July 13, 2016

Preston Kendall, President of Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep 

Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep is a co-sponsored ministry of the Society of Holy Child Jesus.

Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep (CRSM) is sending nearly 100 percent of its graduating class to college. On Saturday, June 4, 2016, 78 members of the Class of 2016 received their diplomas at a Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Ceremony held at Most Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in Waukegan. Next fall they will attend colleges across the country including Duke, Georgetown, Loyola, Marquette, Dominican and Marion universities and the College of Holy Cross.

The academic achievements of these newest alumni underscore several significant benchmarks achieved by the 10th graduating class in the school’s history:

* 94 percent of graduates were accepted into four-year Bachelor’s programs compared to 40 percent in 2007;
* Graduates were awarded a total of $17,349,976 collectively in scholarships, up from $10,365,756 in 2015, and $800,000 in 2007;
* For the fifth consecutive year, CRSM was named one of “America’s Most Challenging High Schools,” by the Washington Post, a recognition achieved by only nine percent of high schools nationwide.

These statistics are significant in Waukegan, a city where it is estimated that only one in 10 teens graduates from a four-year college.

“Today, as we say goodbye to the Class of 2016, we find ourselves pausing in the moment, pausing to celebrate successes, to revel in friendships made, to acknowledge accomplishments with rightful pride, to be filled with a sense of incredible gratitude,” President of CRSM Preston Kendall said.