New Triangle-area high school provides underserved students with education, real-world experience

This article was written for our sponsor, the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh.

Breaking the cycle of poverty is a tall order and takes a multi-faceted support and advocacy system — and the new Cristo Rey Research Triangle High School hopes to be one of the integral pieces in meeting that challenge.

While the school only recently opened, it's already changing the lives of students and their families by offering specialized help to graduate and prepare for success.

"We're the 38th high school in the Cristo Rey network, but we're the only one in the Carolinas," said Mike Fedewa, the school's founding president. "Our school is set up to serve students coming from economically challenged homes, and it's a rigorous college preparatory academic program — meaning we want 100% of our kids to get into a four-year college or university."

For students who previously hadn't considered college or even high school graduation, Cristo Rey offers resources to help them progress.

"Most of our students, when they are accepted into a four-year college or university, will be the first in their families to ever do that," said Fedewa. "If you look at the demographic that we serve, the thought of going to a private school is almost unheard of. Secondly, we're really setting the bar of expectations to the level of, 'They're expecting me to get into a college, not to just graduate and high school degree, but to go to a four-year college.'"

In fact, students who attend Cristo Rey are expected to significantly increase their chances of graduating and enrolling in college.

"The same kids in our school are going to graduate or enroll in college at about a 90% rate, which is otherwise typically for that same student going to be close to 60%," said Chuck Swoboda, a founding Cristo Rey board member.

Students pay most of their tuition with a work-study program that also gives them hands-on experience and networking opportunities. The program operates like a temporary employment agency within Cristo Rey, employing students at entry-level jobs all four years of high school and preparing them for success in college and their careers. Multiple students have the same internship, each working one day a week, Swoboda said.

Several Triangle-area businesses participate by hosting student internships.

"We want the student to work, ideally, in an office environment," said Swoboda. "It gives them a chance to meet professionals that they otherwise may never have interacted with, whether that be a lawyer or an engineer or an accountant."

Many of the companies use the program as a recruitment tool, Fedewa said. When students graduate college, they may end up working for the company that hosted their internship, meaning they already have experience in that workplace.

"Through providing these connections, we're doing what we can to help break the cycle of poverty," said Fedewa.

The school has high expectations and is structured so those expectations are met. Although most of the students come in a few grade levels below where they should be, educators at the school work with them to catch up and prepare them for college.

"You set the table with the expectation of success, and then we're going to assist you and provide you with resources so that success can be realized," said Fedewa. "It's not just talking about it — it's about doing it."

Cristo Rey ensures students have skills that will help them succeed in their careers, including everything from knowing the basics of working in an office to how to tie a tie.   

"As someone who has spent almost 30 years in the Research Triangle-area, this school is the most significant way I've found to give back to the community," said Swoboda. "What I mean by that is, there are lots of great charities and other things to do, but investing in young people in our community and giving them an opportunity to fundamentally change their and their family's economic future is the best investment I can imagine. That's one of the reasons I'm so passionate about this."

This article was written for our sponsor, the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh.