Building the Kingdom: Cristo Rey Orlando

Welcome to Cristo Rey Orlando

Welcome to the Cristo Rey Orlando newsletter! Our work here has just

begun, and in this newsletter, we hope to keep you informed of not only the

progress of the Cristo Rey Orlando high school, but also share with you the stories and spirits of our founding members and supporting partners.

We’ve got a vibrant team of people who are working to bring new opportunity

and education to Central Florida through Cristo Rey, and it’s our honor to keep

you informed as we go.

Building the Kingdom

A message from CRO Director, Amanda Livermore

“Building the Kingdom” hits home for Cristo Rey Orlando Director, Amanda Livermore. With a background in education, there was something special about the Cristo Rey mission that struck her right away.

“Whenever we pray the Lord's prayer that Jesus taught us, we ask that God's kingdom come ‘on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10),’ and God invites us to be part of answering that prayer wherever we are.

"Our mission is to make the Kingdom of God concrete in the here and now, not merely to make things slightly better, but to effect transformational change at every level."

- John P. Foley, SJ, Chair Emeritus

“The Cristo Rey model recognizes that there are students who, simply because of their socioeconomic status, do not have access to high quality, faith-based, college preparatory education. Cristo Rey opens the door to this transformative opportunity while also exposing students to the unique experience

of corporate work.”

In bringing this mission to life, Amanda has put together a team of passionate business leaders and volunteers who are doing the Lord’s work of bringing this type of education to Central Florida.

And she envisions a bright future for those future students and their families.

“I picture their families celebrating at graduation, recognizing the incredible achievements of the students whom they entrusted to us and, ultimately, understanding that we are made to bring the kingdom of God to this world while preparing our souls for the next.”

Our Partners

Cristo Rey Orlando thanks these corporate partners for agreeing to be a part of the CRO family!

CRO Voice of the Month

A Message from the Holy Spirit: Russ Allinson’s Story

It all started as a “little voice.” Russ Allinson would browse his copies of America Magazine, a Jesuit publication, and see ads for Cristo Rey schools nationwide.

After some back-and-forth communication with the Cristo Rey national offices, Orlando was confirmed as a new location.

“I believe the Holy Spirit was speaking to me through that ‘little voice’ that kept inquiring about this Cristo Rey organization.”

Like many, Russ sees Cristo Rey’s relationships with the local business community as the factor that sets its students up for long-term success.

“It provides the students with the soft skills of modern workplace environments

where they learn how to interact with other people and to achieve the

satisfaction of meaningful work. … Almost uniformly, all students graduate from

high school in time and are prepared for admission to college… exceeding peer

groups from comparison communities and even those more affluent

communities.”

As for his 10-year vision for CRO? “To have a population of around 500

students in grades 9 through 12 [while being a] tremendous place to learn and

to transform student's lives by preparing them for educational and professional

success.”

We are grateful for the powerhouse team of volunteers who are helping to make CRO a reality. We look forward to telling you their stories in upcoming newsletters.

The CRO mission has just begun. Thank you for being part of it!

Viva Cristo Rey!

If you'd like to connect us with someone who may be able to support Cristo Rey Orlando in one of these areas, please be in touch: alivermore@cristoreyorlando.org or 863-608-7272

Cristo Rey National

When Orlando opens Cristo Rey in 2025 we will be the 40th school

in the Cristo Rey network.

Did You Know?

Students who graduate from Cristo Rey schools go on to earn Bachelor’s degrees within 6 years at rates over 2x higher than their demographic peers.

How You Can Help

If you’re feeling called to contribute to the Cristo Rey mission, we’d love to hear

from you! Simply hit Reply and reach out. Think a friend would like to hear about

our mission? We’d love for you to forward this email!

The Cristo Rey Network of high schools delivers a career focused, college preparatory education in the Catholic tradition for students with limited economic resources, uniquely integrating rigorous academic curricula with four years of professional work experience and support to and through college. We partner with educators, businesses and communities to enable students to fulfill their aspirations for a lifetime of success.

Cristo Rey Orlando High School | https://www.cristoreyorlando.org/