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On April 17, 2024, Christopher Columbus High School held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new guidance building which will serve as a valuable resource to students and their families. Generously funded by Columbus alumnus, entrepreneur, philanthropist and TV personality, Marcus Lemonis, the building will house two remarkable centers; the Pat Call and Irene Culmo Center for College & Career Guidance named after two Columbus teachers who made a huge impact on Lemonis as a student and the Desmond Family Success Center named after a family who supported him greatly during high school and which will be dedicated to serve as a cross-area initiative to meet the needs of a diverse student body. The success center offers all-inclusive wraparound services which cater to the whole student, equipping them with the necessary skills, resources, and support to become young men of character in the classroom and the community.
Members of the Call, Culmo, and Desmond families were all in attendance. Pat Call, Jim Desmond and Amy Mallafre, the daughter of the late Irene Culmo, all spoke at the event, expressing their gratitude for Marcus Lemonis.
Lemonis had announced the funding for this building during a surprise event on campus in December 2021 when he also announced that he would give $18,000 to every Columbus faculty and staff member in time for Christmas. After two and half years of planning, the school is ready to commence construction on the project which is part of a master plan that the school is working on in partnership with Zyscovich Architects and which will encompass projects totaling $100 million over the next 30 years. This guidance building, a 4,685 square foot project, will include offices for guidance staff, a learning specialist, large conference room, testing center, and over 1500 square feet of collaboration and gathering spaces with direct access to courtyard and outdoor seating.
“Currently our counselors In these areas host their workshops and meetings while vying for space that Is In high demand by the entire school,” said Thomas Kruczek, Columbus president. “Having them all together in one building with ample space and top-notch facilities that are tailored to meet each of the center’s programming needs will transform how students access vital guidance services. With the college application process becoming more and more difficult over the years, the need for college and career guidance services has risen, this expansion was essential for Columbus,” added Kruczek.
The building is expected to be completed in 2025.
