On many mornings and evenings, Sullivan’s Island resident Joanna Wusinich can be found walking the beach with her four-year-old golden retriever and best friend, Violet. It is one of her favorite parts of island life — and often a chance to think about the work unfolding just across the Cooper River.

At 1912 Success Street in North Charleston, a historic school building is becoming the future home of Cristo Rey Charleston High School, a private, college-preparatory school that will welcome its founding class in August 2027. It will be the first Cristo Rey school in South Carolina and the 42nd in a national network committed to expanding access to an excellent education for students and families with limited financial means.

For Joanna, Cristo Rey Charleston’s Founding President and CEO, bringing that mission to Charleston is deeply personal. Her connection to Cristo Rey began more than 20 years ago as a volunteer and teacher at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago. After practicing law in Philadelphia, she returned to the mission, eventually serving as a leader at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School.

At the heart of the model is Cristo Rey’s Corporate Work Study Program. Every student works one day each week in a professional setting throughout all four years of high school. Companies employ teams of students who rotate through shared entry-level positions, with revenue from their work helping offset a significant portion of the cost of their education.

But the experience goes far beyond tuition.

“The workplace becomes another classroom,” Joanna says. “Our students will be surrounded by people who reinforce what their families and teachers are telling them: you are capable, your talents are valuable, and you belong at the table.”

Students gain professional experience, confidence, relationships and exposure to careers they may never have considered. Charleston employers including Roper St. Francis and Beemok Hospitality have already joined the program, with job placements in place for the anticipated founding class of 100 freshmen.

For Joanna, the community forming around the school has been one of the most meaningful parts of the journey.

“This school is being built by a remarkable mosaic of people who come from different parts of our community but share a belief in what is possible for our students,” she says.

Perhaps that is where Joanna’s two worlds intersect. The sense of community she values on Sullivan’s Island is also at the heart of Cristo Rey: neighbors looking beyond their own doors and investing in the young people growing up around them.