Inaugural Giving Day Lifts Off

The doors for Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle will open this fall, and we are thrilled to welcome 9th grade students and families! With over 30 founding Corporate Work Study partners committed for the 2024-25 school year, CRJS students will have the opportunity to work with leading companies in the Seattle area. Getting to this point has required support from dozens of partners, hundreds of individuals, and an enormous lift from supporters.

For Jason Pankow, Talent Acquisition Manager at Alaska Airlines, fostering a partnership between Alaska Airlines and CRJS seemed natural.

The values that first drew him to Alaska Airlines are mirrored in the work that CRJS supports. Both strive to do good and support those in need; they believe in making an impact and doing what is right. The Corporate Work Study (CWS) program is a chance to make an immediate impact and witness its benefit as it happens.

Through CWS, students have the chance to build workforce skills and confidence and learn how to engage with differing ideas. “One of the most valuable things I learned from my Jesuit education was that disagreement is healthy. Seek to understand more than you seek to be understood. If you do not understand WHY a person thinks the way they do, then your own point of view is incomplete.” says Jason.

These skills are needed more than ever in today’s workforce.

They can be hard to come by and take time to develop. For his own CWS student team, Jason will place the team of students through a rotation program. They will experience talent acquisition, events, DEI, and more. They will see the operations of the whole company and learn about how his team is woven throughout. Jason is clear about his desire to ensure his student team feels welcomed, supported, and enriched, with opportunities for growth. They will be paired with a mentor to guide them and answer questions. We know similar opportunities await each student from their CWS placement. 

CWS partners like Alaska Airlines are a vital part of the vision and structure of CRJS.

The CWS program provides an opportunity for students to grow and learn outside of the classroom, helping students visualize career opportunities they may not have known existed, and learning skills employers value. It builds community, creates future career pathways, and supports funding for CRJS. In fact, upon full enrollment, the CWS program will provide approximately 50% of the funding for CRJS.  

For this year’s inaugural Cristo Rey Giving Day on May 1, we’re driven by the impact launching a class of students will have; not just for them, but for their families, communities, and the wider world. When you support this year’s Giving Day, you’ll have the chance to win two round-trip tickets from Alaska Airlines – the destination is up to you! 

All gifts made on Cristo Rey Giving Day will go toward supporting our students, which includes transportation, healthy meals, technology, and top-notch teaching faculty. It’s not about how much you’re giving, it’s that you’re giving. 

And so, we hope you’ll join in with your support on May 1 and make a gift to launch our first class of students – the future is here. Together, we are nurturing the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and believers. 

Learn more + get involved