Graduating senior Emilie Cornett is one such student reflecting upon her own memories from the last five years.

“The relationships I am leaving with are priceless, and the experiences and opportunities have been too many to count,” said Cornett, who will be receiving her degree in both Spanish and Chemistry. “I have loved my experience at UofL, and I would do it over again if I could.”

Engineering students from Community Park’s third floor might recognize Cornett as their Resident Assistant, one of the highlights from her time at UofL.

“My desire to become an RA was due in part to how important it is to me that students have a safe, welcoming and healthy place to live and learn,” said Cornett. “What a privilege it was for me that UofL and Campus Housing trusted me to be living among these students and actively helping them make the best choices.

“RAs are some of campus’ first responders when it comes to assisting students in distress, directing them to available resources, and supporting them in the transition to college.”

Cornett has valued her role as one of these first responders; however, what’s most gratifying for her is the sense of community developed within Campus Housing.

“Campus Housing is one of the largest employers of students on campus at UofL. This means that when you start working for Campus Housing, you are no longer asked to do anything alone,” said Cornett. “As a student who was not just looking for a job, but a community of peers, this has been by far the most rewarding part.”

Outside of Campus Housing, Cornett has found a network of helpers at UofL.

“Since my freshman year, I have felt an overwhelming amount of support from my professors and advisors as they have helped me make sure I could accomplish all I had hoped to, challenged me to be a leader, encouraged me to take risks and written my letters of recommendation for medical school,” said Cornett.

While Cornett officially earns her degree and crosses the virtual finish line next week, she feels torn about leaving her time at UofL behind.��

“One the one hand, I have great things to look forward to. On the other, I am leaving behind a very special place and many important people,” said Cornett. “I feel like I have been running a five-year marathon, and I am just now getting to catch my breath.”

As Cornett enters her future, her memories and achievements will only multiply. She is moving to Lexington in June and attending the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine, hoping to eventually work with Spanish-speaking migrant workers and holding social justice at the core of her work.

However, it is not only the largest cohort in the CSP’s 40-year history, the self-proclaimed “Melanin 5” is also the first cohort to be composed entirely of women of color.��

The quintet of women includes Marian Vasser, Nakia Strickland, Sherry Durham, Sarah Nuñez and Leondra Gully. As the intent of the program is to prepare master’s and doctoral students for careers in student affairs, all five of the women have experience in higher education.��

“It is so refreshing to be in an educational program cohort with four other women of color, who motivate and encourage me to achieve the educational and professional goals I have set for myself,” said Strickland, assistant director of constituent relations in UofL’s Office of Alumni.

Though they have big aspirations for their personal careers, the historical context of their class as a whole is not lost on them.

“As five women of color, I know we are paving the way for those who will come after us,” Strickland said. “I feel that we strive to leave our mark on the profession through the work we do and the research that will be done.”

“While I have been encouraged for many years to pursue a doctoral degree, the mystification of the entire process made me itch,” added Vasser, executive director of Diversity and Equity. “It wasn’t until others in this unique cohort continued to push me, once they were admitted, that I gave it serious consideration.

“Imagine that, a cohort full of folks who get you and who get the struggle. Having that built-in layer of support is a once in a lifetime experience.”

The women began their coursework in the spring of 2019 and are taking classes related to student development, student affairs programs, policies and practices and college student subcultures.

The classes are designed to prepare students for positions in higher education, including roles in athletics, student success, enrollment management, alumni, financial aid, admissions and obtaining a job as dean of students.

“While I am a lifelong learner, the main goal of me getting this degree is because I’m tired of being told ‘no,’” said Vasser, director of diversity education and inclusive excellence. “This, in a lot of ways, is an act of resistance for me. Nobody is gonna shut another door because of three letters.” 

The cohort is overseen by Dr. Susan Longerbeam, associate professor in the Department of ����ֱ��al Counseling Psychology.��

“We know that everybody learns better when there is a diversity of cultural perspectives and intellectual perspectives,” said Longerbeam. “If we don’t get this right, we’re just going to continue replicating privilege in higher education, and that’s not what education means. ����ֱ�� is about empowerment.”

Through their work together, the group has come to realizations about themselves, as well as what their potential is collectively.

“This opportunity creates a community of scholars and shifts the culture on UofL’s campus. We are support systems to one another and breaking the mold of who, what, and how higher education looks and performs. We are here to say now is the time to change and this is how it can be done,” Nuñez said.��

“[The cohort] is also helping us to realize that we’re more genius than society has told us we are,” added Vasser. “No, you don’t have to be perfect, but we actually are perfect for what we’re doing. Being in this group with these people has helped me to realize that.”

As for their plans after becoming doctors?

“Take over the world,” said Durham.

Ira Green contributed to this story.

The mini-marathons, which have taken place for roughly five years, began as a way to not only raise money for pediatric oncology and raiseRED’s overarching goal, but establish ties between UofL and the local community.

“We wanted to get more involved with the schools in our community, especially with the students that are potentially going to come to the University of Louisville,” said Emma Gabbard, one of the mini-marathon coordinators. “We wanted to engage them earlier than later and show them what kind of service opportunities they can have at the university.”

Lasting anywhere between six and eight hours, a number of local schools have hosted their own mini-marathons, including Male, Central Hardin and North Oldham high schools. One long time partner, Ballard High School, will host its 5th annual mini-marathon this year.

The money raised at the mini-marathons contributes to raiseRED’s final total revealed at the larger 24-hour marathon. The experience, Gabbard believes, gives the participating students hands-on leadership experience.

“Just showing them something they can be passionate about and giving them the means to be passionate about something is really impactful,” said Gabbard. “They get complete ownership of this too, it’s not us running it for them. They run it with our assistance.”

Catherine Ehlman, co-coordinator of the mini-marathons, is inspired by the students she and Gabbard work with.

“Watching students of all ages come together voluntarily to raise money to find a cure for pediatric cancer and blood diseases reaffirms my belief that our generation of young people can come together and accomplish anything,” said Ehlman. “The University of Louisville is an institution at which they can continue to make an impact on their community and the world at large.”

Cowgill, an exercise science major, earned a spot on “Lego Masters,” a new FOX show which premiered Feb. 5.

“It’s like a dream come true for me,” Cowgill told the . “I don’t know what I was expecting going into this thing, but it truly was something out of my wildest dreams.”

The show, hosted by Will Arnett, includes 20 participants competing for the title of “Lego Master.” The participants face off weekly by building extravagant Lego projects.

For Cowgill, who is also a sergeant in the National Guard, the experience helped him fully realize his passion for acting and Hollywood.

“[Lego Masters] was like the foot through the door of Hollywood I always wanted,” he said. “And now it’s like, I know this is what I have to do.”

Cowgill isn’t new to acting, however. He attended acting classes at UofL, even appearing in an on-campus play. Cowgill can also be found in the Netflix film, “My Teacher, My Obsession.”

After Cowgill graduates in December 2020, he plans on traveling to California or Atlanta and further pursuing his career in acting.

Cowgill, a Louisville native, has always had a passion for UofL.

“Ever since I was a little boy, I had a real passion for the school,” he said. “I never thought about going anywhere else, honestly.”

To see Cowgill compete, “Lego Masters” airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on FOX.

“If cosmic radiation reduces the red blood cell count… You’re gonna have four people needing blood, and there’s no good way to store it with a freezer or refrigerator during that long trip,” said graduate research assistant Brett Janis. “So being able to stably store it in a dry state but then confidently rehydrate it is critical.”

On their zero-gravity test flight, the researchers found that injecting a bag of dried blood with water and massaging it successfully rehydrated a small amount of blood. Their next experiment, however, will see if the same results can be garnered when handling a larger volume of blood.

“The next step is… seeing if our hand-mixed method will perform as well if we are now looking at 20 to 30 times the volume, so that we are approaching a unit of packed red blood cells when it is infused into a patient,” said Michael Menze, biology associate professor.

In-flight video provided by ZERO-G.

The work is supported by NASA Kentucky under NASA award number NNX15AR69H.

Check out more about this research: 

Researchers at the University of Louisville and Western Connecticut State University supported this hypothesis in a pilot study focused on Dancing Well, a local non-profit organization which hosts the Soldier Project. The Soldier Project brings veterans with PTSD together for group dancing and community.

The study found that spending one hour a week for 10 weeks at the Soldier Project improved the veterans’ overall wellness scores.

“It has to do with feelings of optimism, feelings of hope, not letting yourself get isolated,” said Cynthia Corbitt, associate professor of biology. “One of the biggest problems with PTSD is isolating at home where there are fewer triggers, you’re less likely to encounter something that will bring back harmful memories.”

One of the veterans who can attest to this is Dar Bessler, who served in the Women’s Army Corps in the early 70s and has PTSD from sexual trauma.

“When I came here the first time, I was like a little kid,” said Bessler. “We got on that floor and just square danced like I did in grade school, and it just brought back so many of those good memories, and it just has helped me come out of myself and grow more than I have in the past.”

Deborah Denenfeld, who runs the Soldier Project, hopes the program will expand.

“I would like to be able to have similar programs happen across the nation with the potential of helping hundreds of thousands of people who have PTSD,” said Denenfeld.

Check out more about the program: 

During a campus tour her senior year of high school, Miller saw a student on a scooter fly past her tour group, holding up his L and exclaiming “Go Cards!”

“When you’re touring colleges, you can tell a lot about the school based on the students you see,” said Miller. “I assumed all UofL students were just like this – energetic and perhaps a little silly.”

The serendipity came when Miller found that same student at the end of her tour, but this time, he was performing the song “Only Hope” from “A Walk to Remember” on the piano in the SAC. Coincidentally, Miller had recently performed this song for her senior recital.

“I love this memory because it encompasses the main lesson that UofL has taught me: People hold so much more beauty than first impressions can offer,” said Miller.

Miller subsequently applied to UofL as a major in music therapy, and her decision was solidified when her acceptance letter included a personalized note from the director of admissions at the school of music.

“This personal detail allowed me to feel valued, like I would be more than just a number here at UofL,” said Miller. “I can honestly say that ever since I received that letter, I have continued to feel valued and cared about throughout my college days.”

Since her initial decision to pursue music therapy, Miller changed her major to political science and has made Ford Hall somewhat of a home.

“Each time I walk [into Ford Hall], I encounter the most passionate and brilliant minds that I have ever known,” said Miller. “My classes in this building are challenging, diverse, interesting and relevant. Plus, the building itself is an old house, so it quite literally feels like a home.”

Miller has countless ties to on-campus organizations and programs. She is a member of the Chi Omega sorority and serves as their Greek Sing and Video/Photo Chair. She is the Family Relations Co-Coordinator for the raiseRED Dance Marathon, and this is her third year on the Executive Board. During her freshman year, she served as a Morale Captain. On campus, she is a Cardinal Ambassador and previously served as as a REACH Ambassador, Cardinal Guide and Student Orientation staff member.

Miller has studied Arabic for the past three years, allowing her to participate in UofL’s Arabic Language and Culture Club and the Arabic Conversation Table. She also participated in a musical revue during her sophomore year for the Cardinals for the Appreciation of Musical Theatre.

In October, Miller was named UofL’s Homecoming Queen, accepting the crown from President Neeli Bendapudi in the middle of a torrential downpour.

“I was too excited to be distracted by the rain,” said Miller. “To be honest, walking on the court in general was a huge honor that I did not anticipate. I admire Dr. Bendapudi so much as a businessperson, professor, woman, president and friend, so to have her crown me was a moment I will forever treasure so dearly.”

Originally hailing from Bowling Green, Kentucky, Miller will graduate in May with her political science degree. She hopes other students will appreciate UofL like she has.

“I hope that students after me will embrace the beautiful challenges and heaps of confidence that this university has given to me,” she said. “If I had not had older students cheering me on and encouraging me to keep growing and discovering my identity, I would not be the fulfilled person that I am. I hope this cycle of empowerment continues long after my graduation.

UofL students are the students who will positively shape the future of Kentucky and the rest of the world.”

“Once [stiltgrass] is in a system … native plants cannot regenerate,” said Kimberly Koenig, graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Biology. “So, we’re not getting our oak and our hickory trees regenerating. We’re not getting maple trees regenerating.”

Koenig is comparing the amount of fungi in soil where stiltgrass is growing versus what is in the soil of traditional grasses.

Several UofL biology majors are participating in the study and gaining valuable experience for their future careers.

“I have done research projects last summer, and last semester, and lots of cool trips,” said senior biology major Jessica Raley. “It’s prepared me, I think, more so than someone who hasn’t had any experience.”

Check out more about their research below: 

“[UofL] offers a great discount for military personnel as well as allowing us to intermingle with the other students on campus,” said Jayelyn Lewis, a cadet in the Army ROTC and graduate student. “You don’t feel like an outcast as a veteran, you feel like you fit right in with the students.”

Active duty military take classes at UofL’s Fort Knox campus while others around the world seek UofL degrees online.

“Some of them are pursuing an education because it helps them in their military service with promotion and advancement,” said UofL’s Director of Military Initiatives, Kyle Hurwitz. “Some of them are pursuing an education because they are cognizant that a degree will help them once they get out of the military.”

UofL, which has been named a “military friendly” school for 10 years in a row, offers veterans $250 per credit hour, meaning they can obtain their degrees almost for free.

“I think UofL does an outstanding job of [welcoming veterans], and they do more than enough,” said Spraggins. “I appreciate the support UofL has given veterans.”

Check out more about our military programming:

While in Kazakhstan, Sanders will complete an English teaching assistantship.

“I decided to pursue an English teaching position because I’m terrible at language learning,” said Sanders, a South Carolina native. “Languages are extremely challenging for me, and it’s precisely that challenge that draws me to mastering languages and helping others to do the same.”

Before hearing that she had been named a Fulbright Scholar, Sanders embarked on several adventures, such as hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail and working on a sheep farm in New Zealand. Receiving the award allows her to pursue both education and “esoteric” endeavors.

“When I found out that I got the Fulbright … I realized that not only can I do both things, but that they are complementary,” said Sanders. “My strange adventure has taught me flexibility, adaptability, and patience, which will make me a better English teacher in Kazakhstan.”

Sanders graduated from UofL in May of 2019 as a double major in Anthropology and Environmental Studies with a minor in Russian Studies. Prior to receiving the Fulbright award, she was named a Vogt and honors scholar and received both the Anthropology and Liberal Arts departments’ Awards of Merit.

Sanders will leave for Kazakhstan in January. After completing her time there, she may pursue a master’s degree in ����ֱ�� or English.

“I’m hoping the Fulbright will both help me grow as a Russian learner and allow me to collaborate with other language learners.”

Twelve additional UofL alumni have earned 2019 student Fulbright scholarships, a prestigious international award coveted by many high-achieving scholars.��.��

The university has had outstanding results as a producer of Fulbrights. Since 2003, there have been 133 Fulbrights, more than all other Kentucky public institutions combined.