Over the past eight months our staff has had the pleasure of getting to know and working with Victor, a student at Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School. Victor was assigned to work at the Foundation as part of his Corporate Work Study Program. Through this program, students at Cristo Rey gain real work experience in companies throughout the Silicon Valley and the money they earn goes directly toward paying their tuition. It’s a true win-win for the students and the companies that employ them.
This was our first year hiring a Corporate Work Study student and it has been an excellent experience. We weren’t quite sure what to expect and didn’t know if the concept of what a community foundation does would resonate with a 16-year-old. Victor has been a valuable addition to our team, and everyone has enjoyed getting to work with him on projects.
Victor is working on a presentation covering some of the things he’s learned and his experience at the Foundation this year. Our CEO asked him to tell her, in his own words, what he thinks the Catholic Community Foundation does. He said,
“We help donors donate.”
While deceptively simplistic, that is truly the essence of our work. Our number one goal is to connect generous donors with the causes they care about. Victor really hit the nail on the head!
Here’s what some of our staff members have said about working with Victor.
“Working with Victor has been a joyful experience for me. To watch the growth from the beginning of the year to now is amazing - he has and continues to come out if his shell.”
“He’s a good, intelligent young man and will excel as he enters higher education.”
“It’s been great to see him expand his comfort level not just with tasks but with interacting with our staff.”
“It has been wonderful to get to know Victor over these past months and to see how much he has already contributed to our work and our success.”
“Having Victor as part of the team has been such a joy! He has helped us move forward on projects that needed extra support.”
“Victor has blossomed this year. He freely gives input and participates fully. We have all learned from him!”
If you are interested in hiring a Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School student for your office, visit their website for more information. You can also support the school by donating to the work study program or contributing to the school’s endowment.