Cristo Rey Takes on Boot Camp

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School student Marco Beltran Galan works with writing coach Terry Wolkerstorfer on his college essay.

ThreeSixty Journalism hosted a College Essay Boot Camp in April for 19 Cristo Rey Jesuit High School students.

The students attend the four-day camp at the St. Thomas College of Arts and Sciences on the St. Paul campus during their spring break.

With the help of professional writing coaches and ThreeSixty staff, each student produced a college essay. Several students shared those essays at a celebration on the final day with their peers, some parents and ThreeSixty supporters in the room.

Students also met a number of St. Thomas staff throughout the camp, including admissions counselors from the university and Dougherty Family College and learned about campus resources from the Student Diversity and Inclusion Services staff.

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School students learned about what support they would receive on campus as a St. Thomas student during College Essay Boot Camp.

They also had the opportunity to talk to several St. Thomas students about their experiences

“This was an impressive group of students who were smart, vulnerable and engaged. They became stronger writers by the end of the week,” Program Manager Theresa Malloy said. “We hope all students left the camp knowing St. Thomas is invested in their future.”

ThreeSixty thanks all the volunteers and supporters who made this week possible.

Click here to find out how you can volunteer with ThreeSixty’s upcoming summer camps.

Read several student essays through the links below: