Pace University Partners with Kennedy Catholic HS

Pace University is offering John F. Kennedy Catholic High School students valuable lessons in business – and a chance to jump-start their college careers by earning college credits.

In this partnership, which is expanding in the spring, Pace business professors teach college-level classes such as Business 101, Business Law, and Managerial and Organizational Concepts at Kennedy High School in Somers, providing students with an opportunity to earn up to nine college credits before graduating, and a fast-track to Pace University.

“We are bringing a business education to students who might not traditionally be exposed to a business education,” said Professor Randi Priluck, associate dean of undergraduate programs at Pace University and director of the master’s program in Social Media and Mobile Marketing at the Lubin School of Business. “They get to see what a real college class and college curriculum is like.”

While Advanced Placement courses are common among high schools, this program is unique in that it is taught by college professors from Pace University. As part of the curriculum, students also manage a virtual coffee shop – the Pace Café – where they learn about sales, inventory, accounting, marketing and the like. Additionally, students who successfully complete the courses with a 3.0 grade point average, or B average, by the end of their junior year will be considered for priority admission into Pace University. (The credits transfer to other colleges and universities as well). Watch a video here.

Twenty-five students completed Business 101 in the fall semester, and another 37 are registered for the college courses in the spring, which include a new addition, a business management course.

For 11th grader Juliet Meza of Dutchess County, the Pace partnership has been invaluable, eye-opening and helpful in considering a major to pursue in college.

"Communications, problem-solving, teamwork, critical thinking, and leadership skills are just a few of the experiences offered to students who take a business class at Kennedy,” Meza said. “Accounting and budgeting, investment and finance, and project management are all essential skills for every area of work you encounter. Therefore, the experience you acquire while taking a business course is crucial to your growth in any career of your choosing.”

Dylan Flynn, an 11th grader from Putnam County, agreed: “Through this course, I'm able to get a sense of the business world and how it works,” Flynn said. “With this, I can also determine what I want my college major to be and the career path I want to take. This class is giving me a head start in life. Most students don't have the opportunity to take a class as informative as BUS 101, but I am fortunate enough to have the course available right at my school.”

The Pace partnership is among several the University is leading with private Catholic schools in the region. It also works with St. Joseph by the Sea High School in Staten Island, and is considering developing others in the Hudson Valley in the near future.

Educators at Kennedy lauded the program for its value in providing students with real-life business experience.

"It is important for Kennedy to prepare students to participate in the economy, and the sooner they have a feel for the ‘real world’ the better off they will be,” said Robert Santini, a social studies teacher at Kennedy High School. “Re-emphasizing the basic notion that they need to prepare to participate in the economy, and ultimately society at large, and then giving them the options to begin doing so at the high school level is a worthy goal, since a more productive working population is better for everyone.”

Pace Professor Patrick McGuigan, a clinical professor of management who has taught the courses since their inception last spring, appreciates the dichotomy of high school and college students, and enjoys teaching on the high school campus in Somers.

“They are great students,” Professor McGuigan said. “They are engaged, curious and interested – and they are really celebrating the relationship with Pace.”

About Pace University

Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and a Law School in White Plains. www.pace.edu.

About the Lubin School of Business at Pace University

Globally recognized and prestigiously accredited, the Lubin School of Business integrates New York City’s business world into the experienced-based education of its students at Pace’s suburban and downtown campuses, implemented by one of the region’s largest co-op programs, team-based learning, and customized career guidance. Its programs are designed to launch success-oriented graduates toward upwardly mobile careers. www.pace.edu/lubin.

About John F. Kennedy Catholic High School

John F. Kennedy Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic, coeducational high school college preparatory school located in Somers, New York. It serves 670 students in grades 9–12 from Westchester, Dutchess, Putnam and Fairfield counties and the Bronx.