Cristo Rey Founder Receives White House Honor
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Father Foley accepts Presidential Citizens Medal from President Bush on December 10th.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a White House ceremony on December 10th, President Bush bestowed The Presidential Citizens Medal upon Rev. John P. Foley, S.J., founder of the Cristo Rey Network. Father Foley, was honored for his groundbreaking work in bringing educational opportunity to thousands of young people throughout the United States. Cristo Rey Jesuit High School – Twin Cities, in the Minneapolis Phillips neighborhood, is one of the twenty-two schools in the National Cristo Rey network of high schools.
The Presidential Citizens Medal was established in November, 1969 to recognize U.S. citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for the nation. Bestowed by the President, it is our nation’s second highest civilian honor, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Past recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal include Henry “Hank” Aaron, Muhammad Ali, Elizabeth Taylor, Senator Bob Dole, and pioneering HIV researcher Dr. David Ho.
Founded in 2002, the Cristo Rey Network is an association of 22 schools across America that uses an innovative work-study model to make a quality, college-prep education possible for urban young people from economically challenged families. “Father Foley has, almost singlehandedly, revitalized inner-city Catholic secondary education” says Father David Haschka, S.J., president of Cristo Rey – Twin Cities.
Father Foley, a Jesuit priest, served as president of the original Cristo Rey school in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood from 1995-2002 and as executive chairman of the Cristo Rey Network since 2002. He is the recipient of honorary doctorate degrees from Fordham, Georgetown and Marquette universities. In 2007 the National Catholic Education Association awarded Father Foley its Seton Award.
Cristo Rey Network schools provide a Catholic, college prep education to economically challenged young people in urban communities. In 2008-2009, 22 schools serve more than 5,300 students. 95% of Cristo Rey students are racial minorities; 34% are African American, and 55% are Latino. The schools educate students of all faiths and cultures; this year 37% of Cristo Rey students are not Catholic. 99% of the Network’s 2008 graduates were accepted in a two or four year college and, through their work-study jobs, students earned more than $27M toward their tuition.
Cristo Rey is a Twin Cities private, college-preparatory high school that challenges each student to reach his or her fullest potential. Students attend school four days a week and work in a challenging corporate internship in many of the area’s leading companies and firm on the fifth day as part of the Hire4Ed program, which pays for roughly 70% of each student’s cost of education. Launched in 2007, this year’s freshmen and sophomore classes will be joined by a new class each year for the next two years, bringing the total enrollment to 500. Cristo Rey is located in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis.
National Contact
Robert L. Cummings
Vice President for Advancement
Cristo Rey Network
14 East Jackson Blvd., Suite 1200
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Phone: 312-784-7206 (direct)
Fax: 312-784- 7201
www.cristoreynetwork.org
Local Contact
Tim Martinson
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School—Twin Cities
2924 4th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone: 612-545-9770
Fax: 612-276-0142
www.cristoreytc.org