![Cristo Rey Network Makes History with Whitman College and Mount Saint Mary's University Marking Over 70 University Partners]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1664305923/cristorey/yuxtacwftcc6jzqugygh/universitypartners.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1664305923/cristorey/yuxtacwftcc6jzqugygh/universitypartners.png","width":500}])
Jessie Fenton
Whitman College and Mount Saint Mary's University are the newest institutions in the Cristo Rey Network National University Partner program.
September 27, 2022 – CHICAGO – Today, the Cristo Rey Network announced that Whitman College and Mount Saint Mary’s University have been named the movement's 70th and 71st University Partners. These institutions have committed to supporting the recruitment, matriculation, and college graduation of Cristo Rey students, nationwide.
“Bolstering the persistence of low-income and underrepresented students, including Cristo Rey Network scholars, requires a coherent set of supports. Members of our University Partners program are vetted, selected, and celebrated for their commitment to ensuring effective campus programming for our graduates, and we are overjoyed and proud to welcome over 70 institutions into our network," said Stephanie Arias, VP of College Initiatives at the Cristo Rey Network.
Whitman College, the 70th University Partner, recognizes the financial barrier that makes a college education less accessible for many families. With a belief that students from all socioeconomic backgrounds should have access to quality education, the college aims to meet the full demonstrated financial need of all students. Through Whitman’s partnership, Cristo Rey graduates will receive financial assistance as well as continued college counseling support to and through college.
"We are extremely pleased to form this exciting partnership with the Cristo Rey Network, and look forward to working together to advance these promising students in their pursuit of higher education," said Adam Miller, Interim Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid at Whitman College. "With our focus on experiential learning and emphasis on preparing graduates for success, Whitman College and Cristo Rey share many important values and priorities, and I'm confident that Cristo Rey students who choose Whitman will find a supportive and enriching community."
As a small university located in Walla, Walla, Washington, Whitman prides itself on the institution’s close faculty-student interactions that are essential to exceptional higher education. The Princeton Review acknowledges that 86% of Whitman students graduate in six years, aligning with the Network’s mission of student preparation for a successful career post-college.
“Whitman College and Mount Saint Mary’s University’s commitment to creating pathways for success for students of all backgrounds, coupled with our alumni advisors’ dedication to our graduates, will ensure the success of our alumni," said Arias. "Both institutions offer the individual attention and educational tools needed to integrate our graduates' intellectual interests with their postgraduate goals. Students across our 38 high schools now benefit from these additions to our partner network."
As the 71st University Partner, Mount Saint Mary’s University (MSMU) expands the university’s decade-long relationship with the Cristo Rey movement, which was initiated between the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and member school, San Miguel High School (Tucson). The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet founded St. Joseph's Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital in Tucson, and MSMU in Los Angeles. With the Sisters’ shared mission and dedication to helping disadvantaged youth, both hospitals employed San Miguel High School student associates through the Corporate Work Study Program. Years later, MSMU now follows suit in partnering with the Cristo Rey Network as a University Partner to create more opportunities for first-generation college enrollees.
U.S News and World Report ranked MSMU the top performing regional university for social mobility on the West Coast. Alongside the university’s Catholic roots, MSMU is also known nationally for its research on gender equality, its innovative health, arts, and sciences programs, and its commitment to social justice.
“We are honored and excited to be the newest partner of the Cristo Rey Network. We admire CRN’s mission and commitment to their students– and we aim to serve our campus community in the same way,” said Erika Yamasaki, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management at MSMU. “This partnership gives us the opportunity to engage with students from all backgrounds as they develop into leaders with a commitment to serve others. We look forward to connecting with these exceptional individuals around the country and ultimately welcoming them to Los Angeles.”
Postsecondary opportunities are strengthened for current and future Cristo Rey students because of the commitment of University Partners like Whitman and MSMU. These partnerships translate into real impact for the communities served by each institution. Learn more.
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About Whitman College
Founded in 1882, Whitman College is a highly selective private, independent, co-educational, non-sectarian residential liberal arts and sciences undergraduate college located in Walla Walla, Washington. The college is home to approximately 1,500 undergraduate students exploring 45 departmental majors that lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree. Whitman College students develop capacities to analyze, interpret, criticize, communicate and engage. A concentration on basic disciplines, in combination with a supportive residential life program, fosters intellectual vitality, confidence, leadership, and the flexibility to succeed in a changing technological, multicultural world.
About Mount Saint Mary’s University
Mount Saint Mary’s is the only women’s university in Los Angeles and one of the most diverse in the nation. Building on the mission of its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the University is known nationally for its research on gender equality, its innovative health and arts and sciences programs, and its commitment to social justice. Mount alumnae are engaged, active global citizens who use their knowledge and skills to better themselves, their communities, and the world.
Founded in 1882, Whitman College is a highly selective private, independent, co-educational, non-sectarian residential liberal arts and sciences undergraduate college located in Walla Walla, Washington. The college is home to approximately 1,500 undergraduate students exploring 45 departmental majors that lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree. Whitman College students develop capacities to analyze, interpret, criticize, communicate and engage. A concentration on basic disciplines, in combination with a supportive residential life program, fosters intellectual vitality, confidence, leadership, and the flexibility to succeed in a changing technological, multicultural world.
About Mount Saint Mary’s University
Mount Saint Mary’s is the only women’s university in Los Angeles and one of the most diverse in the nation. Building on the mission of its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the University is known nationally for its research on gender equality, its innovative health and arts and sciences programs, and its commitment to social justice. Mount alumnae are engaged, active global citizens who use their knowledge and skills to better themselves, their communities, and the world.
About Cristo Rey Network
The Cristo Rey Network of 38 high schools delivers a career-focused, college preparatory education in the Catholic tradition for students with limited economic resources, uniquely integrating rigorous academic curricula with four years of professional work experience and support to and through college. Cristo Rey partners with educators, businesses, and communities to enable students to fulfill their aspirations for a lifetime of success: students are three times more likely to complete a bachelor's degree by age 24, compared to the total U.S. low-income population.
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