Students + Cengage Learning = Success
This article was written by Theresa MacFarlane of Cengage Learning, one of our Corporate Work Study Program sponsors.
The Cengage Learning mission statement cites the company as “a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide.” It further notes that “The company's products and services are designed to foster academic excellence and professional development, increase student engagement, improve learning outcomes and deliver authoritative information to people whenever and wherever they need it. “
Likewise, the mission statement for Detroit Cristo Rey High School highlights the school’s commitment to “providing excellent college-prepatory education. . . emphasizing faith, morals, and service to the community in addition to fostering skills and attitudes such as responsibility, determination, and respect for others.” The school promises “a challenging and supportive” environment to best prepare students from economically challenged families in Detroit with the “core knowledge and competencies needed for successful college and career experiences.” Indeed, Cristo Rey measures its success by its students’ abilities to accomplish their life goals while contributing to the betterment of their families, communities, and the world.
Certainly the commitment to academic and personal excellence links these two organizations together. But how did a very successful international company with 5500 employees working in 42 countries around the world happen to connect to a highly successful inner-city, Detroit Catholic high school dedicated to transforming the lives of 185 students and 12 teachers?
The answer lies in the Cristo Rey Education Model which features a work study program that enables its students to earn tuition and life skills by working one day a week in a business setting. This unique approach to education combined with its dedicated staff and support from the business community give students from low-income Detroit households an opportunity to realize their dreams.
The Cristo Rey philosophy and work study program instantly struck a chord with CL staff who believe strongly in the investment in these students along with their commitment to the creation of quality products. And that is how four of Cristo Rey’s finest students found employment at the CL Farmington Hills office.
Freshman Sequoya Auberry, Sophomores Bri’ona Ely and Stephanie Rincones, and Junior Ryan McGraw earn tuition while supporting the Biographies and Film Reference Production team for CL. Former Manager Kathy Lopez and current Manager Joyce Nakamura have both experienced firsthand the oversight of the CL Cristo Rey work study arrangement, now in its second year. VP Micki Nowinski serves as the champion of the program with overall approval coming from Executive Sponsor Ken Brooks, Sr. VP of CL Global Production and Manufacturing Services. The students and several of the CL staff recently shared their thoughts about the CL – Cristo Rey partnership.
Sequoya Auberry is in her first year at Cristo Rey. She currently keys data into the PR1ME database, the repository housing the Gale Video Hound data. She has aspirations of becoming a novelist, graphic design artist or even a doctor. She views Cristo Rey as a stepping stone to making those dreams happen. “It’s really different than other schools,” Auberry noted. “These are good students and the teachers are very helpful,” And while she acknowledges that the first day working in a corporation where you don’t know anyone else is a bit daunting, Auberry quickly adds that “there are no difficulties now. They (her teammates) treat me like any other employee and now I know what a real job is.”
Brio’na Ely goes by the nickname Bri. She is in her 2nd year at Detroit Cristo Rey and enjoying her 2nd work study experience, with the first being a law firm in downtown Detroit. She became acquainted with Cristo Rey when an admissions person came to her middle school. At first she questioned the idea of a Catholic high school and the wearing of uniforms but was won over by the work study program and the idea that it could earn her 70% of her tuition. “The school ensures the success of the students” Ely said, pointing out that the class schedule is designed to support the work study program. “Students are always excited about their work day and going to their jobs,” Ely shared.
Ely plans to attend a Michigan college for two years and then attend the American Music and Dramatic Academy in New York to major in music and drama. Meanwhile, she is realizing the importance of accuracy as she enters the movie cast members into the Gale Video Hound database. Her overall assessment of the work study program? “I like that the school and the people I work for trust teenagers with work that adults do.”
Stephanie Rincones is also a 2nd year student. After hearing about Cristo Rey from her aunt, she and her mom attended an Open House. “I didn’t know what to expect,” Rincones noted but quickly found that “Everyone is so friendly. Whenever visitors come to the school they are so impressed. The school does a wonderful job of showing hospitality.” Rincones also worried a bit that the school day would be too long to accommodate the work study. But she liked the fact that the school strives to match students with their interests and that the job helps students figure out what they want to do in the future. She spent her first work study year doing clerical work for the Skillman Foundation.
Rincones agreed that it is “a little hard to walk in on the first day and not know anyone,” but quickly added, “But you get to meet people and everything is fine. At first people may tend to hold back work but when they see what we are capable of, they give us more work and it is a really good feeling.” Rincones says she is definitely headed to college and may pursue a corporate job but is also very interested in forensic medicine. Having realized that the work study program and schedule supports her class work, Rincones is looking beyond the school year for opportunities as a summer intern in a corporate environment.
Ryan McGraw is a Cristo Rey junior, serving a second year at CL. As a freshman he worked at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and Development office in Detroit. McGraw is happy to return to CL and notes that Joyce and the team are allowing him to get more involved with other projects, in addition to adding information to the Video Hound Movie Retriever database. McGraw says he is fortunate to have this opportunity because the work comes easy to him and he enjoys movies. He also likes that the team meeting day is on his scheduled work day so he gets to hear about other projects the team is working on.
McGraw is a strong advocate of the Cristo Rey school and work study program. As for the school, “It is multicultural. It challenges you. It’s a place where you can form friendships and bonds. The students are very welcoming.” The work study program gets equal kudos from Ryan’s perspective, “It’s a great program because it helps children of low income families go to college.” And as for the teachers? Ryan says “They are extremely helpful. They help you even when you are not in their class! “ After a brief hesitation, McGraw adds, ”And they are strict without being mean about it.” Ryan is focused on attending a premed program at Western Michigan or U. of M.
And how do the CL Gale counterparts feel about the work study program? When VP of Inventory and Manufacturing Micki Nowinski first read the newspaper article about Cristo Rey opening a school in Detroit in 2009 she recalls thinking “What a great program.” And quickly followed it with, “What could we (CL) do?”
Nowinski made the first contact with the school and then met with Reference Production Managers because she felt that there was a synergy with some of the clerical and database work within the editorial dept. and the skill sets of the students. She is pleased that the program has been so successful and that the students are able to “learn people skills first and foremost.” As for the corporate benefits, that was easy for Nowinski to see. “These kids are totally living up to the expectations; they are bright young men and women. These kids are our end users and it behooves us (CL) to have them know what we do and what we provide.”
Kathy Lopez is the original manager of the team. Director Bridget Travers approached her with the opportunity to have students provide data entry work for the Video Hound database under her team’s guidance. Lopez attended an orientation at Cristo Rey and was sold. “The school was setting high expectations and encouraged the business sponsors to do the same.” Her observations of the first year group were that they were extremely professional, polite, and respectful. “They took their jobs very seriously. They provided a great service and relieved the team of a burdensome task. I definitely enjoyed being part of the project.”
Although Lopez’s role within CL changed, she continues to champion the program. “They (the students) definitely add something to the team. They are pleasant to be around and I’m so glad we are participating in this program. There are so many ways it benefits. This is an opportunity to have young, fresh perspectives testing our products and providing input. As a final thought, Lopez offered, “I hope we are opening the eyes of the students to publishing as a career option.”
Joyce Nakamura currently oversees the students’ work along with Project Manager Jim Craddock and Intern Stephen Bridenstine, who interacts with the students daily, assigning their work and helping to ensure that they receive guidance and support. Although three of the four students are new to the CL work project, Joyce has found this group to be as professional and engaged as the last group. She is pleased with the students’ work and their overall performance, noting that the data the students input into the database feeds 3 separate film products, so the work her team is delegating is definitely real, meaningful, and connected to revenue. Nakamura sees the advantage in exposing the students to a corporate work environment and the customized database. She appreciates that the students are so well prepared. “They ask questions and follow directions well. It is a credit to the school and everyone invested in this program.”
Nakamura attended the end-of-the-year Sponsor Appreciation breakfast last year and left with a very positive impression. “It’s such a worthwhile program. I feel very fortunate to be involved in such an impressive program. The companies reap the benefits of quality work and the students are able to see that nothing is impossible.”
Jim Craddock declares this program “definitely a success” because it is geared toward giving the students practical knowledge. He acknowledges that there is a little more investment in his or coworkers’ time with this workflow versus straight outsourcing of the work to an independent contractor. “There is a learning curve and because the students only work one day a week, the ramp up is delayed a bit. But once they got it, they’re able to do it with less supervision. But this is not strictly a matter of getting the work done; this is about good corporate citizenship.”
For more information about Detroit Cristo Rey High School's Corporate Work Study Program, please contact Dave McIntyre at 313.919.3949.