This August, we opened our doors to 372 students, the most we’ve ever had at CJA. Walking into our Welcome Center and down to our cafeteria to all those smiling – and sometimes sleepy – faces each morning is the best way to start a day. For those of us who have been here since we had less than 100 students, it’s also a reminder of just how far we’ve come over the last 21 years. To think we’ll have over 400 students next year gets me even more excited!Â
Â
To start each year at CJA, our faculty and staff come together for orientation as we prepare for the return of our students. Along with reminders and updates about norms and classroom planning, a few members of our community share reflections titled, “Why I do this work.” This year, we had three powerful reflections, and the words of Ms. Dorsey, one of our girls’ teachers, resonated with me deeply.
Every day, I show up – not just to teach, but to lead by example. They see a woman who teaches full time, studies part time, and refuses to give up on either dream. They see someone balancing it all – not perfectly, but powerfully. And I hope that, through me, they see that being strong doesn’t mean you don’t struggle. It means you keep going anyway.
Â
So why do I do this work at CJA? Because this work is more than a job. It’s my calling from God. And these girls – our girls – deserve to see a future that looks like them. I show up every day so they know: they can do hard things, they can lead, and they can win.
As you could imagine, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. CJA is filled with people who sacrifice day in and day out to make sure our students and alumni have everything they need to be successful. Beyond the lessons being taught in the classroom, this building is filled with people who have walked in our students’ shoes – people who show our students service, perseverance and love in action because they have seen the power of a community believing and investing in them no matter the obstacles.
Â
When I came back to CJA for a visit not long after I graduated, one of my favorite teachers, Mr. Houlihan, said something that had a similar effect on me: “I show up everyday so that one day you will take my place.” With an example like that, there was no question that I would return to CJA when I graduated from college in May 2022. There’s no other place I wanted to be.
Â
Since then, I have been blessed to witness first-hand how the many powerful examples at CJA have shaped my own life, but even more importantly, how they continue to influence and inspire our young men and women each day. Everyday will not be perfect, but we all – faculty, staff and students alike – show up together, and we are all better for it.
Jae Rule
Development Officer (CJA ’13)
Our 7th and 8th graders went to sleepaway camp to begin this school year in August.
Our 7th-grade boys and girls went to Tower Hill Camp in Michigan – the same camp my classmates and I went to as we were headed into 6th grade. While there is plenty of fun, campfires, smores and relaxation on the beach, this is also a time for team building and “earning their ties” as our 7th graders prepare to take on leadership roles at CJA. It is our hope that they come back from camp aware of their influence and the examples that they are to our younger students who are following in their footsteps. When they return, we award them their ties, which they begin to wear the first Friday of September. These ties signify their commitment to join our 8th graders as community leaders and culture bearers at CJA.
Â
Our 8th-grade boys went to Camp Miniwanca the following week. The Miniwanca staff ran a great camp, inviting our students to live out the Miniwanca motto: “My own self. At my very best. At all times.” Our students participated in a great mix of activities together on low and high ropes courses. They hiked up to the peak of Mount Baldy, and they even learned survival skills like how to build a fire from scratch!
Â
The challenges our 8th graders experienced at Camp Miniwanca helped them prepare to navigate their last year at CJA and the transition to high school, where they will encounter many new friends, teachers, classes, coaches and choices. They’ll need to be open to growth and willing to try new things and able to build the resilience to keep going even when things don’t seem perfect. Even more importantly, they’ll need to remember that the family they have been building here at CJA will always be there to keep supporting them as they chart their unique paths in this world.
Every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 4:30 to 6:30, Mr. Eric Hersey, Mr. Roger Garvert and volunteers gather our robotics team for practice after school. The team is made up of 8 CJA students and 2 students from other neighborhood schools. Together, they are preparing for the FIRST LEGO League competition that begins in December. While joining this program means spending an extra two hours at school twice a week, our students have fully embraced the opportunity. Every time I stop by the Welcome Center during dismissal, I find them excited to be here spending that extra time together and learning with Mr. Hersey.
Mr. Hersey has been a great addition to our team at CJA, joining us as the coach of our engineering co-curricular and our afterschool robotics program. He earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Today, alongside his work with NASA, he makes time to work with students at CJA and other organizations in our community to help make Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) accessible and appealing to students on the West side, where he grew up.
Â
A few weeks ago, the parent of a non-CJA student in the program stopped one of our coaches during pickup. “This opportunity isn’t available to her at her school,” he said. “She’s really excited and enjoying the opportunity to work with you all and learn. Thank you.”
Â
Interactions like these are proof that Mr. Hersey’s dream is being realized in the amazing work he is doing with the youth in our city. We’re blessed to get to witness that and to see more students falling in love with learning in this way inside the walls of CJA.
I enjoy seeing this all happen first-hand and updating you on the many great things that you’re helping make possible here at CJA. I hope you enjoyed reading this issue of our e-News and feel the same pride that I do to be a part of something so meaningful.Â
Â
As an alumnus who feels that CJA and the people in it have changed my perspective on all I thought was possible for a young man from Chicago, nothing matters more to me than making sure our CJA family continues to grow. Being a tuition-free school means that we depend on benefactors to underwrite four-year scholarships for each of our students before they begin the 5th grade. We are hard at work securing the remaining 23 scholarships for the members of the Class of 2030 at CJA. If you might be interested in supporting our young men and women, please contact me at [email protected]. I would love to answer any questions you might have! You can also visit our website to learn more about other ways to support our students.Â
Â
I look forward to keeping you updated on how the year progresses! Â