Harlem School Prepares Students for the Corporate World
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Carianmax Benitez is a senior at Cristo Rey New York, a Catholic high school in Harlem. For four days each week, she's just like any other student: classes, homework, and after school activities. But on the fifth day, she takes the subway downtown where she works a full day at a corporate law firm.
It's part of Cristo Rey's signature work-study program. And it gives students from underrepresented communities the ability both to finance their private school education, and to prepare themselves for the rigors of college and the corporate world.
"I was really skeptical of working in a law firm because, you know there's this stereotype that lawyers are scary, or that working in a law firm is really intimidating," Carianmax explains. "But being there really changed my perspective on not only lawyers and the law firm, but on workplaces in general."
As part of The Takeaway’s ongoing series, “America’s New Credentials: The Future of American Higher Education,” Takeaway producer Rob Gunther visited the school to see how the system works and what it means for students, teachers, and job site supervisors.
This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.
