On Saturday evening, Oct. 15, several leaders of 50 of Milwaukee’s most well-known businesses and approximately 30 students from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School “Came Aboard” for Cristo Rey Jesuit Milwaukee’s first annual fundraising event at Discovery World and the Pilot House.

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School is the state’s first school of its kind and opened in August 2015. Cristo Rey Network schools are for young women and men of all faiths with limited financial means, and integrate rigorous academics, professional work experiences, and spiritual development to empower graduates to succeed in college and life. Every student works five full days per month at companies across the greater Milwaukee area. Through this education, the students gain confidence, connect the relevance of their academic coursework to future employment, acquire skills that will benefit their career, and receive unprecedented access to the professional world. Each year 100 percent of Cristo Rey graduates are accepted to 2- and 4-year colleges.

At the event, Milwaukee area business leaders had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with the students about their involvement in the school’s corporate work study program, academic programs, extracurricular activities and spiritual activities. Students and their parents also had an opportunity to share their inspirational stories and the impact that Cristo Rey Jesuit High School’s schooling has had on them so far.

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School president, Andrew Stith, presented the Spirit of Cristo Rey Jesuit Award to former executive chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup, Jeffrey Joerres, and his wife, Sarah Joerres, for their leadership in Milwaukee in catalyzing this initiative and their promotion of the school’s corporate work study program to other Milwaukee area businesses.

With the “nautical” theme of the evening, several of Milwaukee’s business community leaders raised their “oars” in a live auction. The first year event raised $329,000 that will assist the school in continuing to develop a high-quality high school experience for its students.