Academies of Louisville

Congratulations to Sariena Sampson, principal at Southern High School! 🎉 She was named JCPS High School Principal of the Year! So well deserved—she’s absolutely amazing!

"She saw something in me long before I ever could."

When Laila Randolph walked into Jeffersontown High School nearly a decade ago, she had a deep fear of public speaking. But Mrs. Ashley Conway, J-Town's Academy Coach, saw her potential.

Mrs. Conway pushed Laila out of her comfort zone—from guiding tours to speaking to district leaders—helping her unlock a passion for Communications. Today, Laila is a college grad managing PR for local non-profits!

For Chanceline Irankunda (Class of 2026), stepping into a huge high school felt overwhelming. Mrs. Conway and the J-Town team made sure he never slipped through the cracks.

Chance stacked three pathways—JROTC, Health Science, and financial services—and is now heading to Bellarmine University to study pediatric nursing.

For ten years, Mrs. Conway has proven that the right mentor at the right time changes everything. That’s the work driving the Academies of Louisville.

Ten years in, and we're just getting started! 💙

At today’s annual Academies of Louisville Leadership Conference, our administrative teams proved they are doing the exact same thing we ask our students to do every single day: take on a major challenge, step out of your comfort zone, and give it your absolute best.

What is an NCAC Model Academy Review?🌟
An NCAC Model Academy represents the gold standard of high school education. To achieve this status, a school must open its doors to national reviewers and prove they are hitting the highest standards in:
🤝 Student Belonging
💼 Rigorous Career Pathways
🏢 Strong Business Partnerships

Putting a school up for review is an intense, transparent deep-dive designed to show exactly where a school is thriving and where it can tighten up to better serve kids.

Pushing the Standard Together📈
We took time to honor Waggener, Seneca, Fern Creek, Jeffersontown, and Iroquois for stepping up to the national review plate—celebrating the dedication it took to undergo this rigorous process. Our school leaders are actively modeling the growth mindset we preach to our students.

We are incredibly proud of this powerhouse network of administrators who lead by example!

Our student emcees completely blew us away at our Academies of Louisville End-of-Year Celebration, proving that when you give determined students the right opportunities, their futures take the shape of pure success! 🎤🙌

Aliete Yanes Medina (Fern Creek High School valedictorian bound for Davidson College) and Jerrel Thompson (The Academy at Shawnee graduate bound for Kentucky State University) perfectly represented the Class of 2026 and showed everyone exactly what the Academies of Louisville are all about.

Through real-world pathways, hands-on projects, and the support of incredible educators and business partners, these two found their passion and their voice.

"The business pathway became the place where my future began to take shape. I slowly learned to speak up and believe in myself." – Jerrel

"Whatever shape it takes, I know my future will be one of success and service." – Aliete

We are so proud of Aliete, Jerrel, and the entire Class of 2026! The best parts of your stories are still ahead of us.

🎨🚌 Rolling out the red carpet—and a whole new bus wrap!

This morning, the Portland Museum hosted TARC’s 26th Annual Design-a-Bus contest unveiling! Students created artwork around the theme “Portals of Transition,” and three of our very own Marion C. Moore School students landed their artwork on a real, full-vehicle TARC bus wrap!

Huge congratulations to our winning Moore Academy designers:
✨ Jayden
✨ Madalyn
✨ Yadso

Their creativity is officially hitting the streets of Louisville, operating on local routes and headlining community parades for the next year. Keep your eyes peeled on the roads for their winning design! 🗺️✨