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This story is published in cooperation with Willamette Week and De La Salle North Catholic High School.
De La Salle North Catholic High School may be a private school, but its educational ethos is anything but exclusionary.
More than just another local private school, De La Salle is an institution that values cultural, spiritual, and ethnic diversity and fosters a learning community where no admitted student is turned away due to financial constraints. In fact, a large portion of the De La Salle student body receives financial aid, resulting in vibrant, equitable classrooms, an enviable student-to-teacher ratio of 11:1, and an average class size of 18.
Not only is financial aid provided to students, but they also offer students the chance to participate in their innovative Corporate Work Study program. The program is wholeheartedly committed to advancing Portland’s diverse community of students by giving them, at a young age, a substantial leg up for their future careers. In doing so, the program is effectively changing the professional landscape of the city to reflect and celebrate Portland’s many cultures, colors, languages, and heritages.
Opens in new windowIn the CWS program, students fill entry-level office positions in banking, law, healthcare, finance, architecture, engineering, and many other exciting career fields. Underserved students can gain a college-prep education while establishing critical professional skills. At the same time, the program provides Corporate Partners— local businesses that join forces with De La Salle North Catholic High School—a diverse and motivated entry-level workforce offering new perspectives as well as growth potential. That’s a win-win.
High school junior Mekhi Gardner, 17, has been attending De La Salle since his freshman year. Gardner and his family chose De La Salle not only for its small school atmosphere but also for the CWS program’s hands-on learning opportunities.
“(My parents) knew I could build close relationships with my teachers,” Gardner told Willamette Week. “I would get individual support, and they felt that my teachers would push me.”
Each week, Gardner spends one day working at La Clínica de Buena Salud in Northeast Portland as part of the CWS program, a position he values for many reasons.
Opens in new window“I was raised on Duolingo, but freshman year was my first actual Spanish class. I really dove into learning on my own, and then I was assigned to La Clínica [de Buena Salud],” explains Gardner. “I slowly started using Spanish for pleasantries, and I could understand patient interactions when shadowing a provider. Now, the majority of my CWS day is spent in Spanish.”
Not only does Gardner enjoy working with Spanish-speaking clients, he is passionate about a career in healthcare and appreciates how his time at La Clinica is contributing to his future goals. “I want to be a doctor,” he says, “and this work experience has also led to other opportunities in the healthcare field.”
Eager to share the unique opportunities his enrollment at De La Salle has offered, Gardner explained how he balances work experience with being an average high school student. Aside from the one day a week Mekhi works at La Clínica, his schedule mirrors that of most other high school juniors.
“On CWS days, I check in at the cafeteria and talk to friends until I’m dismissed to van #12,” Gardner says. “La Clínica is right down the street from school. I get dropped off, greeted by the building security guards, and then by the staff. Normally, I’m working at the front desk, doing reception, but sometimes I handle back-end tasks to make sure things run smoothly for patients.”
“The bread and butter of my day is checking patients in and completing administrative tasks,” says Gardner. “But sometimes, I deal with people who want to pay their bills, talk to an eligibility specialist, or schedule future appointments.”
Opens in new windowDespite the commitments of the CWS program, Gardner feels supported enough to balance both school and work. On workdays, his family picks him up from La Clínica at 3:30 p.m. to take him to sports practice. Mekhi participates in football and wrestling at Roosevelt and also competes on the De La Salle track team. “I have to manage my time carefully,” says Gardner. “I have a really good rapport with all my teachers. If we need to make a plan related to my sports schedule, they’re there for that.”
The program is as beneficial for local businesses as it is for students. CWS staff members provide customer support to Corporate Partner’s supervisors, handle all employer issues for the students, and even provide transportation. More importantly, however, the program directly enables its partners to develop talent pipelines, fulfill the strategic imperative of community engagement, and advance racial equity.
“This was my first foray into the workplace,” Gardner says. “On my very first day, my supervisors and I just talked pretty much the whole day. I learned to trust them, and my trusting relationships with coworkers help me do good work.”
“[Working at La Clínica de Buena Salud] has already helped me get other internships,” Gardner says. “I’ve had the opportunity to work as a volunteer research assistant at OHSU, I’m on the Oregon Health Authority’s Youth Data Council and I believe my experience at La Clínica was a contributing factor in my acceptance.”
Opens in new windowFor all its community partnerships, successful work-study programs, and stellar academics, De La Salle North Catholic High School is, foremost, a place where Gardner, like many of his non-white classmates, can authentically thrive.
“Here, I can be surrounded by people who look like me and have that be the norm,” Gardner says. “I’ve had past experiences where, because I was Black, I felt I wasn’t expected to be capable in the classroom. Here, I haven’t had to choose between my Blackness and my intellect.”
De La Salle currently receives support from over 80 Corporate Partners in the Portland metropolitan area and proudly boasts a cumulative college acceptance rate of 98%. Learn more about De La Salle North Catholic High School and its Corporate Work Study Program at delasallenorth.org.