Attending Northern Kentucky University was always the plan for Ayden Pugh. When he learned about the Young Scholars Academy (YSA) program during his sophomore year at Pendleton County High School, it was a no-brainer. Pugh—and all his close friends—jumped at the opportunity to take college classes while in high school.

“Most of them I've known since we were 5 years old,” he says. “They've been in my class since kindergarten, and we grew up together. We did all of our gifted and talented classes together, we did our AP classes together and then we went to college together. It just took us to another level of togetherness.” 

YSA offers high school juniors and seniors in northern Kentucky the chance to have an immersive college experience while still in high school. Students not only save money on tuition, but they gain college credits while also earning their high school diploma.

For Pugh, who had an interest in business but wasn’t sure of his path, it was a game-changer.  

“It was a better high school experience. It prepares you in all aspects in a way that high school doesn’t,” he says. “I was able to utilize my junior and senior year of high school to test out some classes and figure out what I actually enjoyed at a reduced cost. Being able to take my own classes and tailor my classes to my interests was big for me. I was looking for anything that could give me the extra boost. It’s something in job interviews that sets me apart.”

During his time as a YSA student, Pugh commuted one hour to and from NKU every day just like a commuter student would.  

One of the highlights of the program, he says, was the real-world experience he gained. While taking a data analytics class, Pugh completed a client project for Better Blend, a local business owned by Isaac Hamlin.

“We took millions of rows of data and presented it in a way that tells a story,” he says. “We looked at gym locations and saw if sales correlated with people going from the gym to Better Blend. I was able to communicate that to Isaac using all his data. As a high school student, it was really cool talking to a successful business owner and being able to learn from that.” 

When Pugh graduated from high school in May 2024, there was no question about him continuing his education at NKU. 

He officially joined campus later that fall as a double major in accounting and management, and it was like a normal day. 

“There was no transition. It was just second nature. It was like one day I was coming in as a high school student, and the next day I was a college student,” he says. “I don't think you can find a better school than NKU for the price and education that you get. If I can commute from home, save a bunch of money and not go into debt but still get amazing jobs and internships and have the same opportunities as every other big school, I'm going to choose NKU every time.”

Pugh credits the YSA staff, particularly Dan Ginn, for the wraparound care and support during the two years he was in the program. Thanks to those two years, he will graduate in fall 2026.  

Pugh encourages future YSA students to take advantage of the activities that NKU has to offer, like going to the Campus Recreation Center or joining a club.

During his time on campus, he’s joined several student organizations: Beta Gamma Sigma, Farris-Leadership Academy, Student Government Association, Campus Outreach and Emerging Leaders Club. 

But more importantly, he urges students to ask questions and make connections.

“Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions. Once you start asking questions and you start communicating, you build connections and relationships,” he says. “If you build that relationship with your professor on Day 1 by going to their office hours, it just sets the tone of the rest of the semester. And then everything is easier because you have somebody to talk to.”