About the Book

More than a Dream documents the improbable and inspiring start-up and staggering success of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. The book begins with the Jesuits' simple desire to serve the students of Pilsen, a predominantly Latino immigrant neighborhood on the Lower West Side of Chicago, and from there chronicles the trials and tribulations of developing an economically feasible model for the school, the many difficulties faced by the founders in opening the doors, and the school's darkest days, when mounting financial losses resulted in a budget crisis that threatened its very surivial. Most importantly, More than a Dream explores in detail how Cristo Rey altered the trajectory of the lives of four of its students: Leo Maldonado, Maritza Santibáñez-Luna, Joey Garcia, and Mayra Hernandez.

The Cristo Rey story will inspire anyone who has ever wondered if a small group of people can really change the world. It's not a book about education, or business, or the Catholic Church. It's a book about people changing the world and is a must read for teachers, parents, business leaders, politicians, students, and scholars who want to do their part to make the world a better place and who believe it's possible to come up with new and creative solutions to old and particularly vexing problems.

The book, which is being published by Loyola Press, is due out in January, 2008. It has already garnered favorable endorsements from a growing group of business leaders, policymakers, educational leaders, and writers.