A royal celebration

Supporters of Cristo Rey OKC Catholic High School recently gathered to celebrate a new school year—and a new campus. A Royal Celebration was held Sept. 7 at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. 

Co-Chairs Cole and Melanie Marshall were joined by Archbishop Coakley and Cristo Rey OKC chaplain Father Zak Boazman. After a blessing by Archbishop Coakley, the night commenced with inspirational stories describing the impact Cristo Rey OKC has made on its students. Following the presentation, guests enjoyed food, cocktails and dancing to the music of local band, Take Cover. 

The event highlighted the impact of Cristo Rey OKC’s corporate work study program and the opportunities it provides to students and the community. By training students to enter the workforce after graduating from college with work experience and hard skills, the program is producing qualified employees that benefit the workforce in Oklahoma. 

“Hearing the first-hand accounts from current and former Cristo Rey OKC students was moving,” Cole Marshall said. “It was certainly something to be celebrated, and it was just as amazing to see the strong rollout of attendance from so many community partners and supporters to celebrate their success.”  

Former Cristo Rey OKC Royals Fatima Morales and Jonathan Ramos attended the celebration as proud alumni, sharing their testimonies about their experience at Cristo Rey OKC.

Morales, now a freshman at the University of Oklahoma, worked at Crossings Community Clinic through the corporate work study program at Cristo Rey OKC. Upon graduation, she was offered a position, and continues to work for Crossings while she attends college to study sonography.

“Crossings medical clinic was a prime example of the benefit a Cristo Rey student can bring to their organization,” Melanie Marshall said. “They were in need of a bilingual employee and were able to utilize the work study program to provide their organization with much needed assistance.”

During his senior year at Cristo Rey OKC, Ramos worked with a mentor at the law firm of Hall Estill, where he discovered his passion for helping the community. After graduating, Ramos entered the University of Oklahoma with 61 college credit hours. He intends to graduate with a B.A. in philosophy and a B.A. in public and nonprofit administration in 2025, before attending the College of Law at the University of Oklahoma.

Morales and Ramos’ stories are two examples of the impact Cristo Rey OKC has made on students, families and the landscape of education. 

“The opportunity for these students to get that kind of exposure and on-the-job training in the workforce is something you rarely see at the high school level,” Cole Marshall said. 

As its graduates begin to enter the workforce, the impact of Cristo Rey OKC’s program is reaching further than its students, explained Melanie Marshall. 

“This relationship between corporate partner and student is building a stronger community and promoting the future of the Oklahoma City workforce,” Marshall said.

Cristo Rey OKC Catholic High School is now located at 4200 Leonhardt Dr., near SE 44th and Bryant Ave. For more information about the school and corporate work study program, visit cristoreyokc.org or call (405) 698-1300.

Sally Linhart is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.