A First for Florida High Schools
Christopher Columbus High School is the first high school in Florida approved for a specialty license plate.
The Catholic, Marist, college-preparatory school for boys in Miami now faces the task of gathering 3,000 pre-sale vouchers from Explorer Nation—its community of alumni, families, students, faculty, staff, and friends—before physical production can begin.
Funding Tuition Assistance on the Road
Once manufactured, the plate will display the school’s popular “C” logo on the left alongside “Christopher Columbus High School” along the bottom. A portion of the proceeds from every plate sold will flow directly into the Br. Kevin Adelante Fund, providing targeted tuition assistance to Columbus families in need.
The push is already gaining traction. According to school officials, 650 supporters have secured vouchers so far, powering the early stages of the Drive the Brotherhood Forward campaign.
“Our Brotherhood takes tremendous pride in Columbus and consistently comes together to support our students,” said Thomas Kruczek, president of Christopher Columbus High School. “This plate gives our community a way to share that pride wherever they go while helping make a Columbus education possible for students in need.”
From Car Stickers to State Legislation
Approval for the specialty plate marks the apex of a rebranding initiative launched back in 2018. Spearheaded by the school’s Marketing Committee and its then-chairman, Lou de la Aguilera ’77, the initial effort secured vital trademarks for the school’s core visual assets.
Those trademarks laid the groundwork for the 2023 relaunch of the Brother Kevin Store, which expanded the school’s physical and digital retail presence.
“Our most popular item was the C sticker for cars. Seeing that enthusiasm, someone asked, ‘What if we did our own license plate?’” said Kevin Testa ’95, president of the Christopher Columbus High School Alumni Association. “It seemed like a crazy idea at the time.”
How the Legislative Process Works
Turning that concept into legislation required coordinated legislative maneuvering. Testa credited former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Danny Perez ’05 and other key stakeholders for steering the authorization through the state’s rigorous approval process.
Columbus shares this legislative milestone with other local institutions whose specialty plates were approved under the same legislative push, including Miami Dade College and the Miami Northwestern Alumni Association.
Meeting the Pre-Sale Threshold
For Columbus, the road ahead requires meeting the strict state-mandated pre-sale threshold. Supporters must purchase their vouchers online, and once the 3,000-voucher requirement is met and the plates are manufactured, buyers can redeem them through a Florida tax collector or license plate agency.
“Thanks to Danny Perez ’05 and so many others, we now have the opportunity to make it a reality,” Testa said. “I’m proud to have helped bring it this far, and I can’t wait to see Explorer Nation represented on roads across Florida.”
