Pioneering Spirit
According to Merriam-Webster, a pioneer is someone who prepares for others to follow. Steve Hooper, Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle Board Chair would say the founding students and families of CRJS are pioneers, and being a pioneer takes courage.
Steve might also be considered a CRJS pioneer himself.
In 2022, Steve received a text from his longtime friend Bob Ratliffe. Bob and Steve worked together early in their careers but also knew each other through their time serving together on the Board at Seattle University. Bob was trying to get in touch with Steve’s brother John, an engineer who specializes in renovation, structural analysis, and performance-based seismic design. John Hooper is Director of Earthquake Engineering at Magnusson Klemencic Associates, a structural and civil engineering company located in Seattle.
Then Steve started asking questions.
Why was Bob reaching out to John? What project was he working on? Once he started asking questions and Bob started sharing information about his involvement with the feasibility study to bring a Cristo Rey school to Seattle, Steve was hooked. He was curious, deeply curious in fact, and wanted to learn more. A phone call led to lunch which led to Steve feeling called to get more involved. Within weeks and after careful prayer and discernment, Steve agreed to serve as the founding Board Chair for the new Cristo Rey Jesuit, Catholic high school coming to Seattle. Upon opening in the fall of 2024, Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle would become the 40th school in the nationally renowned Cristo Rey Network.
Steve says he is constantly inspired by the work of the founding team who are so deeply committed to the mission and to serving the students and families who are now part of the school community.
Opening a school is hard – just like any start up business there are ups and downs, highs and lows, and in this case, so much to be proud of and to celebrate. He knows how much effort it has taken not only from the founding faculty and staff, but from countless dedicated community members who have stepped up in order to prepare the school to open and welcome the first class. He says he is just one of those many people who said yes to opening a school that will provide a private, Jesuit education to students who otherwise would never have the opportunity. That opportunity, combined with the professional work experience, is life changing.
Steve finds his work with the board to be some of the most rewarding he has ever experienced. There is power in the mission – it is the common purpose that unifies everyone involved in the school. When everyone believes in and is committed to a common purpose, so much can be accomplished.
When asked what he would say to our founding students, Steve immediately responded with “thank you.” Thank you for giving us the chance to serve you – for your trust in us. As a pioneer, you took a chance, and if you keep taking those same kinds of chances in the future, you can accomplish just about anything.
Although the work has taken more hours than Steve ever thought, the rewards have been so much more than he could have imagined.
It’s an honor and privilege for him to serve in this role at this time in his life, and he says thanks in his prayers every day for the opportunity to support the leadership of the school. Now, he says, he tells everyone about Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle. “I talk about it all the time,” he says, “because once you hear about it, you want to learn more about this phenomenal school. It’s contagious!”
Thank you, Steve, for saying yes to CRJS and for being an example of a pioneering spirit to us all.
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