When Claudia Meyer immigrated to the United States from Brazil at age 15, she had numerous obstacles standing in her way of achieving her goals. More than 35 years later, she\u2019s determined to change that scenario for students in the Kansas City area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meyer is the president and CEO of Cristo Rey Kansas City, a Catholic high school that provides an education, enhanced by an innovative corporate work-study program to culturally diverse, ambitious students with economic need. Cristo Rey uses five core values\u2014Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Partnership and Spirituality\u2014to provide young people in the urban core of Kansas City with hope for their educational future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meyer has reached a lot of her goals in the 37 years since she arrived in the U.S. \u201cI attended college here, got married here and raised my family here,\u201d she said. \u201cI am very grateful for the opportunities I\u2019ve had in this country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs an educator, I\u2019m just trying to do the same for others, trying to eliminate as many barriers as I can, to help others have an easier time than I did and to be able to achieve their goals in life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why Cristo Rey is such a perfect fit for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn order to become a Cristo Rey student, you have to have the grades, you have to have the discipline and you have to have the \u2018want\u2019 to be here,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cOur students want to be the ones who break generational poverty in their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey work one day a week, from the time they\u2019re freshmen to the time they’re seniors, in many corporations throughout the KC metro. We have partnerships with construction companies, hospitals, law firms, you name it \u2013 from the biggest companies in Kansas City to the smallest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blue KC is included in that list of Kansas City companies. Cristo Rey students have worked at Blue KC for the past few years. The class of 2025 saw seven talented students gain experience and knowledge about one of the leading health insurance companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because of her work, Meyer will receive the May \u201cBlue KC Gamechanger\u201d award. Launched during the 2024 NWSL season, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) and the Kansas City Current teamed up to create this exclusive program highlighting local individuals blazing the trail for all women across the Kansas City area. A Blue KC Gamechanger inspires bold ambition in all his or her work, enriching the community around them and enacting positive change through intentional action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cClaudia is a great example of using her own struggles as motivation for helping young people in Kansas City achieve their own goals,\u201d said Blue KC Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Jenny Housley. \u201cWe are very proud and excited to recognize her as our May Blue KC Gamechanger!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cristo Rey served 240 students this year, but that number is growing. They hope to be at 300 by 2028. Many of the students come from homes where English is not the native language. Meyer didn\u2019t speak any English when she arrived in the U.S. The native language of Brazil is Portuguese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Portuguese and Spanish sound similar to an untrained ear, they\u2019re not the same language, which made it more difficult to adapt. People spoke Spanish to her thinking that was her native tongue. She knows it wasn\u2019t malicious, but it didn\u2019t make it any easier to adapt to a new environment and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her goal, as a person of faith, is to facilitate others to an easier time than she had and be able to achieve their goals in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re putting wheels under their education,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want to provide a space where they can talk about God, and they can be one in prayer. They can learn and explore, and they can ask questions and feel a sense of belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what drew me to Cristo Rey, to have that faith formation, as well as a program that really puts wheels under kids\u2019 education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To nominate a special person who makes our community a better place, click here<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n Blue KC Gamechanger Program<\/p> <\/div>\n Blue KC supports the Kansas City community through impactful sports partnership programs<\/h3>