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Guadalupe Center students have ‘awesome’ experience touring Arthrex manufacturing facility

Forty-five students in Guadalupe Center’s Tutor Corps Program were offered an exclusive tour of Arthrex Manufacturing Inc., seeing firsthand some of the innovative products being developed by the Naples-based company.

Engineers led the Immokalee High School students on a tour of the Arthrex facility in Ave Maria, showing cutting-edge Computer Numerically Controlled machines that make surgical devices and implants. Students also toured Arthrex’ administrative offices to learn about the company’s history, diversity initiatives and career opportunities.

“We’re happy to support the Guadalupe Center’s valuable programs, especially Tutor Corps, to inspire students to come back to their community for employment opportunities in a variety of fields at Arthrex,” said Kevin Fowler, human resources manager for Arthrex Manufacturing Inc.

Arthrex is the 12th largest employer in the five-county region, according to the Southwest Florida Economic Development Alliance.

Students were fascinated with the high-tech equipment and processes Arthrex uses to make surgical devices. Brianna Gallegos said the tour revived her interest in the field of orthopedic medicine, while Melinda Joseph enjoyed seeing how everything is neatly documented so Arthrex staff can easily retrieve information about products being manufactured.

“I learned that most of the tools are made by automated machines that are programmed precisely to make the tools with little or no flaw,” said Rodrigo Nava. “It was an awesome experience learning something new.”

Tutor Corps is a college preparatory program that offers scholarship assistance, guidance in college and career readiness, ACT and SAT test prep and financial literacy, as well as a wage for tutoring elementary school students in Guadalupe Center’s After-School and Summer Enrichment Program. Tutor Corps participants must maintain a 3.0 grade point average, and each is matched with an adult mentor to offer guidance and support.

“Each year, we select 25 to 30 additional Immokalee High School students who show great academic promise, and our ultimate goal is to prepare them for college and their careers,” said Dawn Montecalvo, Guadalupe Center president. “Hopefully visiting Arthrex inspired some of them to pursue a career in STEM, and maybe someday return to Collier County to work at Arthrex.”

About Arthrex

Arthrex Inc., headquartered in Naples, Fla., is a global leader in orthopedic product development and medical education for orthopedic surgeons. More than 12,500 products for arthroscopic and minimally invasive orthopedic surgical procedures have been developed by Arthrex and are currently marketed worldwide. For more information, visit Arthrex.com.

About Guadalupe Center
Guadalupe Center is a purpose-driven, nonprofit organization with proven results in creating endless possibilities for the students of Immokalee through education and fostering personal and academic success that leads to economic independence. With a focus on breaking the cycle of poverty through education, Guadalupe Center is proud of the children’s accomplishments: 94 percent exceed kindergarten readiness measures, 100 percent of Tutor Corps high school seniors graduate high school and are accepted into college, and more than 90 percent graduate with a post-secondary degree.

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