This school year, the State Road and Tollway Authority hosted four student interns from Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School through the school’s Corporate Work Study Program. SRTA is one of 137 corporate partners for 2017-18.
 
Through the program, the interns rotated among the departments at SRTA to help in a variety of tasks, including database management, administrative support, data entry/analysis, mail delivery, customer service and more.
 
“SRTA is pleased to have had the opportunity to work with such a bright group of students,” Chris Tomlinson, SRTA Executive Director, said. “Cristo Rey is a phenomenal school that equips students with the necessary tools for succeeding beyond the classroom. SRTA is proud to partner with their innovative Work Study Program.”
 
Tomlinson noted that the partnership was such a success, that SRTA plans to expand its role. For the 2018-19 school year, SRTA will host two teams of interns. The plan is to include rotational duty assignments across the various business units within the enterprise to ensure the interns receive a well-rounded experience and maximum exposure to the overall operations of a business entity, along with factoring in their own specific career aspirations as part of the process.
 
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the State Road and Tollway Authority,” Bill Garrett, Cristo Rey President, said. “Not only does this partnership assist students in covering their educational costs through the corporate work study program, but they experience working in a professional environment and the mentoring relationships they develop are priceless.”
 
Recently, the students, Adrian Rivas, a senior; Elizabeth Rodriguez, a junior; Haskell Lester, a sophomore; and Ricky Jimenez-Lucas, a freshman, gave a final Cristo Rey Work Study Project CEO Presentation where they highlighted their most valuable experiences as an intern as well as lessons learned. The students shared that they enjoyed being able to see how each department functions on a daily basis. Each of them expressed how much they learned about tolling and transit, and how both services help to improve the metro Atlanta community.
 
During their presentations, SRTA staffers who worked closely with the students had the opportunity to share what they enjoyed most about working with the interns. Staffers reported that many of the tasks completed by the interns contributed to critical departmental goals and objectives.  
 
Cristo Rey, which serves grades 9-12, welcomed their first class in August 2014 and is currently at capacity with 535 students as well as 50 faculty and staff members. Through its Corporate Work Study Program, the school partnered with 135 companies to provide their students with the opportunity to get real-world work experience.
 
On May 19, Cristo Rey graduated its inaugural class of 125 students, including one of SRTA’s interns, Adrian Rivas.