Story by Carley Calabro

Leadership Southern Indiana was initially started 36 years ago with a leadership program for business leaders called Discover.

However, in 2015, LSI has created a program specifically for high school juniors titled Nexgen.

Nexgen is a five-day leadership program for high school juniors representing every high school in both Clark and Floyd County, as well as a school in Kentucky.

Nexgen LSI is a year-long program that starts with five days of students attending different businesses and companies. Each class is dedicated to one aspect of becoming a leader, as well as learning about the community.

“Nexgen was created in 2015 because LSI thought we would get our young leaders to learn more about our community while in high school,” said program coordinator Lisa Bottorff. “We were hopeful our youth would learn more about our community so they would realize how wonderful it is a so that they would want to live, work and play here after high school and/or college.”

While there, students learn about team building, diversity and financial literacy.  They tour various businesses and companies and learn about the economy and government. Along with the tours students will be given time to meet with business, community and government leaders.

In addition, students learn about the importance of philanthropy and choose a non-profit organization to give their time, talent and treasure to. To start the program off this year, First Savings Bank donated money to the charities students learned about.

For junior Ethan English, Nexgen has already taught him how to act in the real world.

“It has taught me to be a big time leader and philanthropist in the community,” English said. “I like the fact that we get to meet an abundance of unaccustomed young adults at contradistinctive schools around the area to come together and deposit time and money into southern Indiana.”

The Nexgen organization teaches students necessary aspects in order to become a successful leader. It not only helps young leaders today, but benefits more in the long run by giving life-long lessons for the future.

Story by Makiyah Owens & Braxton Troutman

Muhammad Ali (1942-2016)

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., Muhammad Ali was a professional boxer and civil rights activist. Born and raised in Louisville, Ky., Ali is known as one of the most influential and favored sports figure of the 20th century, and easily the most significant person from the Louisville Metropolitan area.

After attending Central High School, he went on to beat more champions and top contenders than any heavyweight boxing champion in history. Ali won medals, awards, and executed many selfless acts that made him such a significant person not only to the city of Louisville, but to the African American community nationwide.  

Bryson Tiller 

Bryson Tiller is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. Born and raised in Louisville, Ky., Tiller attended Iroquois High school before his career started in 2011. His big break came in 2014 when he gained recognition for his single “Don’t” from his album Trap Soul. The album was released in 2015, and climbed as high as No. 8 on the US Billboard 200.

The single “Don’t” reached No. 13 on the US Billboard Top 100, the highest a Louisville-based hip-hop artist has ever reached. In March of 2016, Tiller received the key to the city from Greg Fisher, and in the same year he received his first awards: Best New Artist and Best Male R&B/Pop Artist at the BET Awards.

Darrell Griffith 

Darrell Griffith was born and raised in Louisville, Ky., and is a graduate of Male High School. Griffith attended the University of Louisville, where he played basketball all four years at the university. While at Louisville, Griffith led the Cardinals to their first NCAA National Championship against the University of California Los Angeles in 1980.

Griffith went on to the NBA, where he was picked second overall in the 1980 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. Griffith played 10 season, all with the Jazz, averaging 16 points and three assists per game in his career. In 1997, Griffith started the Darrell Griffith Foundation to help give back to the community of Louisville. More recently in 2014, the Darrell Griffith Athletic Center was opened at the West End School as a gift to the community

Sadiqa Reynolds

Originally from The Bronx, Sadiqa Reynolds has found a home, and a remarkable career, in Louisville. Reynolds is the President and CEO of the Louisville Urban League, and former judge of the 30th Judicial Court. Reynolds is also the first African American woman to clerk in the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Reynolds has brought a positive and energetic attitude since taking over as President of the Louisville Urban League back in October. Reynolds has been recognized for her actions and been called a ¨Woman of Influence¨ by the city of Louisville, and a civil rights advocacy. Reynolds has also been a part of over six different boards and worked as a public servant and role model for most of her life. Reynolds is married to Keith Reynolds and has two daughters, Wynter and Sydney.

Dawne Gee

Dawne Gee was born in Louisville, and attended Pleasure Ridge Park High School. Gee attended the University of Louisville, where she maintained a Bachelor Arts degree in communications and biology. Gee has been a member of the Wave-3 news team since 1994. Before working at Wave, Gee worked in radio broadcasting at Cox Radio as an on-air personality for 17 years.

In 2009, Gee was diagnosed with kidney cancer, and on Nov. 25, suffered a stroke during a live broadcast. Miraculously, Gee recovered from both medical conditions and still continues to fulfill her role as a news anchor on Wave-3 News. Gee serves as an inspiration to the city of Louisville for her commitment to the media, and overcoming her medical issues .

Story by Tristan Jackson

Kenneth Groth, Brent Falkenstein, P.K. Falkenstein, Kasey Falkenstein and Kooper Falkenstein — the Falkenstein family has been churning out Jeff High basketball greats since the 1930’s.

Brent’s son, Bailey, is next in line.  

Bailey has been playing on the Varsity team since his freshman year. Now a junior, he is the team’s top scorer (18.9 points per game) and has solidified himself as a leader.

“There’s definitely some pressure there,” Falkenstein said about being a top scoring option for Jeff. “But I have to do it for my team.”

With guard/forward Michael Minton being Jeff’s lone starting senior this season, Falkenstein has stepped up and made strides in his own game. He has become a role model for underclassmen, who have also played a large role in the team’s success this year.

“It motivates you to want to elevate your game and get to the level he is at,” said sophomore Drew Taylor on playing with Falkenstein.

Since Falkenstein’s freshman year, the team has seen constant improvement. After a 2014-15 season that saw Jeff only managed an 8-14 record, new head coach Joe Luce was brought in to return JHS to its winning ways. Last season, the team posted a 19-13 record in Luce’s debut.

“Bailey has gotten to the point where not only is he a fantastic scorer and a go to guy for us,” Luce said. “He has learned to make others better around him, and I think that’s why we’ve been able to play better basketball.”

Along with the excellent skillset Falkenstein brings to the floor on a nightly basis, a winning mentality is something he prides himself on.

“I just want to be remembered as a great player who won. That’s really what I want to bring to Jeff — winning,” Falkenstein said.

In the hotbed of basketball talent in southern Indiana, Falkenstein says he is motivated by hearing what other players are doing on the court, and believing that he is just as good, if not better, than every opponent he faces.

A lack of confidence has never been an issue for Falkenstein, as he feels his work ethic has put him in position to not only be a leader on the basketball team, but to also headline a star-studded baseball team at Jeff.

“Bailey is always showing leadership by getting people focused, giving constructive criticism, and letting others know when he made a mistake,” said pitcher, and teammate, Gabe Bierman.

Falkenstein looks for both teams to have great seasons this year and next, and said his goal for the upcoming baseball season is to win a state championship.

Additionally, Falkenstein credits all athletes for finding the time to balance school and a sport. Although it’s difficult to put the work into two different sports, he says sports helped make him a better person and “the man (he is) today”.

As talented as he is on the court, it’s hard to imagine Falkenstein choosing another sport over basketball in the future, but it’s very possible.

Falkenstein is one of the team’s top baseball players, and he believes that he is talented enough to wind up playing professionally at some level.

While leaning towards baseball, where he has already received Division I offers from schools such as Indiana and Xavier, Falkenstein said this basketball season has opened up the possibility of playing basketball in college.

Whatever way he chooses, it’s likely his talents will carry with him to college, along with his work ethic and sense of leadership.

For the time being, Jeff fans will cheer on yet another Falkenstein from the stands as he carries on a legacy that has been over 80 years in the making.