She started her undergraduate studies away from Louisville, but eventually came back, deciding to see if and how UofL could align with her goals of working with the environment in some capacity. When she began college, geology was her major of choice, but it wasn’t offered at UofL.

“When I transferred to UofL, I had to change my major to fit something I was interested in,” said Johnson. “I went to the geography and geosciences department, and that allowed me to see the human side of geology.”

That “human side of geology” became ingrained in the rest of Johnson’s time at UofL. During college, Johnson had the opportunity to travel abroad four times, to Iceland, Trinidad and Tobago, Nepal and Belize, meeting and working with people who shared her passion.

Each trip came with a different “human side” of the environmental studies she was studying. In Iceland, Johnson completed a writing internship with others and became a contributor to a book titled .

In Trinidad and Tobago, Johnson traveled with a group from the Pan-African studies department and did an independent study on hydrocarbons. In Nepal, she focused on geosciences and geohazard. Her final abroad trip to Belize allowed her to facilitate an environmental education lesson plan for local high schoolers.

“The first time I studied abroad with a geography internship, I found more passion for the idea of representation in this industry and how humans impact the environment and earth,” said Johnson. “UofL helped me a lot with traveling and studying abroad.”

Just like in college, Johnson is still exploring what this vast field can provide for her and others. As a field ambassador for , a position that was created for Johnson, some of her work includes increasing the diversity, inclusion and outreach for the organization.

“What I do is try to help reconnect and connect young adults and members of underserved communities, specifically communities of color, to explore nature and Bernheim,” said Johnson. “I also want to encourage them to consider green jobs in order to diversify this field. By working at Bernheim, I’m helping to show young adults and children that there can be representation within this type of field.”

Being allowed to show her passion to those who may look like her is just one way Johnson is impacting Bernheim. Her hope is that people also look toward roles like her and recognize that they can be financially feasible and welcoming.

“There are a lot of people and communities not working in this area because they don’t feel it’s welcoming or they don’t see people like them doing the same work,” Johnson said. “It’s important that people realize they can do green and environmental jobs, and those positions are just as acceptable as any other job.”

Johnson notes UofL provided the outlets and organizations she needed to thrive. One such organization was , a program that helps students who are low-income, first-generation, or students with disabilities achieve a bachelor’s degree.

“It was through TRIO that I actually started to appreciate the campus, the city and the college community,” said Johnson. “I had so many resources, whether it be social, academic, or financial. TRIO helped me with the study abroad programs. I give a lot of credit to TRIO because the staff was really passionate about seeing everyone succeed.”

In addition to being a part of TRIO, Johnson credits her level of preparation to professors within her department. The opportunities to study abroad was no doubt impactful, but it took some specific courses to help Johnson with that next step into the professional world.

“In my senior year, my thesis professor was really helpful for preparing me for a career in environment and research,” said Johnson. “We as students learn that research would be a part of our field, but it wasn’t until that class that I truly felt confident and prepared professionally to conduct research.” 

“Whether it be a global pandemic or a young woman getting killed in your city, it felt like everywhere you turned there was something negative,” Dobbs said. “Because of that, I wanted to look within and see what I could do for people like me and people around me.”

With that idea in mind, Dobbs, a 2019  graduate, and his long-time friend Savon Gray, created .

Black Business Boxes is a connection between consumers and Black-owned businesses. The focus of the business is to build and sustain wealth in Black communities. A 2018  showed that although African Americans are responsible for around $1.2 trillion in purchases annually.

Black Business Boxes aims to push that spending toward Black-owned businesses in multiple ways. They create “Black Business Boxes,” which is an ever-changing box based on some of the Black brands they are currently promoting. The current Black Business Box has a self-care theme and includes products like mud masks, wax melts and body butter.

“We saw a market that was having little success, and in the middle of a pandemic, some Black-owned businesses were closing or getting bought out,” Dobbs said. “We decided to create a niche, with the intention of getting people to spend their money with Black people, and to keep that money within the community.”

Black Business Boxes also have a complete marketplace, which is a landing page full of Black-owned businesses. The businesses on the marketplace offer a wide variety of products. Some of the businesses that are currently on the marketplace are Blak Watches, Ubeauty Essentials and Corey’s Kitchen Collection.

Dobbs and Gray have experienced early success with Black Business Boxes.

“Last year we did a sock drive for Clothe The West, and we were able to raise money as well as give them 1,000 pairs of socks,” Dobbs said. “We hadn’t been a business for very long, and people were giving us money for something good because they believed in us.”

Another special moment for Black Business Boxes came in July, when it was chosen by Louisville City FC as the team’s “Minority Business of the Month.” During that month, Black Business Boxes was marketed on Louisville City FC’s social media channels, as well as broadcasted during both home and away games.

For this new business, Dobbs knows they are not finished growing yet. Their goal is to help create a Black economy and Black Business Boxes is a steppingstone.

“We’ve noticed that a lot of people don’t have the time to promote their business,” Dobbs said. “People are excited about their businesses, but struggle with the support to start, so we get to provide that need by helping market their brands.”

After graduating with a bachelor’s of science in exercise science, Jamie moved to Gainesville, Florida, to get his master’s in exercise physiology until his path changed course.

Jamie enjoyed cooking and initially thought it to be a hobby. Once he got his first job in the kitchen, he realized his hobby was quickly turning into a passion. During that time, he began thinking out of the box when it came to cuisine.

“One night, with a buddy of mine, I said, ‘No one is microbrewing soy sauce in the U.S.,’ and it turned out to be a true statement,” Jamie said.

In 2005, Jamie moved back to Louisville and continued his research about microbrewing soy sauce. As a self-taught chef, Jamie learned everything about cooking on his own, but once he got the idea of his business, he enlisted the help of others.

“I used every free service available to me, including the University of Louisville’s entrepreneurial studies program,” Jamie said. “I had never written a business proposal before, but was so blindly passionate about this idea that I had that I was not going to be told I couldn’t do it.”

His perseverance created Bourbon Barrel Foods and Bluegrass Soy Sauce. Bluegrass Soy Sauce is Jamie’s true passion, and Bourbon Barrel Foods is a business that has many bourbon-based products.

“Bourbon Barrel Foods was a company meant to pay for my passion of soy sauce,” Jamie said. “In 2006, we had our first products on the shelf, and it was around a time that the state was really trying to push for tourism with the bourbon business.”

Bourbon Barrel Foods grew as bourbon tourism grew and almost every year since, the company has experienced growth. The business’s growth is in many ways due to Jamie’s idea of what products should be created.

“One of the first products we started making was bourbon-smoked sea salt,” Jamie said. “And in my house, you didn’t ask for the salt without getting the pepper, too, so we did bourbon smoked pepper.” Now, Bourbon Barrel Foods’s salt and pepper are part of more than 100 products.

Since the beginning of Bluegrass Soy Sauce, Jamie had the opportunity to help others who are looking to pursue the same passion.

“I’ve been pretty open about how we make soy sauce and our story, and now other people around the world are doing it,” Jamie said. “An owner of a business from the Netherlands wanted me to show him how to make soy sauce. He made five trips to Kentucky. We showed him everything we do, and now they’ve been Europe’s only micro-brewed soy sauce for the last six years.”

Mentoring others in the process of microbrewing soy sauce is not his only path of helping others. While Jamie initially never planned on having a business that employed others, Bourbon Barrel Foods employs 35 people.

“We’ve grown because my employees all embrace the brand and what it is that we do,” Jamie said. “You can’t ask someone to love the brand, but my employees do, which is really cool and a big part of our company.”

Looking back, although Jamie is proud of where he has come from, he has no plans of slowing down.

“Growth and fulfilling the visions of where I want the company to be is something that keeps me going,” Jamie said. “Whenever I find myself going into the warehouse on my own, it’s like wow, everything I’ve dreamed of is becoming true, but I see so much more that this company can do.”

Bourbon Barrel Foods does have a lot more it can do, and with an exciting expansion, Jamie believes there is a lot more room for growth.

“We are doing an expansion in our warehouse, from 1,000 square feet to a 21,000-square-foot facility,” Jamie said. “There’s a dedicated room for smoking products. I used to smoke in a smoker the size of a small fridge, and now we have six smokers the size of pickup trucks.”

As an entrepreneur, Jamie gets to continue creating and growing Bourbon Barrel Foods. With expansion, that will mean many other people will get to experience this Louisville product.

“It’s exciting for me, and creating a sense of community around something like that is fun,” Jamie said. “I’m fortunate enough to have been the first, but now we want to continue and strive to be the best.”

Church, the assistant director at the Conrad-Caldwell House in the historic Old Louisville neighborhood, didn’t dream of working in historic houses as a child. In fact, it wasn’t until pursuing his associate degree that Church became interested in history.

“Growing up, my mom researched our family history constantly, and I never understood why she enjoyed it,” Church said. “Now, all of a sudden, I find myself researching families I have no genealogical connection with and loving what I do.”

After transferring to UofL from Jefferson Community Technical College, Church continued to grow in his passion for history. Even today there are still many things he learned at UofL that he uses in his career.

“Historical methods is the first required course you have to take at UofL in order to graduate with a degree in history. This course is meant to train students on how to use primary and secondary sources to conduct research and write your findings,” Church said. “The course itself was fantastic, and I look back to what I learned in that course when I’m conducting research, presenting a lecture or writing an article. Whatever research I’m doing, I’ll always look back to the things I learned in that historical methods course.”

Though many people might not consider having a career in historic homes at first, Church found this path to be the perfect fit for who he is and what he wanted to do.

“My initial goal when I switched my major was to become a history teacher. I had always intended on going into teaching,” Church said. “When I started working in historic houses, I realized that I could still be a teacher, interacting with and teaching new people every day.”

Some of the topics Church gets to teach visitors of the Conrad-Caldwell House include what Louisville’s Gilded Age looked like, the stories of the families who lived in the house, the historic St. James Court and details about the 10,000 square-foot Victorian home.

After graduating, Church had the opportunity to connect his schooling field with his career field right away. With connections he created by working at the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office, Church’s first job was at , a historic house museum across the river. From there, he was able to gain the experience he needed to apply for the position with the Conrad-Caldwell House.

“Professionally, my biggest accomplishment is being able to work in my field of study,” Church said. “It’s been amazing to be able to take my degree from UofL along with my passion for history and thankfully transition into a career field where that degree is useful.”

In October, Church is even busier with additional spooky events at the Conrad-Caldwell House. One of the programs offered is an evening tour of the house where visitors can expect to learn about different Victorian mourning cultures. Outside of October, the Conrad-Caldwell house is a staple of Louisville history and provides many opportunities for events and programs.

For other students interested in a career connected to history, Church suggests getting involved. It might not be easy to know where to start, but being in a city with such a rich history is a good beginning place.

“I received my degree from UofL, but I find that all of the hands-on experience I learn on site every day is just as, if not more, valuable to my career,” Church said. “The more I’m working, writing, studying and being in my career, I’m advancing all of my professional skills that lead me to bigger and better places.”

Photography by Andrew Dean.

Edison is a Louisville native, and currently lives in his childhood home. He has spent about 25 years away from Louisville but came back because of his love for the city. Before his jobs took him elsewhere, Edison went to UofL, receiving both his bachelor’s and master’s degree.

Now, Edison is an associate professor in the , teaching a diverse group of classes, including Spanish.

“I love teaching, it’s exciting,” Edison said. “I’ve been fortunate to come here, and two of the professors I had when I was a graduate student are still here and are now my colleagues.”

Outside of teaching, Edison has a strong passion for gardening. After buying the available lot next to his home, he created different green spaces for different purposes.

“The backyard is flowers and vegetables,” Edison said. “I’ve put in a Koi pond this past spring, and I have a high tunnel, which is a type of greenhouse without heat.”

Though gardening is Edison’s passion, there is a purpose behind his gardening.

“I’m putting in this infrastructure because I want to create something in west Louisville that shows that people can do things to help the environment,” Edison said. “A garden can produce items that you don’t need to go to the grocery store to buy; you can be self-sufficient.”

With the idea of helping the environment in mind, Edison also created a certified monarch butterfly waystation, which is an area of land that provides resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration.

“I decided to dedicate my front yard to make it a butterfly waystation, so monarch butterflies can get nourishment as they travel from the northern hemisphere back to Mexico,” Edison said.

A butterfly waystation has a different look than a normal front yard. The main plant that will be present in a waystation is the milkweed plant, which can grow to an average height of five feet tall. At first glance, Edison’s front yard might look like negligence, but there’s an environmental purpose.

“Right now, within the city, the regulation is that if your lawn is taller than 18 inches you can get cited,” Edison said. “If you have a monarch waystation, those flowers could be 10 feet tall. Regulations in the city have not caught up to environmental movements that we are doing.”

In addition to educating those who pass by his front yard, Edison hopes to encourage people to use their green space in an environmentally beneficial way, like creating butterfly waystations. He plans to help by providing the plants necessary for a waystation.

“If I buy two plants to propagate now, a couple years down the road I would have enough to give to anyone who wants to make a waystation,” Edison said. “That’s a way to create environmental stewardship within our community.”

Edison is an environmental steward himself, involved in multiple gardening groups. These groups, like the , are all aimed at making an environmental impact in Louisville.

Though he has high hopes for the future of his home garden and waystation, Edison has already impacted UofL with his gardening passion. The tranquility garden, located on the northwest corner of Stevenson Hall, has been a steppingstone for students to get involved with gardening and has allowed Edison to combine two of his favorite things, UofL and gardening.

“There are organizations on campus for those who feel like gardening is their passion,” Edison said. “I encourage those who are interested to look around because there are always opportunities and a need for people who are interested.”