As a member and president of the Kentucky Women's Forum, I have the fortune of meeting other amazing female professionals and change agents of the Louisville community.  Over a recent dinner Kentucky Women's Forumwith these women, I learned about an important education initiative taking hold called 55,000 Degrees led by the program's executive director, Mary Gwen Wheeler.  This is our community's commitment to increasing education attainment by 55,000 post-secondary degrees by 2020.  http://www.55000degrees.org/about-55k/our-objectives/

Here's a quick summary of what I learned.  The program aims to: 1) better prepare high school students for college; 2) make college education more accessible and affordable; 3) lower drop-out rates; and 4) drive employment support from major corporations in the area.  Listening to Mary Gwen Wheeler speak on the topic, it was easy to understand why 55,000 Degrees has garnered the support of our mayor, all the major universities and colleges in the Louisville area, and numerous local corperations.  As a teacher in a prior life (before real estate!), education is a topic very close to my heart.  It is exciting to witness and meet the players behind major initiatives like this that aim to drive Louisville's continued growth and success.