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On April 15th, members of the Carricarte family, well known for their successful business enterprises and philanthropic efforts in South Florida, were on hand for the inaugural Carricarte Business, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship (CBLE) Student Recognition Awards and Logo Unveiling at Christopher Columbus High School. Mike Carricarte Sr. ’59 (Amedex Insurance Company and USA Medical Services Founder) and his four sons: Michael ’86 (CEO of Amedex Assurance Company), Louis ’95 (CEO of Unity Groves), Andrew ’97 (CEO of Tritan Software) and Brian ’02 (CIO Amedex Assurance Company) are all Columbus alumni and successful entrepreneurs who wanted to give back to their school by supporting the career pathway. After the awards ceremony, the new CBLE logo was introduced with the unveiling of a new sign which was been installed in front of the business classroom.
Carricarte Business, Leadership and Entrepreneurship (CBLE) is one of eight career pathways found at Columbus and the first to have received a naming gift. With the support of the Carricarte family, the school is able to offer a rich program with a variety of courses, clubs, honor societies, competitions, field trips, and guest speakers. In particular, many students partake in the National Future Business Leaders of America organization which inspires students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society. This year, Columbus junior Fernando Ortega was named a state champion in the category of Future Business Leader by the organization in a virtual competition with over 5,000 students. Many students are able to gain valuable field experience in their area of interest with one of the many local companies that participate in the school’s externship program. Past speakers to the business classes have included CCHS alumni Marcus Lemonis (Camping World CEO) and Luis de la Aguilera (U.S. Century Bank CEO).
“My family and I are proud that the business program at Columbus will carry our name,” said Michael Carricarte, Amedex CEO and member of the Columbus School Board. “My father, brothers and I have had the opportunity to found and lead thriving businesses and we look forward to being able to share our knowledge and resources to help the students of Columbus graduate high school with an edge to succeed in business,” he said.
“We are so thankful to the Carricarte family for their generous support,” said Thomas Kruczek, Columbus president. “With the family’s help and the dedication of our talented faculty, our school is fully preparing our students for a bright future in the business world.”
