“With the name ‘Cardinals Rising,’ I immediately thought of a nest,” Mahone said. “How do we build a nest for our students so that when they graduate high school, they are ready to come to UofL, or ready to go into their careers? At UofL, there’s a nest here to help them nurture and hone their skills and abilities so they can succeed in a higher learning institution.”

, which was announced Aug. 28 at the , is designed to serve students in grades 8-12 and will bridge the educational divide for underserved, low-income and first-generation students and their families to help build a thriving college-going culture. The program is a collaborative effort with UofL’s academic colleges and resources that will provide year-round engagement and ongoing development through mentorship and enrichment activities.

“Our mission is to empower students by creating and cultivating pathways to higher education through an infrastructure of intentional relationships and strategic investment,” Mahone said. “We want to create a future where every student, regardless of background or circumstances, has equitable access to higher education and the opportunities that it brings.”

The initial phase of the program will focus on recruiting a pilot group of male students from and connect them with UofL Cardinals Rising ambassadors. Later phases of the program will introduce opportunities for female students and broaden the scope.

The first participation goal is to attract 200 JCPS students to be evenly placed across the grade levels from 8-12 with 15-20 UofL ambassadors made up of students, staff and faculty recruited for mentorship matching. JCPS principals, counselors and Family Resource Center staff will help recommend and recruit youth for the program.

Once the first cohort of ambassador-student matchups is identified, Mahone said they will meet with parents and host getting- to-know-you sessions with families in spring 2025. Next, the summer academy will offer a weeklong immersive experience on Belknap Campus filled with dynamic college-level activities. Cardinals Rising ambassadors also will meet with students at their own schools and offer holistic support that empowers entire families with tools needed for success.

Mahone said he hopes to eventually expand the program to all JCPS schools and every county in the Commonwealth.

“Our vision is a community where the talent and the potential of all students is recognized and nurtured, and they contribute to the workforce of the city and state through collaboration and innovation,” he said.

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Last month, the YMCA of Greater Louisville recognized Wallace for her work teaching, along with Marian Vasser, UofL’s director of diversity education and inclusive excellence. The two women were honored as Black Achievers by the organization, along with 25 others in the community.

Wallace, who earned her master’s degree and PhD from Cornell University,  joined the Department of Political Science at UofL in 2006. She is the first and only African American woman to earn tenure and promotion to full professor in her department.

Among her many achievements, Wallace has been selected as a faculty favorite, as the recipient of the Anna Julia Cooper Teacher of the Year Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, and the recipient of the Grawemeyer Award for Outstanding Instructional Design.

Wallace was recently selected to participate in the Council on Postsecondary ����ֱ�� and was one of 19 people selected to participate in the American Association of Blacks in Higher ����ֱ�� annual Leadership and Mentoring Institute.

Vasser joined UofL more than 25 years ago as a temp in HR and then worked her way through Physical Plant, the Controller’s Office, the Career Center, the UofL Football program and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center. She eventually chose to follow her passion and pursue a job in social justice, working as the diversity program coordinator in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Vasser went on to earn her master’s degree in Higher ����ֱ�� Administration in 2015 and, in July 2016, she was named to her current role. Since, she has conducted hundreds of diversity training workshops all over campus and throughout the community. Her training is used by JCPS, the Center for Women and Families, the Kentuckiana Prevention Network, UPS, Humana, Leadership Louisville and more.  

The YMCA of Greater Louisville’s Black Achievers program held its 40th annual celebration of achievement on Feb. 23. In addition to Wallace and Vasser, the ceremony also recognized high school seniors who have completed the program, as well as the Youth Achiever of the Year – Alyssia Leach, a senior at DuPont Manual – and the Adult Achiever of the Year – Dawne Gee, Wave 3 News anchor and UofL alum.

Maryhurst and Uspiritus are the partner organizations for this initiative and will provide students a supportive environment in which to gain significant, beneficial experience.

“The partnership of the Kent School of Social Work with KENTucky Kids is a wonderful collaboration. It offers us the opportunity to bring out-of-state students into Louisville, expand our student diversity at the University of Louisville, and bring more social workers into the area of trauma-informed care for youth. Uspiritus and Maryhurst are leaders in this type of care and our students and the community will all benefit from this endeavor,” said Kent School Dean Dr. David Jenkins.

Acceptance to KENTucky Kids is contingent on both admission to Kent School’s MSSW program and an official job offer from one of the participating residential care agencies. Students accepted to the program will receive an in-state tuition waiver and the opportunity to graduate with a MSSW in three years and with a competitive resume.

“I am excited about our partnership with Uspiritus and Maryhurst. Uspiritus and Maryhurst are the leading agencies in offering trauma-informed care to the youth in Kentucky. They came to the Kent School because they have the desire to prepare the next generation of residential care professionals. In KENTucky Kids, MSSW students who have a passion for working with youth will embark on a career in residential care through a strong graduate education that is matched with relevant agency employment and strong mentorship,” said Dr. Pam Yankeelov, Associate Dean for Student Services.

Per the role description for the Youth Counselor positions, students placed in either Maryhurst or Uspiritus will be responsible for providing a therapeutic milieu within the program setting. Youth counselors supervise the activities of clients and work as part of a team to maintain a safe and secure environment for all clients and promote growth and development. Students accepted into the program are assigned specific clients to work with as mentors and advocates. 

Maryhurst programs

Maryhurst programs include an intensive campus-based residential treatment program, two community-based therapeutic group homes and treatment foster care. Many foster care placements turn into adoptions, creating “forever families” each year. Maryhurst has established collaborative relationships with a number of community partners, one of which, MB Care, provides Psychiatric Residential Treatment Services to adolescent girls.

“I am thrilled about the upcoming partnership between Maryhurst, Uspiritus and the Kent School. It provides a unique opportunity to not only shape future leaders in the behavioral health sector, but also identity those individuals looking to make a long-term investment in the future youth of Kentucky,” said Judy Lambeth, Maryhurst president and CEO.

Uspiritus programs

At Uspiritus, youth live in family-style cottages on two Louisville campuses (Bellewood and Brooklawn) that are supervised by trained youth care workers, shift supervisors and cottage managers. Youth learn basic and advanced social skills that help build self-esteem, communication, self-awareness and healthy relationships. Staff supports youth by holding daily family meetings, setting expectations and pro-actively teaching skills needed to become successful in the community.

“This new partnership is a win, win for children and future behavioral health providers. Louisville’s Kent School gains top level students from across the nation, living, working and learning about the latest in trauma-informed care of children, and will be putting that knowledge to work in the field. We are excited to be a partner in any endeavor that helps our kids have a brighter future,” said Abbreial Drane, Uspiritus President and CEO.