How the 6,500 pre-K to 12th-grade students across Upper Arlington complete their academic careers has now become more customizable. Whether they plan to attend college or trade school, take a gap year, or go straight into the workforce, life after high school looks different for each student. Throughout students’ years in high school, these challenging life choices are made.
UAHS has opened up a new approach and addition to a typical high school environment: the Upper Arlington Hub. The Hub, which opened for the 2024- 2025 school year, will be the home of several academic programs.
The Hub is a renovated building on the Mallway at Old Arlington. This building used to be the Upper Arlington City Schools Office. The building opened Sept. 6 with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Programs offered at the Hub include the College Jumpstart Network, Semiconductor Program, UA Online Academy, UC Early IT Program and the Upper Arlington Bridge.
Students can take classes at the Hub to advance themselves in their preferred after high school plan.
“The Hub grew out of a lot of the comments that [Dr. Hunt] heard from community members, from parents, from students, about just having different options available for students, kind of beyond the typical, like, high school experience,” Principal of the Hub Matt Jordan recalled from planning of the Hub with Superintendent Dr. Hunt.
Students are able to leave the high school building to take classes at the hub.
“I think it’s nice we get to leave the high school and be in a new environment,” junior Clara Crist said.
UAHS provides transportation to those taking classes at the Hub via bus while others can transport themselves.
Liz Hughes, a counselor at UAHS, spoke on this., “It’s nice that you don’t have to transport yourself downtown to Columbus State” said UAHS counselor Liz Hughes.
Columbus Community College and the University of Cincinnati have partnered with the high school to make the College Jumpsart and IT programs possible.
“Upper Arlington had, for a while, a connection because we’ve offered the English 1100 and we’ve offered the calculus in Upper Arlington offered the calculus in Upper Arlington High School so, I think that relationship kind of existed already,” Jordan said.
The target of these programs help steer students in the right direction for their future plans. Those whose path leads to college benefit from the path the Hub takes.
Junior Emerson Hemmelgarn, who is enrolled in the College Jumpstart program, spoke on why she takes classes at the Hub. “It’s really helpful for your future if your pathway is college.”
While taking classes through College Jumpstart, students will earn 25 credit hours, almost a full year of college. In college, most students would pay roughly $13,000 for these credits, but now students can earn them for free.
“That can defray some of the costs for college,” Jordan said.
Along with College Jumpstart the Hub offers UC Early IT Program for students who are interested in the information technology world.
“Students might be interested in that line of work after high school, because it provides, not only a startup to like, a bachelor’s degree, but also provides certification that you could go directly into, like working for an IT company,” Jordan said.
According to Jordan, the difference between CCP classes and classes at the Hub is the style in which they are taught.
“The University of Cincinnati program is very similar. It’s CCP classes, but they’re more specific or targeted towards information
technology,” Jordan said.
The Upper Arlington Hub offers a unique high school path while giving students ample amounts of credits to graduate UAHS. High school is a low-risk environment where students can explore their interests without any life changing consequences. Hughes said, “The more you explore in high school gives you a better idea of if you like something or don’t like something.”
“High school provides a kind of a lesser penalty environment, you can make some more mistakes in high school,” Jordan said.
