Pryor Cashman LLP is pleased to announce its fourth consecutive year of support for Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School’s Corporate Work Study Program and celebrates the success of previous firm intern, Fabian Brunner, who graduated from the school in June and is now enrolled as a freshman at Providence College.

Through this successful work-study program, the firm sponsors five students each year from Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School, a Catholic, college preparatory high school that educates youth of limited economic means in Brooklyn, NY, to experience a real-world corporate environment.

“At a time when dropout rates among low-income urban high school students are alarmingly high, Pryor Cashman decided to be part of the solution by partnering with Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School to provide professional role models,” said Eric Hellige, co-chair of the Corporate Group and a board member of the school. “As proven by the success of Fabian and his fellow students who are also attending college this fall, the Cristo Rey program clearly works and we are honored to be part of it.”

Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School uses a proven formula of rigorous coursework, individualized support for all students, and its innovative Corporate Work Study Program in which all students are placed in entry-level positions with local companies throughout the City. Students work full-time one day a week where they gain real-world experience and connect with professional role models. The other four days are packed with challenging schoolwork. The income they earn through the work study program is disbursed directly to the school, defraying 50 percent of the student’s education cost.

Fabian Brunner, Pryor Cashman’s first intern, worked at the firm from 2012 to 2015, supporting the marketing department, billing department, litigation and litigation support, the records department and other administrative areas in the busy 150-attorney New York firm. He is now studying business at Providence College.

Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School does not receive public funds. Students work their way through school with the help of corporate sponsors to help offset education costs. Almost all the students come from families near or below the poverty level, where the dream of continuing on to college is just that – a dream. Within the national Cristo Rey network, 98 percent of enrolling Cristo Rey freshmen graduate from high school and 99 percent of Cristo Rey graduates are accepted into college. By their sophomore year, more than 85 percent of those students are still enrolled – a much higher rate for not only low-income students nationally, but all students.

“Our program is unlike any other in the country,” says Cristo Rey Brooklyn President Bill Henson. “It offers students a roadmap for real-world success by exposing them to a professional work environment. They witness firsthand the value of a college education while earning their own way through high school. In Brooklyn, where 26 percent of the residents don’t finish high school and 45 percent earn less than $35,000 per year, we provide these very special students a hand up instead of a handout.”

2015-2016 Pryor Cashman Interns

Jairo Del Cid Godoy
Jairo is a senior who just started his third consecutive year as a Pryor Cashman intern. In his role, he serves in a variety of administrative functions. He enjoys math, plays on the Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School Baseball Team, and is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Jessenia M. Durazno
Jessenia is a junior also in her third consecutive year as a Pryor Cashman intern. Jessenia manages, organizes and revises confidential documents of various types. She is fluent in both English and Spanish, and is interested in pursuing a career in computer science. She is an excellent student who has received various awards of achievement.

Andrew Franco
Andrew is currently a freshman. Before joining Pryor Cashman, he served as an intern at a local church providing event and organizational support. Andrew is fluent in both English and Spanish, and in his spare time, enjoys playing basketball.

Najah N. Hargett
Najah is an incoming freshman at Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School. She has played percussion for three years and woodwinds for four years. She also enjoys culinary arts. Najah has achieved numerous academic honors, including Student of the Month, Honor Roll, New York State Comptroller’s Student Achievement Award, and more. She serves as the Director’s Assistant at People’s Christian Elementary School, and served as a volunteer at Urban Strategies in Brooklyn before joining the intern program at Pryor Cashman.

Laniaya D. Zanders
Laniaya is a sophomore with an interest in design, math and literature. She currently plays on the volleyball team at Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School and served as captain of the Brooklyn Jesuit Prep track team in 2014. Laniaya also worked as an intern at St. Jerome Church where she handled a variety of communication and administrative duties.

The national Cristo Rey Network is comprised of 30 high schools around the country that provide a quality, values based college preparatory education to low-income young people of all faiths primarily from inner city communities with limited educational options. They educate over 9,000 students, who otherwise would not have access to a quality, college preparatory education.

The Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School was the 24th school in the Cristo Rey Network and opened its doors in 2008 as Lourdes Academy. In November 2011, it was renamed Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School.