Meet Cesar Munoz | Founding Principal

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cesar Munoz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cesar, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
A person should do their job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an educator. I started as a 4th grade math and science teacher in Chicago, then moved to being a math teacher at an alternative high school, and before leaving Chicago, I was a dean of students at a middle school. Currently, I am the founding principal of Cristo Rey Miami High School. Cristo Rey has a unique educational model where students receive more instructional hours than most high schools, while only attending school four days per week. The students only attend school four days per week because they go to work in a corporate environment one day per week. Cristo Rey students start their corporate careers at law firms, hospitals, banks, government offices, etc. at the age of 14. I am passionate about my current position because I am an alumnus the Cristo Rey network and can testify that the Corporate Work Study Program is a game changer for youth who come from underserved communities, like I did. This corporate experience is what set my fire. From the age of fourteen I became motivated to want more. I worked hard to achieve and kept on going until recently. My goal was to become a principal by age 33, but I accomplished it at 29. I accomplished this by always working on my personal improvement. I earned a master’s degree by age 24 and started my doctorate in education at 28. On top of this, I lead transformational change at two schools in Chicago. It definitely was not easy and at times I even took a pay cut, but I wanted to prove myself. Now I am proving myself as the founding principal of Cristo Rey Miami High School and I have to set my bar higher so that I can keep on becoming a better version of myself — everyday.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Being from Chicago, Miami is all about the weather for myself and the friends that visit us. Eat – Pinch Kitchen, KYU, La Tiendita, Hometown BBQ Visit – Wynwood, South Beach

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife. She dropped her entire life to move from Chicago to Miami with me. What makes me the most proud is that she has taken the Miami sun and flourished like a flower. She is a rockstar at work, is working on her master’s degree and has transitioned seamlessly.

Website: www.cristoreymiami.org
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cesar-d-munoz-bba22b13a/