First class from Loyola Academy graduate from partner school Brophy

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Loyola Academy, the on-campus middle school at Brophy College Prepatory that aims to help underprivileged boys succeed, recently saw its first class walk across the stage to receive their high school diplomas. Loyola opened in 2011.

The academy serves boys in sixth through eighth grades and prepares them to transition into Brophy College Preparatory. Students are identified in fifth grade, and the academy is meant for those who come from under-developed schools or low-income families.

“It’s a tuition free program that not only encompasses the typical cost of the education, but it was really important for us to build in elements beyond just the typical junior high experience that kids have access to,” Brophy principal Bob Ryan says. “It’s an expensive venture, but it’s a commitment that we feel happy about.”

Director of Loyola Academy Kendra Krause says the program has really gone better than anyone expected. Enrolling in the academy is both a commitment from the student and the parents. It’s a 10 hours a day, 11 months a year for a three-year venture the whole family takes part in.

“The first thing we do is take the boys on a retreat, which makes parents kind of nervous,” Krause says. “We ask them to have faith in us to do things like that with them. It’s a big commitment from the kids and their families.”

The first group of boys who entered the academy in 2011 recently attended their signing ceremony, at which they shared what their first step after Brophy will be. The ceremony was designed so students from the academy could reconnect. Ryan says Krause has been good at trying to establish traditions for the academy.

“Seeing these boys at the end of their Brophy careers, it really has seemed like it’s gone better than expected,” Krause says. “They have plans. They’ve really made a difference on campus and in the community. I think they would all say they’ve had a really good experience. Their families are super involved.”

Loyola began as an effort to expand Brophy’s reach into the community, Ryan says. Brophy understood that there were boys who had potential but didn’t have the tools to get into the preparatory school. Brophy didn’t have a strong retention rate among kids who came from low-income communities, so that’s the group they sought to help.

“I think we were really blessed with this first group because they really did let us try things out on them for the whole time they were with us,” Krause says. “It was an amazing experience to watch them. I felt blessed to see how much they really love each other and what a community they still are even if they went separate ways.”

Krause says they always receive more applications than the 75 spots they have to fill, but she still encourages people to nominate talented fifth graders. For more information on Loyola Academy visit www.brophyprep.org/page/loyola-academy.

WE FIRST TOLD YOU ABOUT LOYOLA ACADEMY WHEN IT OPENED IN 2011 AND NOW THE ON CAMPUS MIDDLE SCHOOL AT BROPHY COLLEGE PREPARTORY IS GRADUATING ITS FIRST CLASS. THE SCHOOL AIMS TO PROVIDE UNDERPRIVILEGED BOYS TO SUCCEED IN A COLLEGE PREPRATORY ENVIRONMENT. THEY WERE RECOGNIZED AT A SIGNING CEREMONY.

VIDEO: WALKING INTO THOSE LOYOLA HALL DOORS IN 2011 AS TIMED SIXTH GRADERS MANY OF US WOULD HAVE NEVER BELIEVED THAT WE’D BE IN THE POSITION THAT WE ARE TODAY. PRIVATE EDUCATION SEEMED OUT OF REACH AND COLLEGE WAS A DREAM. BEFORE WE WALKED INTO THOSE DOORS, SOCIETY HAD TOLD US WE WOULD BECOME ANOTHER STATISTIC AND WE SIMPLY WOULDN’T BE GOOD ENOUGH. THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE TODAY.
VIDEO: YOU ALL SIGNED ON TO A VISION THAT WASN'T EVEN QUITE FORMED YET AND GAVE US YOUR SON FOR TEN HOURS A DAY, ELEVEN MONTHS A YEAR FOR SEVEN YEARS. YOU TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED IN BROPHY AND YOU BELIEVED IN YOUR SONS. AND YOU’RE ABOUT TO TAKE ANOTHER AS THEY LEAVE THIS PLACE, AND VENTURE OUT, SOME OF THEM VERY FAR AWAY, YOU ARE ABOUT TO TAKE ANOTHER. WE SAID WE WANTED YOU TO BE LEADERS AND CREATE CHANGE AT BROPHY AND BEYOND. TO BE INVOLVED AND TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST AT BROPHY. WE ARE GOING TO PLAY A LITTLE GAME. YOU’RE GOING TO STAND IF I AM DESCRIBING YOU AND SOMETHING YOU HAVE DONE AT THIS HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAVE HAD BOYS TAKE HONORS AND AP CLASSES. WE HAVE HAD BOYS PLAY SPORTS. WE HAVE HAD BOYS DO SPEECH AND DEBATE AND YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT AND MOCK TRIAL. WE HAVE HAD BOYS BE BEST BUDDIES AND BIG BROTHERS. WE HAVE HAD BOYS TRAVEL ON IMMERSION TRIPS TO PERU, TO EL SALVADOR, TO LOS ANGELES, TO CANADA, TO WASHINGTON, TO MONTANA. WE HAVE HAD BOYS BE ON STUDENT COUNT AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR CLUBS. WE HAVE HAD BOYS WITH ARTWORK AND STAR IN SCHOOL PLAYS. WE HAVE HAD BOYS BE ACCEPTED TO COLLEGE. [APPLAUSE]

WE HAVE HAD BOYS WHO WILL BE THE FIRST GENERATION IN THEIR FAMILY TO ATTEND COLLEGE. [APPLAUSE]

VIDEO: WE ARE THE CUCULMNATIONINATION OF HARD WORK, TIME AND EFFORT AND WE PROMISE NOT TO DISAPPOINT. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AT OUR SIGNING. THIS IS YOUR LOYOLA ACADEMY BROPHY CLASS OF 2018.

Jose: JOINING ME NOW TO TALK ABOUT THE ACADEMY ARE KENDRA KRAUSE, DIRECTOR OF LOYOLA ACADEMY AND BOB RYAN. PRINCIPAL OF BROPHY COLLEGE PREPARATORY. I REMEMBER 2011 WHEN WE HAD YOU BOTH ON THIS SHOW. I WAS OPTIMISTIC, BUT THIS SEEMS TO HAVE TURNED OUT BETTER THAN YOU COULD HAVE DREAMT. AM I RIGHT?

Krause: IT HAS BEEN PRETTY GOOD. THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, SEEING THIS PARTICULAR GROUP OF BOY AT THE END OF THEIR BROPHY CAREER IT HAS DONE BETTER THAN EXPECTED. THEY HAVE PLANS, REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE ON CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK THEY WOULD SAY THEY HAVE HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE SUPER INVOLVED. ALL THE THINGS WE IMAGINED HAPPENING ARE SMALL BYPRODUCTS OF THE PROGRAM AS A WHOLE. WE HAVE SEEN THOSE COME TO FRUITION. YEAH, IT’S BEEN PRETTY GOOD.

Jose: SO BOB, LET'S GO BACK TO THE STARTED AND THE WHY AND HOW IT GOT GOING.

RYAN: OUR FORMER PRESIDENT FATHER EDDIE REESE AND CURRENT PRESIDENT ADRIAN RENKE WE TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO EXPAN BROPHY'S REACH. WE KNEW THERE WERE BOYS WHO HAD THE POTENTIAL BUT DIDN'T HAVE THE TOOLS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO PUT THEM ON THE PATHWAY TO GET TO BROPHY. SO FOR US, IT WAS AN ISSUE OF JUSTICE AND WE WANTED TO EXPAND ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL. WE HAD A VARIETY OF INTERVENTIONS WE TRIED WHEN WE ADMITTED NINTH GRADERS AND DIDN'T SEE THE RETENTION RATE WE WANTED FROM KIDS COMING FROM UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOLS. WE HAD A DREAM TO START LOYOLA ACADEMY AND WITH THE SUPPORT COMMUNITY PARTNERS LIKE THE STEEL FOUNDATION AND KEN KENDRICK AND THE DIAMOND BACKS. THEY HELPED MAKE IT A REALITY. FIRST THING WE DID WAS HIRE KENDRA TO DET GET IT OFF THE GROUND AND MAKE THE DREAM HAPPEN.

Jose: YOU HAD TO CREATE YOUR OWN PIPELINE BECAUSE YOU COULD NOT TAKE THEM AT AND OLDER AGE FROM OTHER SCHOOLS. THEY STARTED WITH SIX GRADE BUT THE INITIAL CONTACT WAS IN FIFTH GRADE, RIGHT?

KRAUSE: CORRECT. WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR TALENTED, INTERESTED FIFTH GRADERS. IF YOUR VIEWERS KNOW ANY, SEND THEM OUR WAY. WE IDENTIFY THEM IN FIFTH AND THEY START WITH US AT THE START OF SIXTH.

Jose: AND PRETTY INTENSIVE AS I RECALL. I REMEMBER WHEN WE TALKED SEVEN YEARS AGO IT WAS QUITE A COMMITMENT NOT ONLY FROM THE KIDS BUT THE PARENTS.

KRAUSE: RIGHT, WE HAD 75 KIDS AT THE ACADEMY THIS YEAR AND ONLY ONE COULD WALK TO SCHOOL. I MEAN. WE TRY TO HELP WITH TRANSPORTATION THAT ALONE MEANS PARENTS HAVE TO MAKE A DIFFERENT COMMITMENT THAN PROBABLY WHAT THEY WERE DOING BEFORE. IT IS 10 HOURS A DAY AND 11 MONTHS A YEAR. WE TAKE KIDS PLACES AND THAT MIGHT SOUND LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY BUT THE FIRST THING WE DO IS TAKE KIDS ON A RETREAT AND THAT MAKES PARENTS REALLY NERVOUS. THEY ARE NOT USED TO THEIR BOYS LEAVING HOME OVERNIGHT. WE ASK THEM TO HAVE FAITH IN US TO DO THINGS LIKE THAT WITH THEM. IT IS A BIG COMMITMENT FROM THE KIDS AND FAMILIES.

Jose: BOB, IT IS A TWO-YEAR PROGRAM RIGHT? IN THE LOYOLA ACADEMY?

RYAN: IT’S THREE. SIXTH, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH

Jose: AND THEN THEY GO INTO THE GENERAL POPULATION. AT THAT POINT, ARE THEY TREATED ANY DIFFERENTLY? IS THERE ANY FOLLOW-UP?

RYAN: WE DON'T HAVE PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY FOR THEM AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. KENDRA AND THE FACULTY AT LOYAL -- LOYOLA DO A GREAT JOB STAYING IN CONTACT IN THE SAME WAY THE BOYS ARE IN CONTACT WITH JUNIOR HIGH FACULTY – IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT IT’S MORE CONVIENT FOR THEM BECAUSE IT’S ON CAMPUS. THE WHOLE POINT OF LOYOLA ACADEMY IS TO POSITION THEM TO MOVE INTO THE NINTH GRAD WITH THEIR PEERS AND STAND TALL WITH KIDS COMING FROM ALL OVER THE VALLEY. WE REALLY DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS AT HIGH SCHOOL.

Jose: KENDRA, YOU MENTIONED A RETREAT. WE HAVE A PICTURE OF THE MOST RECENT RETREAT INVOLVING THOSE SAME BOYS. WE’LL PUT IT UP ON THE SCREEN. WHAT WAS THE POINT HERE? THIS IS WELL BEYOND THE INITIAL PROGRAM WHERE YOU WERE TAKING THEM ON THOSE RETREATS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.

KRAUSE: I THINK THEY PLANNED IT, TWO IN PARTICULAR. I THINK THEY WANTED TO END WHERE THEY HAD STARTED SO THAT IS WHAT WE DID. WE TOOK THEM BACK TO THE SAME PLACE WE HAD MAKE THAT INITIAL RETREAT. 10 HOURS A DAY FOR 11 MONTHS A YEAR FOR THREE YEARS THEY HAD BEEN THIS TIGHT COMMUNITY AT THE ACADEMY AND THEY VENTURED OUT IN THE ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT SPHERES OF HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY WANTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECONNECT AS JUST AN ACADEMY CLASS BEFORE GRADUATION. THAT WAS THE MOTIVATION FOR THEM AND SOMETHING WE TRIED TO PROVIDE AND SELFISHLY WE GOT TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM AND ASKED WHAT WENT WELL AND WHAT CAN WITH WE DO BETTER AND HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. I THINK WE WERE REALLY BLESSED WITH THIS GROUP AS A FIRST CLASS BECAUSE THEY REALLY DID LET US TRY THINGS OUT ON THEM FOR THE WHOLE TIME THEY WERE WITH US, BUT IT WAS REALLY -- IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE TO WATCH THEM. I FELT LIKE I WAS JUST REALLY BLESSED TO SEE HOW MUCH THEY LOVE EACH OTHER AND REALLY WHAT A COMMUNITY THEY STILL ARE EVEN IF THEY WENT SEPARATE WAYS FOR THE FOUR YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL.

Jose: AND WE DID HAVE ANOTHER PICTURE ON THE SCREEN BREIFLY AND I THINK THIS WAS THEM JUST WHAT? A WEEK OR TWO AGO? AT THE SIGNING CEREMONY?

RYAN: IT WAS A GREAT DAY.

Jose: SO THE SIGNING CEREMONY IS NOT GRADUATION.
RYAN: NO
JOSE: WHAT WAS THE POINT OF IT?
RYAN: KENDRA HAS BEEN GOOD AT WANTING TO ESTABLISH RITUALS FOR THE ACADEMY. ONCE THEY GOT TO HIGH SCHOOL WE WANTED THEM TO BE BROPHY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BUT SO WE DIDN'T DO A LOT WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL BUT BEFORE THEY LEFT FOR THE YOUNGER STUDENTS WE WANTED TO MARK THEIR EXIT AT END OF THEIR JOURNEY. WE HAD AN AFTERNOON SET ASIDE WHERE WE INVITED FAMILIES, BENEFACTORS, AND SUPPORTERS AND ALL THE YOUNGER STUDENTS WERE REQUIRED TO BE THERE AND KENDRA FACILITATED THE CEREMONY AND GOT UP TO THE MICROPHONE AND ADDRESSED GRATITUDE TO THOSE IN ATTENDANCE AND HIS PLANS POST-COLLEGE. NINETEEN IS MOVING ON TO UNIVERSITY AND ONE JOINING THE NAVY.

Jose: AND THE SIGNING IS THE COMMITMENTS THEY WERE MAKING TO THESE UNIVERSITIES AND THE NAVY. AND ALL OF THEM ARE MOVING ON.

KRAUSE: YEAH, ONE IS CHOOSING THE NAVY. ONE, I THINK MIGHT END UP TAKING A GAP HERE TRYING TO EARN EXTRA MONEY FOR COLLEGE BUT THEY HAVE ALL PLANS, THEY WERE ALL ACCEPTED. A LOT OF THEM HAD TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE TO GO AND WHAT SCHOOL TO ATTEND BUT THEY ALL HAVE PLANS PAST BROPHY.

JOSE: AND BOB THEY ALL PARTICIPATED IN THE REGULAR GRADUATION?

RYAN: THEY DID FOR SURE.

JOSE: ONCE THEY GOT INTO THE REGULAR BROPHY PROGRAM HOW DID THEY DO? WHAT WAS YOUR SENSE OF HOW SUCCESSFUL YOU WERE IN CREATING YOUR OWN PIPELINE?

RYAN: THEY DID WELL. WE HAVE LEARNED THINGS. NOT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM ENDED UP GRADUATING FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL. THE VAST MAJORITY DID. THEY DID WELL. THEY GIVE US FEEDBACK AT THIS RETREAT ABOUT THE TWEAKS WE COULD MAKE TO FURTHER PREPARE THEM WHEN THEY GOT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL. I THINK ONE ADJUSTMENT WAS THAT THEY GO FROM AN INSULAR ENVIRONMENT IN SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH GRADE WHERE THEY HAVE 11-HOUR DAYS AND TEACHERS ARE WITH THEM ALL THE TIME AND THEN THERE IS A LOT OF FREEDOM WHEN THEY GET TO THE HIGH SCHOOL, I THINK FOR SOME, OF THE GUYS THAT WAS AN ADJUSTMENT – THEY TALKED ABOUT THAT. THEN JUST THE NORMAL TRANSITION OF NAVIGATING A HIGH SCHOOL WITH 300 BOYS IN YOUR CLASS AND MAKING FRIENDS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT TO GET INVOLVED IN AND HOW AND WHEN, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE TYPICAL HIGH SCHOOL ADJUSTMENTS
JOSE: PART OF GROWING UP?
RYAN: RIGHT, RIGHT.
Jose: HOW MANY KIDS YOU GOT IN THE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW?

KRAUSE: WE’VE GOT 75 AT THE ACADEMY AND 80 AT THE HIGH SCHOOLM RIGHT NOW.

Jose: AND YOU HAVE A WAITING LIST?

KRAUSE: YEAH. THERE’S ALWAYS MORE APPLICATIONS THAN SPOTS.
JOSE: AND IF PEOPLE WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM HOW DO THEY DO THAT?
KRAUSE: BROPHY’S WEBSITE IS PROBABLY THE EASIEST. THERE’S A LOYOLA ACADEMY PAGE WITH ALL SORTS OF INFO AND CONTACT INFORMATION NUMBERS AND EMAIL ADRESSES.
Jose: AND BOB, WE ALREADY MENTIONED SOME OF THE SUPPORTERS- KEN KENDRICKS - , AND THAT’S BECAUSE BROPHY PREP IS A PREPRATORY SCHOOL AND THE BEST IN THE STATE. IT COSTS MONEY.

RYAN: IT DOES COST MONEY. IT IS A TUITION-FREE PROGRAM THAT NOT ONLY ENCOMPASSES THE COST OF THE TYPICAL EDUCATION BUT AS KENDRA MENTIONED IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO BUILD IN ELEMENTS BEYOND JUST THE TYPICAL JUNIOR HIGH EXPERIENCE THAT KIDS HAVE ACCESS TO. SO, YOU KNOW, SIXTH GRADERS SPEND A WEEK AT A RANCH IN BUMBLEBEE. SEVEN GRADERS GO TO CATALINA. EIGHT GRADERS GO TO D.C. FOR A WEEK. ALL THOSE THINGS ARE FUNDED. SO IT’S AN EXPENSIVE VENTURE BUT IT’S A COMMITMENT THAT WE’VE MADE AND REALLY FEEL HAPPY ABOUT.

Jose: BUT YOU GOT SOME GREAT SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY. WHAT A SUCCESS. CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF YOU AND I AM SURE WE WILL HAVE MORE TO TALK ABOUT IN THE YEARS TO COME. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON "HORIZONTE." COMING UP NEXT, EFFORTS TO GET MORE MINORITIES OUT TO EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY OF OUR NATIONAL PARKS.

Bob Ryan: Principal, Brophy College Preparatory
Kendra Krause: Director, Loyola Academy

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