Jefferson County Public Schools

The UofL College of Business’ Cardinal Bridge Academy (CBA) helps students sharpen business, technology, and social skills while earning up to 12 dual credit college hours at no cost to them, said Erica Holloway-McDaniel, director of the program.

Emma Bartley, a rising senior at Pleasure Ridge Park High School, joined the CBA at the start of her junior year and earned six credit hours last school year. She’s planning to continue the program as a senior, she said.

“It is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door,” Bartley said. “It was free, and you’re able to get a lot of classes out of the way.”

CBA classes are taught by UofL faculty members asynchronously online. The program also gives students access to mentoring, professional development, job shadowing, internships, and field trips, she said.

“We’re helping prepare students academically, personally, and professionally for the next level,” Holloway-McDaniel said. “They get exposure to college in a real hands-on way.”

The CBA began in 2020 with a handful of students at JCPS’ Central High School. It has since expanded to serve hundreds of students, including participants from other districts and six more JCPS high schools: Ballard, Butler, Eastern, Male, Marion C. Moore, Pleasure Ridge Park, and the Academy @ Shawnee. Twenty-six 2023 JCPS graduates who came through the program will attend UofL this fall, with 16 of those students going to the College of Business, Holloway-McDaniel said.

The CBA is open to students who have a 2.5 GPA, 95% or better attendance rate, and a record of good conduct in school, Holloway-McDaniel said. In particular, the program targets students who might not have a 4.0 GPA or who might not have any experience with dual credit or Advanced Placement classes. 

“The Cardinal Bridge Academy is for all students, but we’re really focusing on those students who might be on the margins, who might not have seen themselves as a college student,” she said. “They can try college out in a safe, structured, supportive environment and also have coaching and support.”

Malea Eichenberger joined the CBA during her senior year, completing six credit hours through the program before graduating from Butler Traditional High School. She will attend the UofL College of Business this fall and plans to study business administration and marketing.

The program helps participants learn how to manage college-level work while working from the comfort of their high school, Eichenberger said. 

“It just gave you a feel for what college would be like without actually being there,” she said.

Eichenberger especially enjoyed the program’s hands-on activities, like visiting UofL’s downtown campus, conversations with mentors, and a field trip to YUM! Brands, she said. At YUM!, students toured the corporate headquarters and heard from representatives of one of the city’s biggest employers.

Ongoing, individualized mentorship opportunities and connections to local businesses set the CBA apart from other dual credit programs, Holloway-McDaniel said. 

“We have corporate mentors who have been with us from the beginning and seen students through their junior and senior years,” she said. “Those relationships are building strong foundations that can turn into job opportunities, internships, and more connections within the community.”

Pascual Castaneda-Gonzalez graduated from Butler Traditional High School in 2023 and completed six credit hours through the CBA. For him, the program offered a fun way to dive into accounting–a field he plans to pursue at UofL this fall–and develop critical skills like learning how to work effectively with classmates and navigate online college courses.

“You have to be independent about turning in your assignments and talking with your teacher if you need any help,” he said. “Everyone who wants to do business or has at least an interest in business should take part in the program.”