For Work-Study Partners
How It Works
Cristo Rey Columbus High School’s Professional Work-Study Program (PWSP) is a proven business model designed to meet your entry-level employee needs and your bottom line! It’s also designed to make the employment process as easy as possible for your business.
The PWSP is its own corporation that provides employment services, which saves you administrative overhead. Students are employees of the PWSP, not your company. That means the PWSP handles all payroll, W-4, I-9, Workers’ Compensation, FICA, FUTA, and other aspects of employment associated with the student workers.
All of our students participate in our work-study program, working five days per month during the school year at their assigned local business. At their jobs, students engage in various entry-level activities, from customer service, to social media strategy and execution, to IT support. A team of 4 students fills one full-time work-study position. Each member of the student team will work one full day each week (approximately 7-8 hours per day) and an extra day every four weeks of the school year, excluding school holidays. The workday will be approximately 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., although those times may vary depending on the needs of your business and the proximity of your business to the high school.
The PWSP prepares our students for college by developing project- and time-management skills, leadership abilities, and personal accountability. By working with you, their adult colleagues, in a professional setting, our students consistently see and experience what college can lead to. That modeling and positive reinforcement is invaluable and is not available in a typical scholastic model.
For more details about the possible jobs our students can fulfill at your company, read our Student Job Descriptions. Here’s a visual example of a Cristo Rey PWSP schedule:

A= Monday Worker B= Tuesday Worker C= Wenesday Worker D= Thursday Worker
Before starting their entry-level jobs, all students must satisfactorily complete our Summer Business Training program. During this time, we train students in general professional office skills and prepare them for their new responsibilities come the fall. Throughout the whole process, our staff serve as liaisons between your company and our students. We provide ongoing support all four years to answer any questions you might have and to ensure our students are responsibly meeting your needs.
Benefits
A full-time, highly productive employee at a reduced cost
Little to no HR responsibilities
Youthful energy and ideas in the office that prove useful and refreshing, especially for growing businesses
Opportunity to train/recruit future employees upon graduation/college as part of workforce development
Opportunity to cultivate young, diverse talent
Lasting relationships with the leaders of tomorrow
For more information on how to be a Professional Work-Study partner, please contact Somers L. Martin, PWSP Director of Sales at smartin@cristoreycolumbus.org.
A Word from Our Work-Study Supervisors
Some of Our Current Work-Study Partners
AEP (3 Teams) AETNA Antolino & Associates AT&T BalletMet Columbus Better Business Bureau Bexley Public Library Big Brothers Big Sisters Bob Evans Farms Broad Street Food Pantry Bricker & Eckler Buckeye Power/Ohio Electric Cooperative Builder’s Exchange Burgess & Niple Casto Catholic Diocese of Columbus Catholic Diocese Office for Social Concerns Catholic Social Services |
Center for New Directions Career Center Champion Companies Childhood League Center City of Columbus Dept. of Public Utilities City of Columbus Mayor’s Office City of New Albany Columbus Children’s Theatre Columbus Early Learning Centers Columbus Humane Columbus Metropolitan Library Columbus Museum of Art Columbus State Community College Corna Kokosing COSI Dawson Deloitte Diamond Hill Capital Management |
Easton Encova Insurance Expeditors International Federal District Court, Southern Division First Merchants Bank Franklin County Auditor Franklin County Board of Commissioners (3 Teams) Franklin County Recorder Franklin County Treasurer Franklin Park Conservatory Free Store for All People GBQ Holdings Gladden Food Pantry Grange |
Habitat for Humanity Homeport Huckleberry House Huntington (1.5 teams) Ice Miller, LLP IGS Energy Installed Building Products JDRF J.O.I.N. JobsOhio JP Morgan Chase
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Junior Achievement (2 teams) Kegler Brown Hill + Ritter King Arts Complex Kimball Midwest (3 Teams) Kirk Williams Company Lancaster Pollard Law Offices of Sam Shamansky |
Lifestyle Communities Local Matters Loeb Electric M/I Homes Mount Carmel Health System (3 Teams) Muirfield Village Golf Club NNEMAP Food Pantry
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NNEMAP Food Pantry National Youth Advocate Program Nationwide Children’s Hospital Nationwide Insurance (2 Teams) NiSource/Columbia Gas Ohio Attorney General Ohio Auditor of State Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation Ohio Credit Union League Ohio Department of Administrative Services Ohio Department of Commerce Ohio Department of Higher Education Ohio Department of Insurance Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Ohio Department of Medicaid Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services |
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Ohio Department of Public Safety Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Ohio Department of Transportation Ohio Department of Veteran’s Services Ohio Department of Youth Services Ohio Development Services Agency Ohio ENT/Allergy Physicians OhioHealth – 4 teams Ohio Office of Budget & Management Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund (2 Teams) Ohio Secretary of State
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OSU College of Education and Human Ecology OSU College of Engineering Otterbein University Park National Bank Pelotonia Perio/Barbasol Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Raising Cane’s Red Roof Reminger Rockbridge Capital Ronald McDonald House Charities |
Safex St. Brigid of Kildare Parish St. Joseph Montessori School St. Mary’s School St. Timothy School St. Vincent de Paul Clothing Center School Employees Retirement System of Ohio Scott Scriven LLP |
State Auto Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP The Pizzuti Companies The Reeb Avenue Center The Salvation Army Three Hands, LLC Thrive Companies Telhio WCBE 90.5 FM Public Radio |
The Waterworks White Castle Yellow Cab Company YMCA |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the student’s work schedule interfere with his or her classroom schedule?
No. Students will not miss any classes while working because their curriculum is structured so that all of their course work is covered during the days of the week when they are not at the work site. Our class days are longer than other high schools, and the school year is longer as well. Following the proven success of other Cristo Rey schools throughout the country, students at Cristo Rey Columbus will fulfill all the requirements of a college preparatory high school and will be well-positioned when applying to college.
Do all students go to work?
Yes! All students must participate in the Professional Work-Study Program (PWSP). This program is part of the curriculum and finances a significant portion of the cost of the student’s private high school education. A team of 4 students fill the entry-level functions of one full-time work-study position. Each member of the student team will work one full day each week (approximately 7-8 hours per day) and an extra day every four weeks of the school year, excluding school holidays. The workday will be approximately 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., although those times may vary depending on the needs of the business and the proximity of the business to the high school. (Students may be available to work during school breaks if there is a mutual agreement with the company, our PWSP Director, and the student.)
Will students get to choose where they work?
All students will complete a summer training program prior to the start of school. At this time, the Work-Study staff will begin to explore with students their interests and preferences for work experiences. The Work-Study Director will make the final determination as to where each student will be placed.
Who supervises the students at work?
Each company is asked to designate an on-site supervisor who will help guide and support the student in this challenging but rewarding experience. Both the supervisors and the Work-Study Staff will provide overall guidance, education, and support. That way, all students will feel successful at work, and the company’s work needs are met.
Can parents contact the company where their child works?
No. All communications to and from our work-study partners must be made through the Work-Study staff at Cristo Rey Columbus High School.
How does the student get to work each week?
The Work-Study Program will make arrangements with transportation companies to take the students from the high school to their workplace in the morning and pick them up at the end of the day to return them to school.
What kind of work will students do?
A team of 4 students will fill the entry-level functions of one full-time work-study position. At their jobs, students engage in various entry-level activities, from customer service, to social media strategy and execution, to IT support. A student’s job description may evolve over time with experience and grow to include more technical and difficult tasks. The purpose of the work experience is to expose students to a professional culture and expand their dreams for their futures.
How can I learn more about the Cristo Rey Columbus Professional Work-Study Program?
Please contact PWSP Director of Sales Somers Martin at 614-223-9261, ext. 005 or smartin@cristoreycolumbus.org.