Draft Day

Energy floods the room as Cristo Rey students pair with corporate partners


Draft buzz filled the Conference Center inside the Catholic Pastoral Center.

The self-described “Hype Man of Hope” Les Thomas Sr. amped up the energy among the crowd of corporate partners, family members and others on this “Draft Day,” the annual anticipated event where Cristo Rey Oklahoma City Catholic High School students are selected by company leaders under the school’s work study program.

For Cristo Rey student Janeise Shelton, her experience had a special NBA Draft kind of feel – she was picked by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I’m always a Thunder fan,” Shelton said. “I’m so lucky and so happy.”

Cristo Rey’s national Corporate Work Study (CWS) program is a separately incorporated entity within a Cristo Rey school that places every student in a professional job five days a month, all four years of high school. At Cristo Rey OKC, students are employees of CWS, not of the companies. Corporate Partners pay a competitive, annual service fee to the program for the students’ college preparatory education. CWS operates similarly to a temporary staffing agency.

In Oklahoma City, 52 companies and agencies partner with Cristo Rey, employing students for more than 1,600 hours of professional work experience.

Bill Condon, a senior vice president for Lamar Advertising of Oklahoma City, said he’s enjoyed the work study relationship with Cristo Rey OKC.

“Our experience with the Cristo Rey Work Study Program has been wonderful,” Condon said. “It’s such a unique opportunity to give students real-world work experience while they’re still in high school, and we’ve really enjoyed getting to be a small part of that.

“Having a student in our office also gives us the chance to watch them learn, grow and become more confident throughout the year.”

Condon said it gives everyone at Lamar the chance to gain as well.

“I think the impact goes both ways,” he said. “The students get exposure to a professional workplace and learn things they simply can’t learn in a classroom. At the same time, they bring a different energy and perspective into our office.

“Our employees really enjoy getting to know them, helping them learn and watching their confidence grow. They become part of the Lamar family pretty quickly.”

The Draft featured plenty of fun, with the different corporate partners greeting their students with gift bags and other items, then posing for pictures on stage. Boldt Construction handed out hard hats to their selected students.

Family members and teachers filled the room with cheers.

Condon and his team brought some fun to the Draft, “re-signing” Andrea Armbruster, who worked with Lamar last year, welcoming her back with “big head” photos they hoisted in the air.

“Andrea came to us as a freshman last year, and from the beginning she was outgoing, friendly and comfortable talking to everyone in the office,” Condon said. “She isn’t afraid to speak up, ask questions or jump into a conversation, which is something you don’t always see in young people her age.

“She really became part of our team, and by the end of the year, we knew we wanted her back.”

Shelton worked in the offices of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City last school year, becoming a favorite there.

“I learned so much,” she said, “how to have a great day no matter what may be going on in your life. I learned office skills. We loved God and didn’t have to hide it.”

Now she’s been called up to the big leagues.

“It was very exciting working (for the archdiocese), so it will be a little sad,” Shelton said. “But it is pretty cool going to the Thunder.”

John Helsley is editor of the Sooner Catholic.

Photo: (Top) Michael Baldwin, Johnny Guzman, Janeise Shelton and McKenna Leewright at Cristo Rey OKC Catholic High School Draft Day on Aug. 5 at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Oklahoma City. Photos Avery Holt/ Sooner Catholic.
(L to R) Tracy Kinealy, Meredith Enciso, Maria Reyes, Emanuel Garcia de Anda, and Ashton Smith. Not pictured is David Torres. The students will work at the Catholic Pastoral Center.
(L to R) Brooklynn Owens, BancFirst President and CROKC Board Chairman John Slay, and Santiago Alba.
Andrea Armbruster was re-signed with Lamar Advertising.
Family and friends cheered on Cristo Rey OKC Catholic High School students at Draft Day on Aug. 5 at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Oklahoma City.