One hundred and ten North Texas companies linked up with nearly 150 incoming freshmen and sophomores from Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep the other day to “draft” students for the school’s Corporate Work Study Program. Under the program, students will work one day a week at entry-level jobs during the coming school year to earn more than 60 percent of their tuition.
Businesses participating in the unique program included Hunt Oil, Deloitte, Jackson Walker, CBRE, Mary Kay, and AT&T. Besides helping offset the cost of tuition at the Pleasant Grove school—one of 32 Catholic prep schools in the Cristo Rey Network—the work-study program provides the school’s economically challenged students with hands-on work experience as well as training in leadership skills.
More than 110 Dallas CEOs and other senior leaders attended the July 28 “Draft Day” event, where students were called to the stage to meet their new employer, exchange high-fives and hugs, and receive “swag” from the employer including company T-shirts.
Among the business leaders attending were David Leach, CEO of Greyhound; Jack Fraker, vice chairman and managing director of CBRE; David Moran, managing partner of Jackson Walker; Sam Mudro, chief financial officer of HKS; Scott Moore, managing partner of PwC; and Rob Webb, senior vice president of Tenet Healthcare.
Gunnar Rawlings, executive director of the Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study Program and the son of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, kicked off the event. Bishop Edward J. Burns of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas gave the invocation, and Mayor Rawlings emceed the “draft” portion of the program. Rachel Lindsay, star of ABC-TV’s “The Bacholorette” program, also made an appearance, congratulating the students for their hard work and achievements.
