Catholic Priest Reports for Work at M&T Bank on Friday, November 6

BALTIMORE, MD. -- (October 29, 2009) - On Friday, November 6, Rev. John W. Swope, SJ, president of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, will report for work at M&T Bank's executive offices at 25 South Charles Street in Baltimore City. He will be supervised by two Cristo Rey Jesuit students, Charles Allen and Allan Johnson, who work at M&T Bank as part of the school's Corporate Internship Program. Fr. Swope's morning at M&T Bank is part of Cristo Rey Jesuit's inaugural "Take Your Teacher to Work" Day.

Under Charles and Allan's careful supervision, Fr. Swope and Cristo Rey Jesuit Dean of Students Derrick Lifsey will take on copying, data entry, and assisting with special events. Reporters and photographers are invited to a photo/video opportunity at 10 a.m. at the M&T Bank branch at 25 S. Charles Street, when Fr. Swope, in clerical garb and accompanied by the two students, will be working at the bank branch.

Says Fr. Swope, "Corporate America has special days when employees are encouraged to bring their children into work to see what it's like. We have taken that concept and turned it upside down! For our teachers and administrators, this day really helps us connect what students are learning on the job with what they are learning in the classroom." Johns Hopkins University, RCM&D, DLA Piper, Mercy Medical Center, and Bravo Health are among the other companies hosting teachers and administrators on November 6.

The day begins at Cristo Rey Jesuit with an opening assembly at 7:45 a.m., where Fr. Swope and the school's teachers and other administrators will receive instructions about their day in the office, just as students do. At 8 a.m., they will board busses and vans to their new workplaces where they will meet their supervisor and colleagues and receive their work assignments. They will work in offices from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., doing the kinds of work their students are expected to complete on a regular workday. This could include answering phones, delivering mail, performing data entry, and preparing mailings. By noon, they will return to the school for lunch and discussions about how to best integrate their students' work experiences with the school's rigorous college preparatory curriculum.

Twenty-six Cristo Rey Jesuit teachers and administrators will follow their students into corporate offices throughout the Baltimore area in the school's first "Take Your Teacher to Work Day." All 273 Cristo Rey Jesuit students earn monies that help to cover the cost of their education through the school's Corporate Internship Program.

Cristo Rey Jesuit's Corporate Internship Program is an innovative program that makes a private, college preparatory education affordable to young people from Baltimore City. Through CIP, each student contributes toward the cost of their education by working five full days each month in entry-level positions at 66 businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout Baltimore. The students are employees of the school's Corporate Internship Program.

About Cristo Rey Jesuit High School

Founded in 2007, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School is an independent, college preparatory school dedicated to educating young men and women living in some of Baltimore's most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Students receive a rigorous college prep education and gain critical job skills through the school's Corporate Internship Program. Located in Fell's Point, Cristo Rey Jesuit welcomes promising young men and women from all parts of Baltimore City. Cristo Rey Jesuit is a member of the national Cristo Rey Network® (www.cristoreynetwork.org).
To learn more about Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, please visit www.cristoreybalt.org.