Louisville High School Focus Program

Focus On Your Future

While choosing a high school, do you wonder…

How will I focus my academic and extra-curricular time on something real, like a college major or career?
How will Louisville challenge me so that my transcript and interviews will stand out among millions of college applicants?
What experiences will I have that will help me decide WHERE to go to college?

Louisville has developed five unique Focus Program cohorts for our juniors and seniors to do exactly that: FOCUS valuable time and energy on real-world experiences that influence future decisions.

Program Opportunities

Learn professional skills at a career readiness seminar
Shadow a professional to gain work experience and make industry contacts
Attend career-oriented field trips
Conduct informational interviews and network with alumnae
Engage with professional guest speakers
Sharpen personal finance skills before college
Select elective courses related to your chosen field
Make a significant contribution to extra-curricular activities on the school campus

Focus Program Cohorts

List of 6 items.

Business and Communications
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The Business and Communications Focus Program aims to develop an understanding of how management, marketing, sales, communications, and finance work together for a successful business. Students may explore a broad spectrum of fields, including event planning, social media communications, marketing, and advertising, non-profit advancement, accounting, investing, human resources, and project management. Upon completion of this two-year program, students acquire skills and techniques necessary for success in post-secondary studies and professions in Business and/or Communications.

A sample Focus Program experience might look like this:
Elective Courses: Speech, Statistics, AP Micro/Macro Economics, Social Entrepreneurship, AP Computer Science Principles
Job Shadow: Sales Manager
Field Trip: Local Small Business
Guest Speaker: Financial Advisor
Extra-Curricular Activity: Investment Club
Journalism and Media
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The Journalism and Media program is designed to encourage creative exploration for young women with interests in literary, artistic, and media careers. Upon completion of this two-year program, students are uniquely equipped to pursue post-secondary studies in fields such as journalism, videography, film, media and communications.

A sample Focus Program experience might look like this:
Elective Courses: Journalism, Creative Writing
Job Shadow: Newspaper
Field Trip: LA Times
Guest Speaker: Broadcast journalist
Extra-Curricular Activity: Staff writer for Louisville’s website

ELECTIVE COURSES:
• Journalism I, II, III or IV
• Media I, II
• Photography
• Screenwriting
• Animation
• Computer Graphics
• Yearbook
• Creative Writing
Law and Social Justice
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The Law and Social Justice program is designed for young women whose academic and career goals relate to politics, our legal system, community, and social welfare. Through hands-on activities, field work, and in-class instruction, students will develop their analysis, interpretation, research, ethics, and communication skills. The program combines Louisville’s legacy of success and leadership in Mock Trial and Model UN competitions with additional focus-based interactions with their peers and working professionals. Students who complete the program are well-equipped for college admissions and career success in these challenging and rewarding fields.

A sample Focus Program experience might look like this:
Elective Courses: Introduction to Law; AP US Government
Job Shadow: Law firm
Field Trip: Courthouse & observe a trial
Guest Speaker: Professor of Law
Extra-Curricular Activity: Model UN

ELECTIVE COURSES: (ONE or more of the following)
• AP Government
• Intro to Law
• Psychology
• AP Micro/MacroEconomics
• Latin I (for students interested in Law)
• Forensic Science
• Speech
Medicine and Health Sciences
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The Medical and Health Sciences program is designed for students interested in the broad spectrum of health care careers. Through field trips, guest speakers, mentors and job shadowing, students learn about how health care professionals play vastly different but interconnected roles in caring for our bodies and minds.
It is important to understand the differences in both education requirements and work environments of doctors, researchers, nurses, physical therapists, dietitians, psychologists and others. Many students discover health care fields that they didn’t even know existed.
Upon completion of the program, students are better able to make decisions about what facet of health care they would like to pursue– greatly affecting their choices of universities and majors after graduation from Louisville.

A sample Focus Program experience might look like this:
Elective Courses:AP Biology, Anatomy/Physiology, Neuroscience
Job Shadow: Pediatric Surgeon
Field Trip: UCLA Medical School
Guest Speaker: Physicians Assistant
Extra-Curricular Activity: Medical Club

ELECTIVE COURSES:
• AP Biology, AP Chemistry
• AP Physics or Physics
• Neuroscience
• AP Psychology or Psychology
• Anatomy/Physiology

Mathematics
• Calculus and Honors Calculus
• AP Calculus AB, BC
• AP Statistics (One Schoolhouse) or Statistics
STEM
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The STEM program helps define the link between Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics coursework and the many exciting career paths they provide. From hands-on experiences both inside and outside the classroom, to on-the-job interaction with leading professionals, students gain the comprehensive education and skill-sets required to excel in STEM-related college coursework.

A sample Focus Program experience might look like this:
Elective Courses: Physics, Engineering, Calculus
Job Shadow: Metropolitan Water District
Field Trip: Jet Propulsion Laboratories
Guest Speaker: Laboratory Scientist
Extra-Curricular Activity: Robotics

ELECTIVE COURSES:
• AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics
• Physics
• AP Environmental Science or Environmental Science
• Forensic Science (One Schoolhouse)
• Computer Graphics
• AP Computer Science A (One Schoolhouse)
• AP Computer Science Principles
• Introduction to Computer Programming (One Schoolhouse)
• Engineering (One Schoolhouse)

Mathematics
• Multivariable Calculus (One Schoolhouse)
• Calculus and Honors Calculus
• AP Calculus AB, BC
• AP Statistics (One Schoolhouse) or Statistics
Guest Speakers and Panelists
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Our alumnae and parents have been essential in providing our Focus Program with a personal and relatable perspective on their careers. Guest speakers include:

Jamie McKeon Castro '03, LA County District Attorney
Kristy Cox, Marketing
Suzanne Guldimann '86, Journalist and Artist
Christina Hubbard '05, Advertising
Katie McNamee '98, LMFT
Sofia Nelson '05, Internal Medicine
Veronica Vos '08, Asst. Field Deputy, City Council
Paul Garcia, Social Work and Mental Health Services
Nicole Monteleone Kocherov '06, Amazon Data Analytics
Debi Manwiller, Casting Agent
Shelley Sizemore '89, Walt Disney Imagineering
Tasneem Campwala, Family Law Attorney
Candace Lefever Bejune '02, Executive Director of Programming and Scheduling, Disney/ABC
Desirea Macenas '99, PhD. Breast Cancer Research, USC
Brittany Klym, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Gina Di Domenico Espinoza '03, Los Angeles Supervising Deputy City Attorney
Ellen Scallen, Law Professor/Associate Dean, UCLA School of Law
Emily Bonefant '10, Labor and Delivery Nurse, UCLA Santa Monica
John Davoren, VP Clearance & Integration, Warner Bros.
Margaret Marr, Author and Entertainment Attorney
Dr. Ann Shahwan MD, Infectious Diseases, West Hills Medical Center
Sherry Stringfield, Actress
Andrea Neumann, Ventura County Public Defender
Ashley Andersen '04, Nurse, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
EB Richardson '06, Producer
Deana La Barbara '87, Attorney, Contract Law
Dr. Annette Swain, Clinical Psychologist/Neuropsychologist
Julie Schreiner '03, Nurse Practitioner
Paul Bernard, Producer
Kat Napolitano, Owner & Executive Producer, Infiniti Creative
Colleen Janssen '76, Public Information Officer
Roberta Gleiter, Engineer
Will Hellwarth, Virtual Reality Design

Specifics...

List of 5 frequently asked questions.

Q. Benefits of the Focus Program

If you want a solid academic foundation and the chance to explore a potential career field, then this program is for you! As a Focus Program scholar, you will highly distinguish yourself when applying to college.

The Focus Program is an opportunity to go beyond the regular school curriculum and independently study and experience a particular field you are interested in. The experience itself, along with the opportunity for personal growth and the satisfaction of completing the Focus Program, should be a major reason for participating.
Q. Official Recognition

After your first year in the Focus Program, you will receive a lapel pin for your school blazer. When you complete the two-year program you will get transcript credit and a certificate that identifies your commitment to your chosen field.
Q. Career Readiness Seminar

An all-day workshop for juniors kicks off their Focus Program experience. The day is professionally run and provides introductions to networking, resume writing, LinkedIn, job shadowing expectations, and informational interviews. A panel of alumnae shares advice on mentoring, college majors, and finding the right fit.
Q. Financial Readiness Workshops

These workshops give Focus Program seniors the opportunity to learn about online/mobile banking and sending money; budgeting and saving for college; borrowing, credit, and paying for college; securing and monitoring financial information.
Q. Connection with Alumnae

Focus Program students are supported by alumnae and Louisville parents who provide informational interviews and job shadowing. These connections have a big influence on students career choices and open their eyes to other possibilities.

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"It was wonderful meeting the students as a guest speaker. I was so impressed by their questions and their level of interest in this career path. You are cultivating some future leaders. I wish we had this when I was in school!"

-Gina Di Domenico Espinoza '03, LA Supervising Deputy City Attorney

"When I started my job shadowing I was extremely shy. This experience helped me feel confident asking for other internships and job opportunities by not being afraid to be confident in my abilities. Without this experience, I would not be the person I am today."