Western High School is one of a few high schools that offer a true freshman academy. The goal of Western’s freshman academy is to provide a solid academic, social, and behavioral foundation for students to successfully transition from middle school to high school and then on to postsecondary education.
Some features of Western’s Freshman Academy include the following:All core content classes are centrally located in one hallway.- The Freshman Academy, while operating in Western High School, is located in its own wing in the building.
- Only freshman lockers are in the academy.
- Freshman Academy boasts an increasing attendance rate in freshman each year.
- Eight very dedicated and caring teachers are ready and willing to go above and beyond to make sure each and every student is successful.
Health Science & Business Academy
Dr. Sherry Lawrence, Assistant Principal
Dr. Tinisha Taylor-Holt, Counselor
Dr. Tinisha Taylor-Holt, Counselor
Allied Health Pathway
Prepares students for beginning the pathway into a nursing career.
Career Titles: Nurse, Nursing Assistant, Physician’s Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse, Doctor
Pathway Course Requirements: Principles of Health Science, Medical Terminology, Emergency Procedures, Body Structures and Functions, and Allied Health Core Skills. Nursing CO-OP is also available for seniors.
Certifications Available: NOCTI Healthcare Core, NHA Certified Patient Care Technician
Pathway Partners:
Business Management & Entrepreneurship
Prepares students to plan, organize, direct, and control the functions and processes of a firm or organization. Includes instruction in management theory, human resources management and behavior, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision making.
Career Titles: Advertising & Promotions Manager, Business Operations Specialist, First-Line Supervisors, Managers of Retail Sales Workers, Real Estate Agent/Brokers/Investors, Restaurant Industry Managers, Cosmetologists and Salon/Spa Owners, Car Sales Agent.
Pathway Course Requirements: Introduction to Management, Personal Finance CTE Credit, Advanced Computer Literacy, Marketing Principles, Entrepreneurship, & Ethical Leadership. Business CO-OP is also available for Seniors.
Certifications Available: Microsoft Office Specialist (Access, Excel, Word, PowerPoint) Everfi, Assessment of Skills and Knowledge for Business (ASK), Fundamental Business Concepts
Pathway Partners: Building Industry Association, Brown-Forman, Heine Brothers’ Coffee, Wehr Construction, and KFC.
Service Academy
Mr. Matthew Brown, Assistant Principal
Ms. Kari Santo, Counselor
Ms. Kari Santo, Counselor
Culinary Arts Pathway
Preparing for careers associated with restaurants, institutional food service, and hospitality and catering as well as food and beverage operations.
Career Titles: Chef/Cook, Baker, Food Inspector, Butcher, Entrepreneur
Pathway Course Requirements: Culinary Arts I, Food and Nutrition, Advanced Food and Nutrition, and choice of either Culinary II or CUL 100 (Fall)/ CUL 285 (Spring). Culinary CO-OP is also available for seniors.
Certifications Available: ProStart, ServSafe, KOSSA
Pathway Partners: SuperChef, Heine Brothers’ Coffee, OLE’ Restaurant Group, Brown-Forman
Residential Carpentry Pathway
Prepares students to apply technical knowledge and skills to lay out, cut, fabricate, erect, install and repair wood structures and fixtures, using hand and power tools. Includes instruction in technical mathematics, framing, construction materials and selection, job estimating, blueprint reading, roughing-in, finish carpentry techniques, and codes and standards.
Career Titles: Carpenter, Construction Laborer, Manager, Drywall and Flooring installer, Cost Estimator
Pathway Course Requirements: Intro to Construction Technology, Floor & Wall Framing, Ceiling & Roofing Framing, and Exterior & Interior Finish. Carpentry CO-OP is also available for seniors.
Certifications Available: NCCER Core Curriculum, Construction Carpentry (Level 1)
Pathway Partners: Louisville Handyman, Bailey Remodeling, Craig Bayens Furniture, Wehr Construction
Graphic Design Pathway
Allows students to acquire fundamental skills in image creation and management procedures and techniques as they create, revise and export graphics for video, print and web publishing.
Career Titles: Technology Instructor, Communications, Technician, Graphic Designer, Designer
Pathway Course Requirements: Intro to Media Arts, Two-Dimensional Media Design, Digital Imaging, and Advanced Production Design. Media Arts CO-OP is also available for seniors.
Certifications Available: Adobe Certified User (Flash, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Photoshop) Certified Solid Works Associate (CSWA)
Pathway Partners: Brown-Forman, Heine Brothers’ Coffee
