The Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis is part of a nationwide network of high schools that provide unique opportunities for urban students with limited education options. Part of Cristo Rey's core mission that sets them apart is their Corporate Work Study Program. Their students spend one full work day each week in a corporate office setting, performing tasks and learning valuable professional skills to set them apart when they graduate and enter the work force. Kraus-Anderson has been a longtime corporate partner with Cristo Rey. Brian Garcia graduated from Cristo Rey this spring, and he worked at Kraus-Anderson through its Corporate Work Study program for the past four years. Brian's growth is both a testament to his hard work, his strong education from Cristo Rey, and the support from people like Lori Charlesworth, KA's Office Manager and facilitator of the intern program over the past several years. In the latest episode of Build Me Up, we talk to Kesiah Kolbow, Cristo Rey's Corporate Work Study Program Director; Brian Garcia and Lori Charlesworth about Cristo Rey's model, the value of high school students getting work experience, and the impressive growth of Brian since he began at KA as a first-year high school student.