Newsletters

Fern Creek Alumni August 2025 Newsletter

Chairman Keynote

The Mission of the Fern Creek Alumni Assocation

Announcements

Cell Phone Policy

In case you have not heard, FCHS is a Cell Phone Free School! We are the 1st in JCPS to be Cell-Phone Free! Thanks to our Alumni Association who supported this effort by purchasing the Yondr phone pouches for this endeavor it has been a huge success! See the Principal’s report for more information.

Official Booster Club Spirit Wear

Official Fern Creen High School Alumni Association Booster Club Spirit Wear 2025
https://fchsalumni.itemorder.com/shop/home/
Deadline: Sunday, August 31, 2025 (11:59 PM EDT)

Homecoming Weekend 2025

No Homecoming Activities will take place this year.
The Alumni Association invests a lot of time into the Homecoming activities every year. However this year, the factors we had to consider are:

• The Football field construction may result in the field not being fully ready for homecoming activities
• No Hall of fame nominations were received by the June 30 deadline

We will regroup and prepare for next year's activities. Thank you for your support.

Bingo

Currently, our primary source of funding is our FCHS Alumni Association Bingo every Sunday night at Charity Hall at 5001 Stephan Dr.—just off Dixie Highway. Consider joining us this weekend.

The first session begins at 7:30 PM and a second session follows at midnight.
Doors are open for Pull Tab pack purchases at 6:15 PM.

Call 502-937-8200 (Charity Hall) for more information.
Fern Creek Alumni Bingo

Donations

Consider direct Donations to the Fern Creek Alumni Association to ensure a new generation of Alumni can carry forward the traditions that shaped us growing up.
For small donations use the Donation Link on our website.
For larger donations, bequests, trusts, etc contact us @ info@ferncreekalumni.com

Communications

Join the FC alumni FB group today to keep up with communications and progress—it is the easiest way to stay in touch

Principal’s Report

Dear Fern Creek Alumni,

It’s a great time to be a Tiger! As we reflect on another incredible school year at Fern Creek High School, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our Fern Creek.

Alumni Association for your continued support and unwavering dedication to our school’s success.

One of the most transformative initiatives this year has been the implementation of our Phone-Free policy, made possible by your generous funding of Yondr pouches. This bold step has significantly improved classroom engagement, reduced distractions, and created a more focused and respectful learning environment. Our students are more connected to their learning—and to each other—than ever before. We could not have done it without you.

In addition to supporting this cultural shift, our alumni have empowered our teachers and staff through funding for multiple mini-grants. These grants have brought unique and meaningful experiences to our students—whether through hands-on learning, field trips, creative projects, or other enrichment opportunities—and have also helped us recognize and appreciate the hard work of our dedicated staff.

Moreover, your ongoing contributions to student and staff scholarships continue to make a lasting impact. These scholarships open doors, remove barriers, and allow our Tigers to dream bigger and reach farther. Your support affirms the belief that no goal is out of reach for a Fern Creek student, and allows our faculty and staff to continue their professional learning.

At Fern Creek, we often say we are a family—and you, our alumni, are a vital part of that family. You connect the proud legacy of our past with the limitless potential of our future. Thank you for standing with us, believing in us, and investing in the next generation of Tigers.

With pride and gratitude,

Dr. Rebecca Nicolas

Principal, Fern Creek High School

Academics

2024-2025 senior class has shown resolution and tenacity as they pursued their academic goals--goals they have more than met. This year's senior class have amassed $35.2 million in merit-based scholarships.

This amount should put FCHS in the top-5 for all high schools (public and private) in the state, and the top-2 for all JCPS high schools. Six of the seniors individually earned over $1 million in total merit-based scholarships.

Our seniors were accepted to 125 different colleges/universities across 30 different states. Of these 125 colleges/universities, 35 are typically ranked in the top 5% of nearly 3,000 4-year college/universities. The average acceptance rate for these 35 selective/highly-selective schools this year is 34%; our students' acceptance rate to these schools is 65%.

Teacher Highlights

Congrats to FCHS Alum and Science Teacher Jenny Hibbs winner for the Sylvan Learning of Louisville Kids Choice Award—this is strictly a student nominated and student voted award!

Congratulations to our wonderful Education Academy counselor, Ms. Frances Ramey who won the Advocate of the Year Award at the JCPS Educators of Color Celebration!

Congratulations to Mr. Mitra Subedi for receiving the Americorp President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition for his outstanding volunteer service to the community.

Over 20 FCHS staff participated in the Whiskey Row 5K as part of our “Fitness February” initiative from our Culture and Climate committee. The 5K served as a culminating event for Fit Feb. The Alumni Association purchased the t-shirts for the staff to wear in the event.

Our Freshman Academy has officially been awarded Model Status by the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC)! This recognition is a culmination of the dedication, collaboration, and hard work of our incredible Freshman Academy team. Achieving Model Status means that our academy is exceeding national standards for career academies in areas such as student support, instructional excellence, and college and career readiness.

• Congratulations to our Freshman Academy teachers, Mr. Sermersheim, Mrs. Clemmons and Mrs. Abell who consistently go above and beyond to create a strong foundation for our students. Their efforts are making a lasting impact—and now, they’re being recognized on a national level!

Student Highlights

On April 18th at the Junior Honors Night the Alumni Association awarded two scholarships in honor of two former teachers, Ms. Barbara Mauer and Lt. Col. Clarence Smith. Each student received a plaque and a check for $100. The Mauer award honors an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication, skill, and innovation in their chosen pathway. The Smith award is in honor of the student’s leadership and outstanding service and loyalty to the school and community. Both student winners this year were from our Education Academy. The winner of the Barbara Maurer award is

On May 13th at the Senior Honors Night, 20 seniors will be awarded alumni scholarships from the Alumni Association.

• Three of these awards are Alumni Legacy awards and are awarded to “Legacy Students”. These are students whose family members have also attended and graduated from FCHS. These are named awards in honor of Alumni who have served our beloved FCHS; Marshall & Lenora Roberts, Don Stout, and David Vaughn.
• Two of the awards are named Alumni Awards for leadership, school spirit and involvement, etc. These are named after former teacher and alum Ms. Evelyn Vaughn and first Alumni Director, Mr. Ted Boehm.
• We have two awards that are given out by two of our Alumni and are given in their names; Dr. Barbara Bailey and Mr. Joey Bailey. The Dr. Barbara Bailey award is given to future educators and this year there will be two students receiving this award. The award given in Mr. Joey Bailey’s honor is given to a student who exemplifies character, service, integrity, and leadership.
• One of our newest scholarships is given to a film student who is looking to pursue a career in the film industry. This scholarship is named after one of our alums currently working in the film industry and who has been an advocate for our current students, working to help them while at Fern Creek as well as creating a pathway from FCHS to WKU. The David Stickler Young Filmmaker Scholarship will be awarded for the second time this year.
• Our last named scholarship has been created by an alum in honor of his parents to help one of our students attend the University of Louisville specifically. The John L. and Margaret E. Gatton scholarship will be awarded this year for the first time.
• We will be presenting 10 other $2000 Alumni scholarships to students who have met the criteria outlined in the application process.

Senior Ting Chen was awarded the Vogt Educational & Leadership Scholarship for 2025! Nineteen seniors from Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) have been awarded the 2025 Vogt Educational & Leadership Scholarship, which recognizes students for their academic achievements and leadership in and out of the classroom. The students, who will each receive $12,000 toward college expenses, were recognized during a luncheon held at the Olmsted. JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said, “These outstanding seniors have not only demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, but have also been shining examples of leadership at their schools and in the community. We couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments, and we know they will continue to inspire and lead wherever their journeys take them.”

Senior Kendra Quaye-Mansell was presented the Louisville Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. scholarship. She was one of 20 young ladies in the city to receive and she received the highest award amount.

Congratulations to Senior Kennedy Anderson who won the 2024 YMCA Youth Character Award! 12 students from the greater Louisville area were selected from hundreds of submissions to win a $2500 scholarship from the YMCA.

Congrats to Jorge Gomez Merino–he just earned his Journeyman Plumber certificate–the FIRST high schooler in JCPS to ever do it and only the SECOND in the State of Kentucky! Jorge is part of our Plumber Assistant Pathway and he’s showing what it means to be college, career, and life ready!

Congratulations to Yenifer Daniela Ramirez Hernandez for winning the Rotary Club Unsung Hero Award for Fern Creek High School!

Six of our incredible Fire Science Academy students passed the CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test) and received their certification cards from the Kentucky Fire Commission! This is a nationally recognized, pass/fail test that simulates real firefighter duties through eight physically demanding tasks, all completed within 10 minutes and 20 seconds.

• Congrats to Austin Bomar, Parker Bowdy, Kyle Bruner, Will Moore, Chris Morales Cruz, and Darius Woodford.

Students were invited to share how the shift to a phone-free school has impacted them–academically, socially, and emotionally. The thoughtful and inspiring essays we received were a testament to their growth and reflection. The phone-free essay contest was proudly sponsored by the Fern Creek Alumni Association! Congratulations to our student winners: 1st place—Khloe Lewis, 2nd place—Evan Jackson, 3rd—Dipshika Khanal.

The Freshman Academy Civics Team teamed up with Operation Brightside and local Fern Creek Businesses for a campus and community clean-up. Over 150 freshmen showed up to help beautify our campus–our largest student turnout ever! Led by our incredible Freshman AP and Counselor, Mr. Sermersheim and Mrs. Clemmons as well as civics teachers Ms. Kovacs, Mrs. Sharp-Amshoff, and Mr. Mooney; as well as other FC Staff volunteers Coach Abell, Ms. Willingham, Mr. Tennyson, Mr. McLean, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Koestel, Ms. O’Riley, Mrs. Marrillia, Dr. Jacobs, Dr. Kilbourne, Ms. Stewart, Mrs. Meredith, Mrs. Nordmann, Mrs. Ogden, Mr. Walker and Mrs. Ison. The Fern Creek Alumni Association donated the mulch and flowers to help beautify the school! Thanks to our students, staff, and community partners, this was more than a clean-up—it was a celebration of community, service, and Tiger Pride!!

We are proud of our SkillsUSA students; they racked up 11 medals in photography, Ad Design, Fire Fighting, Poster, Plumbing Spelling (clean sweep), and Photo Art Display.

Congrats to our MCJOTC Drill team for winning First Place Overall in the MCJROTC Mid-Regional Drill Competition.

Our Film/Cinematography students are currently filming their third feature-length film! This film will be released this Summer!

We are so proud of Football Tiger, Travis Moten, First Team All-State honoree, who graduated early this year in December, is already making a name for himself as a University of Michigan Wolverine! Be watching for him on the gridiron!

Ivy Plus 2024/2025 End of Year Update

Please remember this information is just for 31 seniors!! We have just under 400 seniors in the Class of 2025 and the other senior’s awards are not included in this number! The Creek is a place like no other and our kids are truly keeping the spirit alive and the traditions of excellence moving forward.

• This year's Ivy Plus seniors (31 students) amassed $25.3 million in merit-based scholarships.
• This averages out to just over $816,000 per student.
• 6 of these seniors individually amassed over $1 million in merit-based scholarships.
• 80% of these students come from traditionally underrepresented college-going backgrounds (either low-income, minority, or first-generation college students).
• To put this scholarship total in better context, our total of $25.3 million surpasses the scholarship totals for graduating classes at every high school in the state of Kentucky except Manual, St. Xavier, Trinity, Sacred Heart, Louisville Collegiate and maybe Assumption. Still, their total takes into account entire graduating classes; for many of them well over 300 students. Our total is for 31 students!
• Our seniors were accepted to 56 different colleges/universities across 19 different states.

Of these 56 colleges, 33 are schools typically ranked in the top 150 out of over 3,000 4-year colleges/universities (the top 5%).

The average acceptance rate for these 30 selective/highly-selective schools this year is 34%.; our 31 students' acceptance rate to these schools is 65%.

• Our FCHS students are getting into these HIGHLY SELECTIVE SCHOOLS because they come from FERN CREEK HIGH SCHOOL! They have outworked their competitors across the nation both in and out of the classroom.

These highly-selective colleges know that when they are admitting our students, they are admitting someone who is far more than simply a 'smart' student—they are admitting a uniquely self-aware individual who will make their campus and community better as soon as they set foot on campus.

Some of them hold spots specifically for our FCHS students.

• We hope this will encourage you to join us and you will help us to fight the misinformation out there and to fight to our last breath anyone who says that Fern Creek High School and/or public education doesn't work. These 31 seniors are just one small example that proves otherwise.

Colleges/Universities ranked in the top 5% in the country that our seniors were accepted to this year:

• American University, Berea College, Brandeis University, Carleton College, College of Wooster, Davidson College, Denison University, DePauw University, Earlham University, Emory University, Furman University, LeHigh University, Oberlin College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rhodes College, Rose Hulman Institute of Tech, St. John’s College,Swarthmore College, Union College (NY), University of Chicago, Wake Forest University, Wofford College.

Athletics

2024/2025 year was the first year that Boys Volleyball is sanctioned by KHSAA which means the boys play towards Regional and State Tournaments. FCHS had a boys' volleyball team last year and played in the 'Metro League' and were very successful. This year, led by 7 seniors, the 1st sanctioned Boys' Volleyball team finished as the 4th Region Runner-up and in their first year are headed to STATE

• Congrats to Noel Cavanaugh, Rodney Moorman, and Carrick Swearingen who made the All-Region Team
• Congrats to players Carrick Swearingen, Murad Badwan, Noel Cavanaugh, Asher Deitz, Josh Santos, Rodney Moorman, Harrison McDonald, Kaden Tran, Seth Frank, Emmanuel Cruz, Dwayne McKellery, Fayiq Quambari, Jacob McDonald, Fernando Dominguez, Javier Joa, Moritz Mueller, Hans Holbrook, Alicent Ndizeye and (Alumni) Coaches Melissa Roberts Tabor and Courtney Heaton on making school history in their first season!

Our football field is getting a makeover!

When the Fern Creek Tiger athletic program returns this Fall, it will have a brand new playing surface to work with but that's not all. Veterans Stadium is getting an upgrade from natural grass to synthetic turf but this is only one part of the project. The new state-of-the-art turf at Veterans Stadium will provide our student-athletes and coaches with a modern home field on which to compete against all schools in the state of Kentucky.

Site work is already underway and is on track to be completed in time for the 2025 season opener against Seneca High School, on August 22nd at 7:30pm. “With the installation of the new turf, we can provide our players with the best surface to compete for, and win, championships in the near future.” says Football Head Coach Josh Abell. “Fern Creek Football plays fast, and we will now have the field to complement our playing style.” The field will also play home to our Boys and Girls Soccer team and Lacrosse in the near future. The turf upgrade to the Veterans Stadium field is just one of the many projects to improve Fern Creek’s athletics facilities campaign.

During this project we will be building brand new Home Side bleachers with an upscale pressbox with filming/streaming capabilities. During this expansion there will be a brand new concession stand built on the NEW home side with restrooms. During the project there will be a brand new scoreboard placed on the opposite end of the field. The project will finalize with a brand new rubberized track for our decorated track program.

With the amount of state champions we have produced in the past ten years it is only appropriate that we completely revamp our track. This final addition will make Veterans Stadium complete. We will be sending out updates through Facebook and X.com throughout the this exciting process. Go Tigers!

Troy Johnson,
Fern Creek High School,
Athletic Director

Both gyms have received makeovers! Both gyms have received updated floors, with the old/small gym receiving an entirely new floor. The new/large gym also received NEW bleachers. Come on by the Creek and check out these beautiful upgrades to our facilities.