CISE’s primary focus over its 40-year history has been on sustaining Catholic grade schools in their neighborhoods. Vision 2021 & Beyond called on CISE to further expand the vital “bookends” to grade school: preschool and high school. Under the leadership of Phil McHugh, CISE onboarded Mari Thomas, Career Navigator and Workforce Intermediary and Mike Kennedy, Director of Strategic Initiatives and High School Scholarship Programs, to explore educational pathways to prepare CISE-supported schools for life after high school and build out the high school scholarship fund. 

Since 2021, the number of eighth graders matriculating to Catholic high schools has increased, on average, by twenty new freshmen each academic year. As of fall 2024, 494 CISE-supported students attend a Catholic high school, with anticipated growth to more than 500 in 2025.  As the enrollment in Catholic high schools increases, the need for additional scholarship funds increases, as well.  With the addition of Mike to the CISE team, he has grown the high school scholarship funds and developed an accountability plan to regularly assess the usage, impact, and future needs. 

Just as Mike has examined high school financial data, Mari Thomas has been exploring the educational landscape, specifically, the educational pathways and resources to ensure that CISE-supported graduates are life-ready. The Career and Technical Education, CTE, Feasibility study that commenced in the summer of 2023, has identified that the educational needs of CISE-supported scholars have changed, the educational options within most Catholic high schools have remained the same, and the opportunity for alternative educational resources and programming is essential. Given the changing student needs, and the available educational opportunities, Mari has fostered high school and post-secondary educational partnerships, developed relationships with business and industry partners, and secured state level policy champions to bring forward enhanced CTE “experienceships” that will expand the educational experience for CISE-supported scholars as they prepare for their post-graduation plans. Through this intentional and innovative educational reform, CISE will advance the commitment to strengthen the education continuum and help scholars secure a path to a job, successful career, life fulfillment, and, most importantly, a way out of poverty.    

With Mari’s work to expand educational programming and Mike’s work to understand and build out the financial landscape, collectively they are planning to execute strategic initiatives that will ensure that the CISE-supported scholars not only get to Catholic high schools, but get through high school, prepared for their next chapter of life – college education, employment, or enlistment.