More Than A Dream

Chicago-based writer and independent filmmaker G.R. Kearney has a new book out, titled "More Than A Dream: How One School's Vision Is Changing The World". "More Than A Dream" chronicles the obstacles and challenges of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, from start-up to financial crisis.

Cristo Rey provides high-quality college preparatory education to students who could not otherwise afford it, through an innovative funding model and Corporate Internship Program that allows students to earn their tuition by working five days each month in local businesses. In a neighborhood where dropout rates exceed 50 percent, Cristo Rey annually sends well over 90 percent of its graduates to college.

"More Than A Dream" is a story of a school's struggle to stay afloat while serving the students of Chicago's Lower West Side. G.R. Kearney, a graduate of Georgetown University and the University of Chicago's School of Business, was a former teacher and coach at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School.

The following is a description from the publisher, Loyola Books:

"The Cristo Rey Jesuit High School story is one of the more improbable and inspiring educational success stories in decades. Beginning with an audacious dream — to start a new college prep school for the children of Hispanic working poor — the Jesuits in Chicago set to work. But there were many questions that needed to be answered: Would parents support a demanding prep school? Could students overcome deficient academic backgrounds? How could such a school be financed?

"Despite many real and potential barriers, the Jesuits persisted — and in 1996, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School opened its doors in Pilsen, an extremely poor, predominantly Mexican-immigrant neighborhood on Chicago’s Lower West side.

"In More Than a Dream, G. R. Kearney shows how one daring vision became a reality and has turned into a resounding success. Through Cristo Rey Jesuit High School’s innovative curriculum, creative financing model, and intense devotion to the needs of Hispanic students, the lives of thousands of families continue to be changed. In demonstrating how Cristo Rey Jesuit High School has sparked an educational revolution in urban America, the book leaves every reader with a bold challenge: Attempt to change what seems unchangeable."