Christopher Columbus High School (Miami) - Mas Family Scholars Program

Mas Family Scholars Program

Started in the 2005-2006 school year, the Mas Family Scholars Program is an accelerated program at Christopher Columbus High School. The program was started by the Mas Family, who founded MasTec, Inc., to provide select Columbus students with a challenging curriculum. In addition to having an advanced curriculum, the students in the program participate in extracurricular activities. Mas Scholars are encouraged to participate in sports and to encompass the ideal of the student athlete. Mas Scholars

The Mas Family Scholars Program is an accelerated program of studies designed to enable highly motivated students to excel in academics. Students in the program participate in many enrichment opportunities and extracurricular activities. The program offers Columbus’ most challenging curriculum. In fact, the curriculum is considered to be one of the most challenging for high school boys in South Florida. Participants in the program are ensured to graduate with a minimum of 30 Advanced Placement or Dual Enrollment college credits. The combination of the program’s curriculum and enrichment opportunities is designed to prepare students to be among the top candidates for admission into major colleges and universities.

The program is a continuing collaborative effort between Columbus and the Mas Family. Brothers Jorge, Juan, and Jose Mas, sons of the late Jorge Mas Canosa, founder of MasTec, Inc., are all proud Columbus graduates. The eldest, Jorge Mas, is the Chairman of the Board for MasTec, and Jose Mas is the current CEO of MasTec. The brothers value the importance of a quality education and believe this program will give students an opportunity to compete at the highest levels in both college and life.

Program requirements:

• Top 10% score in the Columbus Entrance Exam
• Recommendation from junior high school principal
• Completion of enrichment courses during the summer
• A minimum of four Honors/AP/Dual Enrollment courses during junior year and five during senior year
• B+ or higher cumulative GPA.
• Involvement in minimally 1 extracurricular activity per year
• Attendance at a minimum of two enrichment activities during the year
• Service to the community

Program benefits:

• Students are ensured to complete a minimum of 30 college credits prior to graduation
• Periodic enrichment activities - Personal guidance and academic counseling
• Periodic status meetings with program director to ensure successful completion of courses
• College counseling and organized visits to universities
• Gateway to College
• Columbus College and Career Counselors will arrange periodic meetings with parents and students to explore college and career opportunities
• Preparation for PSAT/SAT examinations
• SAT 2 examinations upon completion of AP or Honors courses
• Induction into Honor Societies

• Ivy League college tours include: Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Brown University, Columbia University, Princeton University, and University of Pennsylvania.

• Field trips: Past Mas Scholar field trips have included visits to the Everglades National Park, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, operas, theatre, museums, Hispanic Heritage Lectures, and art and music lectures.

• Summer enrichment opportunities: During the summer our Mas Scholars are given wonderful opportunities to participate in internships and college programs. In 2006, some of our Mas Scholars interned in the offices of government officials, at Miami Metro Zoo, and at HNTB Engineering. Several other scholars attended debate camp at Stanford University and Dartmouth College, participated in the LEAD program at Duke University, and attended engineering programs at the University of Notre Dame. Some scholars were mentored by professors at Florida International University where they assisted the professors with their research.