Holy Cross High School –
A tradition of greatness, growth and geniality
Max Basham
Holy Cross, at first glance, is a small high school located in the heart of Southwest Louisville, but its impact is anything but.
In reality, Holy Cross fosters greatness in each one of its students throughout his or her four years. This greatness fostered by a Holy Cross education is done through the motto of the school: Real Life, Real Learning, Real People.
Real life — Holy Cross consistently provides students with real-world experiences and opportunities unlike many other schools across the nation. Through programs such as the STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, art, and math) and the Corporate Internship Program, Holy Cross teaches its students from early on how to handle real problems that a soon-to-be adult may face.
Through the STREAM program, students are taught how the “real world” works and are shown necessary skills for their future development. To name a few, students are taught lessons in financial literacy, raising a family, goal setting and public speaking, among other skills, all while at Holy Cross.
Through the Corporate Internship Program, students are shown direct experience working alongside business professionals in the “real world.” Each week, juniors and seniors from Holy Cross are sent out to assigned internships where they will spend the day working as employees. This program offers expansive professional opportunities for high schoolers to build relationships, gain work experience and thrive in their future careers.
Real learning — Holy Cross, through its interactive and lively atmosphere in the classroom, provides students with the opportunity to stand out and build connections with teachers and classmates alike. Class sizes at Holy Cross are rather small, allowing each student to individually build stronger, interpersonal connections with teachers and classmates.
Additionally, the aspect of Holy Cross being the only co-ed, Catholic high school in Louisville provides a sense of uniqueness, but is also an important facet of the future. Working with the other gender is a vital skill for the next steps beyond high school, so having the unique opportunity to build relationships with the other gender early on is essential for the future.
Lastly, Holy Cross offers no shortage of courses for students to take throughout their four years. Every student at Holy Cross has the opportunity to earn college credit hours through dual credit courses as well as various AP courses. Classes can vary from independent studies to hands-on engineering courses. This variety provides every student with the chance to individualize their learning and to best fit their needs.
Real people — The best part about Holy Cross is the strong community behind the school and its message. The Holy Cross community is truly irreplicable due to the strong support of the alumni from both Bishop David and Angela Merici, the two schools that merged to create Holy Cross, as well as the longstanding school of Holy Cross itself. Many staff members in the school are graduates of one of the three aforementioned schools, showing the belief in the community and mission behind what we do.
There is always a sense of family at Holy Cross. No matter who you are, where you come from, or what you look like, the Holy Cross community will take you in as one of their own and lift you up, all of which is demonstrated through various Catholic retreats, athletic events, alumni gatherings, guild activities and much more.
Holy Cross constantly provides students with the opportunity to grow: to grow in their faith, in their relationships, in their lives and in their learning. The future of Holy Cross is bright, and remember: CROSS IS BOSS, and as always, Go Cougs!
Home is Holy Cross High
Madilynn Lanham
The literal definition of “home” is the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household. With a deeper interpretation, a home is not only the place in which you live, but also so much more.
A home works to make you feel loved, safe, special and provides fun, memorable and educational experiences. A “home” is Holy Cross High School.
Holy Cross works to provide its students with the most enriching four-year experience possible and allows for every experience to be unique to each student, inside and outside of the classroom.
Students are surrounded by teachers and staff who are welcoming and clearly passionate about what they do. While taking six classes each day, it can be challenging for some students to feel connected to their teachers; but at Holy Cross, there are various ways that are promoted for students to build those connections. Office hours are held every week after school, which provides students with one-on-one help with schoolwork, homework and/or test and quiz corrections.
The Guild System, which divides the student body into eight guilds with three “GABs” or homerooms, also allows teachers to help and bond with students. The GAB advisor may or may not be a teacher who teaches your grade level, so this system enables students to get to know teachers they may not ever have a class with.
Students are urged to be leaders for their peers and to act as Jesus did: with kindness. With the various club and sport programs at Holy Cross, students are able to demonstrate their leadership and inclusivity skills. These programs work to bond students who not only have similar interests, but also have different backgrounds and experiences.
The Cougars for Christ club, which is exclusive to seniors, allows for seniors to be leaders for the underclassmen when it comes to their relationship and faith with God. This club demonstrates what seniors have learned and can do throughout their time at Holy Cross when it comes to being a Catholic.
Students are given multiple opportunities to learn more about themselves and their future after high school. Holy Cross provides a Corporate Internship Program, which includes both the junior and senior classes. Each student is placed based on their interests and what they think they may want to do in the future. This program allows students to obtain real-world experience when it comes to being an adult and having a career.
Holy Cross also provides yearly retreats for all grade levels. These retreats range from one to four days — the older the grade level, the more days the retreat will be. These retreats help students to grow closer to their peers, learn more about their relationship with God and learn more about who they are and their values as young students.
It is easy to see how Holy Cross is a great influence on many students. Students are surrounded by teachers who want the best for them and urge them to strive for excellence and to grow in knowledge. Students are surrounded by accepting and open-minded classmates, which provides a comfortable environment to learn and share. With the various programs, clubs, and opportunities offered, students not only learn about common subjects, but also about themselves and gain real-world experience. A “home” is Holy Cross High School.
Holy Cross is a special place
Breaze O’Neal
Holy Cross is home. What a cliché thing to say during a farewell letter, but it is true. Holy Cross is a place where students are heard, loved, built, and, most importantly, impacted.
Holy Cross prides itself on doing whatever it takes to cater to its students. Whether it’s the amazing staff members who put more than one hundred percent into their job or the coaches who lead and guide players, Holy Cross exceeds expectations by building real relationships outside and inside of the school.
The Corporate Internship Program is something that sets Holy Cross apart. Juniors and seniors get the opportunity to build working relationships with real people in the real world. The internship program is one of a kind, and it puts the “Real Life” in the school motto, “Real Life, Real Learning, Real People.”
“Real Learning” is displayed in our teachers and classes. At Holy Cross, teachers take the time to understand students both in the classroom and the outside world. For example, they show up to ball games to support their students. This is just a snippet of how Holy Cross focuses on community. In addition to its teachers who focus on real learning, Holy Cross offers a plethora of classes ranging from AP to dual-credit college courses.
Finally, Real People. The students exhibit “Real People.” The students at Holy Cross want each other to succeed and be nothing but the best they can be. The bonds built at Holy Cross make it stand out from other high schools. School spirit is embedded in each student, and that spirit grows day by day.
The amount of love and trust students have in each other shows what Holy Cross is all about: a place where students can not only grow as a person, but also in faith and community. Holy Cross is truly a special place.
