D&Z Celebrates Five Years of Partnership with Cristo Rey

Day & Zimmermann has recently kicked off their work-study program with Cristo Rey High School for the 2020 – 2021 school year. This partnership provides education and invaluable work experience to talented students with limited-income backgrounds. We are proud to share that this is our fifth year of partnership with Cristo Rey. As we celebrate this important five-year partnership, below are details of this year’s program as well as some pictures and information from previous years.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Cristo Rey students are remote through December, and fortunately, their professional development has been able to continue at home. Each student reports to a Cristo Rey supervisor from the work-study team, who then assigns work/goals towards their projects each week.

In previous years, Cristo Rey students have contributed to Day & Zimmermann by assisting with hiring and recruitment, social media, accounting and event planning. They learn the ins and outs of the hiring process by reviewing resumes, reviewing candidates on job boards, contacting candidates to schedule interviews, sourcing prospective candidates and attending hiring meetings. In addition, students also prepare pieces for the Company blog, update website content, organize invoices, prepare agent reports, analyze and organize data in Microsoft Excel, draft and send verification letters, and digitalize apportionment binders.

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Right now, students are working towards completing a consultation presentation for their job partners. They will also be completing projects that encompass the "Diversifying Your Talent Pipeline" initiative. Cristo Rey students are going to be taking on two separate projects for D&Z:

  • Freshman and sophomores will be participating in the #AllyAdvocacy initiative which will successfully answer questions on how employees can virtually support, advocate, and be an ally for Diversity & Inclusion and Employee Resource Groups, along with related causes and issues.

  • Juniors and seniors will be participating in the #DrivingDiversity initiative which will successfully answer questions on how Gen Z employees can benefit D&Z in areas of diversity, inclusivity and culture.

Once completed, both groups will present their findings and make recommendations to Day & Zimmermann in December.

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At Day & Zimmermann, we are passionate about giving back to our communities. Year after year, our employees continue todonate their time and resources to programs like the Cristo Rey program. Their efforts of giving back are a true representation of our four core values of Safety, Diversity, Success and Integrity. We stand behind our employees, who are the driving factor and heart of these programs.

The work-study program has been a very positive and valuable experience, for both Cristo Rey and Day & Zimmermann. It has been a great way for D&Z to get involved in the local community and make a difference in the lives of young adults. We look forward to the success it will continue to bring.

"I think our partnership with Cristo Rey truly reflects our core values: Safety, Diversity, Success and Integrity. We match students with supervisors who are able to provide a safe and understanding learning environment, and meet the students where they are on their learning curve," said Fran Coady, Senior VP of Human Resources.

She continued, "The student body of Cristo Rey is truly diverse, with young people from many different neighborhoods and ethnic and religious backgrounds, but with one thing in common: the hunger to learn and to succeed in the future by studying hard to obtain a preparatory school level education. They are great kids who come prepared to work, with good values and standards.

"As an added benefit, the program also provides up-and- coming talent in D&Z with the opportunity to gain supervisory experience in a unique way. I am so proud of our partnership, and of our company's leaders for their continued commitment to this program."

If you'd like to learn more about the Cristo Rey Program, please reach out to Sara dePolo at Sara.dePolo@dayzim.com.