President's Blog: Their Voices Matter

The University of Washington team of supervisors and Student Associates at Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle's 2025 Draft Day celebration, including Winston N. '29 (third from the left)

In November, Winston N. of the CRJS Class of 2029 penned his first Student/Alumni Profile for the University of Washington College of Education’s marketing team as part of our Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP), which places students in leading companies and nonprofits throughout the region.

As part of UW’s Get to Know Our EduDawgs blog series, Winston, a CRJS freshman, researched educators pursuing graduate degrees and professional licensure. He asked thoughtful questions, listened to their stories, and shaped their lived experiences into compelling pieces to be shared with the world. 

This is not a practice assignment. Winston’s work is live on UW’s College of Ed website. His voice represents the institution. Our students at UW have the full support and growing confidence of Dean of the College of Education Mia Tuan and her colleague, Ed Taylor, Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs. I recently had the privilege of visiting with Mia and Ed. Their careers and their own words demonstrate their deep commitment to providing underserved youth with access to high-quality education—and to real-world, authentic experiences for those students.  

For Winston and the four other CRJS students working at UW this year, Ed’s and Mia’s support means the world. They are coming to know that they belong in higher education spaces and that their voices matter. The first line of one of Winston’s recent articles says, “Malcom King believes children should have a real voice in their classrooms.” At UW, Winston is demonstrating that CRJS students have a real voice in their workplaces, too! 

Through his placement at the College of Education, Winston is learning how professional writing connects communities and amplifies voices. Held to high standards of clarity and accuracy, Winston is growing into a thoughtful listener and a confident communicator, skills that will serve him long after high school. When it comes to the assignments he receives at UW, Winston now says, “I am ready for anything!”
 

Beth A. '28 and Efrata B. '28 (pictured) meeting with PACCAR Human Resources Director Rick Rioja
 

We see that same formation in the story of Beth A. and Efrata B., of the CRJS Class of 2028. Best friends since their days at Seattle Nativity School, Beth and Efrata now work together in Human Resources at PACCAR. Their friendship, rooted in trust and shared values, has grown into a professional partnership marked by responsibility, curiosity, and mutual support. 

At PACCAR, Beth and Efrata are mentored by leaders who model purposeful leadership, including Senior Human Resources Specialist Tiffany Yango and Human Resources Director Rick Rioja. Beth and Efrata are learning what it means to contribute meaningfully to a professional team and to take pride in work that matters. “What stands out about Beth and Efrata is their growth. Over time, Efrata has gained confidence in her work, and in her very first year, Beth began a strong transformation in confidence and outgoingness,” says Rick.

Through CWSP, students do more than gain job skills. They learn that their ideas matter, that they belong in professional spaces at sophisticated institutions like UW and PACCAR, and that their work can serve the common good. Our students earn a significant portion of their tuition as they discern who they are becoming and how their gifts can serve others. 

This formation builds on the work of earlier partners in our Jesuit educational ecosystem. Last year, Seattle Nativity School celebrated its 10th anniversary, marking a decade of walking with students through middle school and beyond through its Graduate Support Program. Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle is proud to continue that journey, accompanying students through high school, professional formation, and through college. 

We see the fruits of that continuum in students like Winston, Beth, and Efrata, and Nativity alum Jahlil, ’29, whom I profiled in last month’s blog. Again and again, we see that when students are trusted with real responsibility and supported by mentors who believe in them, new worlds open. 

The Jesuit tradition teaches us that work is about more than productivity. It is about purpose and being people for others. Through CWSP, our students are discovering their purpose and the joy of service, one workplace, one relationship, and one article at a time. 

From Winston at UW to Beth and Efrata at PACCAR, the message is clear: Doing effective, meaningful work matters. And so do they. 

P.S. At the 2026 Heart of Gold Gala on April 24, we will share more of Beth’s, Efrata’s, and Jahlil’s stories that reveal what is possible when students are seen, supported, and trusted with real responsibility. I hope you will join us by sponsoring, reserving a table, or making a gift. Your generosity sustains the transformational work of Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle.