Gamez moved to Louisville five years ago from her hometown of Holguin, Cuba. She is a Finance major who serves as a counselor in the Office of Admissions for Hispanic/Latinx students. She is also involved in the Hispanic and Latin@ Faculty and Staff Association and the Louisville Welcome Academy.Ìý

She chose to attend UofL because it was “full of academic opportunities, research, a beautiful campus, but a place I knew I was going to be welcomed.”Ìý

Cooper, a Social Change and Political Science major from Owensboro, chose to attend UofL because “it was in a community I could connect with and get engaged with. It was also home to a lot of diverse opinions and diverse people.”Ìý

Cooper is part of the James Graham Brown Fellows Program and is the services VP for the Student Government Association, as well as a U.S. Department of State intern.Ìý

“I’m not only part of the Louisville community, but I’m also part of the UofL community and I’m using my passion to make both of these things better,” Cooper said. “My experience at UofL is going to help me move beyond and be even more impactful in the type of work I want to do.”Ìý

Check out more from Gamez and Cooper below.

Carter, the recipient of the 2021 Kentucky Music Educators Association Composition Award, said that music “has this unique ability to both commentate on, and influence society.”

Check out more about Carter’s story:Ìý

Social distancing.

“You’re muted.”Ìý

Protests. Unrest.Ìý

We asked some UofLÌýstudents, faculty and staff take an honest look back on the past year, the changes and struggles they endured, and the resilience they uncovered in the face of adversity. Here’s what they had to say:Ìý

PACT is a partnership between UofL and JCPS that helps students aged 18 to 21 with moderate disabilities engage in a true, on-campus experience.ÌýBlake, who has Down syndrome, was able to achieve this milestone thanks to the help of a vast support system.Ìý

Included in that support system are Renee Scott, who leads the PACT Program, and instructors Charles Craycroft and June Demus.Ìý

There are others on Blake’s team, as well, including Lauren Chamberlain, who works with Team Inspire to connect young adults with disabilities to local athletic teams.Ìý

“[Blake] truly embodies a student with the drive to succeed and love what you do at the same time and I think that is really special,” Chamberlain said.Ìý

Blake is one of five graduates from the program this spring. Check out his story below:Ìý

Since then, UofL students have received more than $202 million in aid from the program.

UofL student Elliott Kelly Jr. has benefited directly from the scholarship program. He now works with at-risk youth.

“A lot of times they act out because they don’t see anybody investing in them. When they see me they see someone who comes from where they come from, they see someone who has it paid for solely because of his work. It motivates them, it pushes them,” Kelly said. “Students in Kentucky are worthy of your investment … It motivates them to do better.”Ìý

Check out more from Kelly:

They include Khaldoun Almousily, Classical and Modern Languages in the College of Arts & Sciences; Kathryn Harman,Ìý Health and Sport Sciences, College of ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ and Human Development; Ahmed Shalaby, Bioengineering, J.B. Speed School of Engineering; John Finch, Early Childhood and Elementary ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥, CEHD; and Emily Schnarr, Management, College of Business.

“The best part of my position right now is seeing our University of Louisville students become teachers. And I know when that transition happens,” Finch said. “I tell them early on that when you come into this course, this classroom, I don’t want you thinking and being a University of Louisville student. You are to be a teacher.Ìý You are to think like a teacher, act like a teacher. You’re a teacher.Ìý And that’s the way I’m going to treat you, that’s the way I want you to think, look and act. So when I see that transition, it’s absolutely phenomenal.”Ìý

Shalaby, who teaches a class called managing big data in medicine, said the subject matter is complex and therefore needs to be simplified more.Ìý

“I break down the information into smallest, smaller pieces that make easy for students easier to understand it,” Shalaby said.Ìý

Harman agrees with the method of simplification for her course, which covers a lot of information about muscle function and how muscles create movements at joints.Ìý

“I can’t just talk about it. I have to show them,” she said, adding that it’s important to give students a different way to look at course materials.Ìý

Almousily’s approach to teaching is to add context to prepare students to be global citizens.Ìý

“I want them to say I’m glad the class is over, I’m going to go practice what I learned,” he said. “The first thing we do in teaching is engaging. If a student is not engaged in the class I don’t think they’re going to learn anything. I want them to be the center of attention, the center of the class.”

“I tell my students … they’re the ones that keep me coming back and doing what I do,” Finch adds.Ìý

Check out our Faculty Favorites in their own words:Ìý

She has also served as president of SOAR and vice president of the Black Student Union. Last summer, she served on the Student Orientation staff.Ìý

“So, I spent even more of the year at UofL and I can’t get enough of it,” she said.Ìý“Immediately when I stepped on this campus, I felt included. You can actually say we’re diverse, but we also make sure you feel included in the programming and initiatives.”

Check out more of Bailey’s story below:Ìý

“UofL is a place you can find yourself.Ìý I’ve come to realize certain aspects of my identity and exactly where I can fit into a niche community,” she said.Ìý

The senior has a passion for social justice and social change. After graduation, she wants to write and publish some of her poetry and work for either a non profit or public policy organization.Ìý

Check out more of her story:Ìý

Tipton is a senior biology and psychology major from Louisville who is involved in the Student Government Association, raiseRED and REACH. He will attend medical school at UofL in the fall. He plans to stay in Louisville and open free clinics to help those who are less fortunate.Ìý

“I was raised in a Louisville environment. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else,” Tipton said. “Nothing has brought me more pride than being a Louisville Cardinal.”

Griffiths is a senior sport administration major from Greensburg, Kentucky. She serves as a student ambassador, has worked four years in the UofL Football office and has performed community service for raiseRED, the Lord’s Kitchen and the American Cancer Society.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be a tour guide for the past two years, so I get to sell this place every single day … I tell them Louisville is a place where everyone feels like they have a place,” Griffiths said.Ìý

Learn more about these extraordinary students:Ìý