Inspired by those who cared for her grandmother with dementia and a cousin with cystic fibrosis, the Owensboro native became a nurse, graduating in December from the .

At the senior awards ceremony prior to graduation, Wilhoite was surprised to find out she won the , which specifically honors program students for having “the courage to be a servant-leader.” Winners receive $5,000 and commit to working for one year at .

In keeping with the award, Wilhoite recently asked if she could return a portion of it for the benefit of other students.

“I want this award to reflect all of us, not just me,” she said.

Amy Higdon, assistant dean of Owensboro BSN Programs and assistant professor in the School of Nursing, said the award is named after Vicki M. Stogsdill, the retired chief nursing officer of Owensboro Health.

“She always practiced servant-style leadership,” Higdon said. “The Owensboro faculty has the privilege of selecting the recipient of this award each semester and when considering which applicants embodied servant-style leadership, Maggie was a frontrunner.”

Important components of the program are service learning projects throughout the Owensboro community and a senior project completed during the Global Public Health course. Wilhoite asked the $2,000 she returned be used to help with these projects.

“Students can allocate the funds as they see fit, whether it be to enhance their project or donate to the community organization they collaborate with,” said Wilhoite, who grew up on an Owensboro farm.

Wilhoite said she applied for the award “on a whim,” and was shocked when she won.��

“There are 14 members of my graduating cohort. Each of us brings something special to the table,” she said. “We survived nursing school during a historically adverse time in health care. We are entering the nursing profession during uncertain times. We have all exhibited resilience and compassion, which are necessary traits for nurses. Any one of us would be more than deserving of this award.”

Because she graduated debt-free, she said, “I would not feel right accepting a servant-leadership award and keeping it all for myself if I am not struggling financially.”

Wilhoite said she told her mother she wanted to become a nurse in the third grade and she hopes to someday be able to use her skills on a medical mission trip. She credits her supportive family with helping her earn her degree.

“I want to be a part of something bigger than myself,” she said.��

Leamon completed UofL’s master of arts in higher education program this past August. In September, the 11-year veteran of the United States Army completed his Airborne training, and in December he was promoted to the rank of sergeant first class.

“The Army is all about progression,” said Leamon. “My courses at UofL made best sense for my ongoing service in the Army as well as my goals to work in military and veteran student services in a university setting.”

His perspective is grounded in focus and practical ambition. However, Leamon’s spouse, Krystle, is quick to point out that his direct, confident and humble cadence undergirds the many achievements of a “husband, dad, hero and grad.”

“No matter what has transpired in Courtland’s life regarding Army obligations or daddy duties, he has always risen to the occasion and exceeded expectations while striving for academic excellence,” said Krystle. “I have witnessed my husband have countless sleepless nights and early mornings all to be sure he got his assignments turned in on time.”

In addition to his military obligations, Leamon served as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga while working through the UofL master’s program online and raising, with Krystle, their daughter, Cereniti, who is now 3 years old. Until their move to Fort Bragg, Krystle worked for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These circumstances made the focus on managing a healthy work/life balance a priority for the Leamon family.

According to Ishwanzya Rivers, assistant clinical professor in UofL’s higher education administration program, faculty must consider this balance as they define student success. The personal and professional perspectives which students like Courtland and others offer are essential to the academic experience of the entire class.

“It’s not enough for us to focus solely on coursework and course requirements because our students are more than just students, and it’s the totality of the person that makes them successful,” said Rivers, whose teaching interests include college access, college choice, recruitment and retention for underrepresented students. “We must be attuned to all their needs, and this starts by building relationships. We then educate students to better understand their institutions, the individuals in the institutions, and their potential responsibilities so they can achieve their goals and stated outcomes.”

As the Leamon family settles into their new home, Leamon begins his service as a U.S. Army operations sergeant in Fort Bragg, where he will oversee the training and organization of 140 soldiers. Meanwhile, he will look for higher education teaching opportunities in his area and continue to pursue his goal of working in military and veteran student services.

While their schedule remains full, the Leamon family will take a pause and travel to Louisville for Courtland’s graduation on Dec. 17. It is an occasion that Courtland, Krystle and Cereniti would not miss.

When asked about his thoughts on the December commencement exercises, Leamon simply said, “Go Cards!”

“I am an immigrant and so is my family, and I can relate to finding your place in another country,” Osezua said.

Osezua, who will graduate Dec. 17 with a PhD in Public Health Sciences with a specialization in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, learned through her volunteer work about high drop-out rates among refugee high school and college students. She also discovered there wasn’t much research on youth who have overcome extraordinary circumstances, like living through wars and fleeing their home countries. It was then that Osezua decided to dive into a research study on the meaning of well-being among local refugee youth from the African Great Lakes region.

“Physical, social and mental health, along with culture are embedded in well-being,” Osezua said. “Refugee youth are not only balancing the stress of learning a new language and seeking employment, but also dealing with factors like racism in a new country.”

She learned from surveys and interviews that although youth hope to find a safe place in the United States, the hardships they experience once they get here often re-open old wounds. Her analysis provided insight on how access to education, employment and health services are key to helping youth feel secure. Freedom to achieve goals and be happy was another important part of her findings.

Throughout her research, Osezua collaborated with the Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Lead to Empower Initiative and the Louisville Metro Office for Globalization. This fall she was invited to present her research on refugee mental health wellness in African refugees, in commemoration of the Office for Globalization’s Welcoming Month 2021. She continues to speak to groups throughout Louisville and is using her research to advocate for refugee services.

“We need more collaboration throughout the community. One of my recommendations is to train those who serve refugees and immigrants to better understand the pre-immigration process,” she said.

When she graduates, she will receive the John Binford Memorial Award, which is presented to a doctorate degree graduate who excels in scholarship and has contributed to other areas within the discipline such as leadership, teaching or service.

Osezua earned a MPH from UofL in 2015 and credits the strength of the UofL community in helping bring her goal of achieving a PhD to fruition.

“Some people said no one really cares about research within the refugee and immigrant population, but all faculty were supportive of me – they are willing to support students in their dreams,” she said.

Lenora’s grandmother, Jessie, spent her time at UofL not as a student but as a custodian, cleaning classrooms, offices, bathrooms and hallways in the J.B. Speed School of Engineering and the Brandeis School of Law until the early ‘90s.

“She was very smart, she just didn’t have the opportunity,” said Lenora, a soft-spoken, single adoptive mother and foster mother who, despite many challenges that threatened to throw her off course, never gave up on the higher education goal she set for herself after graduating from high school.

At commencement, she will celebrate her August completion of her bachelor’s degree in sociology. She immediately turned her attention to a new goal and has started her master’s in social work at the Kent School. She also works full-time at Stuart Middle School.

Her two teenage foster daughters and teenage adopted daughter will be at the KFC Yum! Center to cheer her on. Missing from the audience — but not her heart — will be her late sister, who always strongly encouraged Lenora to stay in school, and her late grandfather, a lifelong Cardinals fan whose 90th birthday would have fallen on the commencement date of Dec. 17.

After years struggling to pay for her classes amid family deaths, crises and health issues, Lenora was just a few classes away from finishing when she ran out of financial aid. She credits counselors with UofL’s Student Success Center with helping her obtain a persistence grant that carried her through.

“I would say to any student that feels that they are not deserving or are in a hard situation … and they feel like their academic journey is over? I would reach out to the Student Success Center and get some assistance that you need so you know your journey’s not over,” she said. “(I would say) that you can keep going and it’s just one hurdle, but it’s not the end. You can keep going.”

Lenora has fostered pre-teen and teenage girls since 2014. This year, she adopted her 17-year-old daughter, who recently applied to UofL.

“I didn’t think they were paying attention, but they were paying more attention than I thought,” she said. “They haven’t seen anybody go to college. … If they see me do it, they say ‘OK, maybe I can do it.’”

Check out Lenora’s story in her own words below:��

“Each of you has made a choice to be a part of something bigger than yourselves,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Kevin Vereen, commander of U.S. Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, who was the featured speaker.��

Each Army cadet received a commission certificate, then family members or friends pinned bars to the service members’ uniforms. The new second lieutenants also received their first salutes.

UofL’s Army ROTC has commissioned almost 600 officers since the program began in 1982.

The following were commissioned: Brenden Becker, criminal justice; Seth Conte, political science; Annie Garcia, political science; Ethan Center, sports administration; Demetrio Cervantes, occupational leadership and learning; Drew Clements, occupational leadership and learning; Ivanna Duran, health and human performance; William Hahn, occupational leadership and learning; Thomas Kotz Goodenough, occupational leadership and learning; Sawyer Mattingly, marketing; Nicholas Nuccio, finance; Daniel Rees, finance; Jerry Watkins, finance; Jacob Newberry, mechanical engineering; Kevin Orr, interdisciplinary graduate school, political science; and two Bellarmine University students.

Check out the Cardinal Battalion’s for more.

In a separate ceremony, the four Air Force Cadets commissioned were Robert Bieshelt, Gabrielle Cohn, Justin Cooper and Alexander Mindrup.

The ceremonies on May 7 and May 8 were held for the first time at Cardinal Stadium. They included not only Spring 2021 graduates but members of the class of 2020, whose commencement exercises had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each graduate was allowed to invite eight guests, whose seats were scattered around the stadium to allow for recommended social distancing. Graduates sat on the field in chairs set 6 feet apart.

Although there was no student procession and no handshakes were allowed, graduates and their guests cheered, waved and took photographs to mark the occasion. Graduates were each individually recognized as they walked across the stage, many flashing their “Ls” and waving at the livestream camera that allowed the ceremonies to be broadcast around the world on UofL’s YouTube channel.��

UofL President Neeli Bendapudi told the audiences the period that started in March 2020 put resiliency to the test.

“To many, this has been the longest year, the longest year,” she said. “The time when time stood still. When days became indistinguishable from one another and when screen fatigue became real.”

Planning for the outdoor ceremonies began in January. The Commencement Planning Committee met weekly to ensure the ceremonies would celebrate achievements while adhering to safety standards recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All plans were approved by the governor’s office.

“You are among less than 7% of the population of the world that has at least a bachelor’s degree,” Bendapudi told the graduates. “That’s an achievement and a reason to be grateful. Your degrees are from a Research 1 university, that puts you as graduating from a college that is in the top 3% of all colleges and universities in the country. Your degree is from the United States of America. For all its flaws and shortcomings, this is still the beacon of hope around the world.”

Each ceremony, led by University of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi, will include one student speaker.

Aliyah D’Rae Brutley, College of Arts & Sciences

Brutley will speak at the first ceremony of the weekend May 7 at 7 p.m. She is receiving a bachelor of science in theatre arts and a bachelor of arts in psychology.

A , Brutley is this year’s recipient of the Woodcock Medal, the most prestigious recognition of accomplishment by an undergraduate student in A&S. The Woodcock Medal is awarded each year to “an outstanding senior whose personal characteristics and superior scholarship give promise of constructive leadership in society.”

As an undergraduate student, she was cast in UofL’s Repertory Company, which is a small ensemble usually reserved for graduate students that tours Jefferson County Public Schools.��

“I had the pleasure of … seeing the look on young Black girls’ faces as they saw themselves reflected on stage,” said Sidney Monroe Williams, assistant professor in theatre arts, who nominated Brutely for the Woodcock Medal.

Brutely is graduating with a 4.0 GPA and is currently employed in a National Science Foundation-funded project to retain underrepresented minority women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). She previously worked at UPS loading and unloading delivery trucks.��

Brianna Marie Blasi, College of Business

Known as Bree to her friends, Blasi will receive her bachelor of science in business administration at the second weekend ceremony May 8 at 10 a.m. The marketing major said she wants to send a positive message to the class of 2020, whose ceremony last year was abruptly cancelled because of the pandemic, and the class of 2021.

“As we celebrate the classes of 2020 and 2021, let us live in the moment and remember how far we’ve come,” she said. “The struggles and the changes we went through have made us more resilient, made us more equipped for the unknown, and most importantly, showed us our strength.”��

Blasi, of Louisville, said UofL has felt like home to her from the moment she arrived for freshman orientation.��

“From the professors, lovely staff members and education resources to all the supportive classmates I have encountered over the last four years, I was truly able to excel at UofL and reach my goals,” she said. “When Covid-19 hit, my world, and so many others’, was shook to its core. It sometimes seemed like I was travelling through this never-ending dark tunnel with no sign of light. What helped me get through it all was the continuous support from classmates and understanding professors.”

Murphy Lamb, School of Music

Pianist Murphy Lamb will give remarks at the 4 p.m. ceremony May 8, the final ceremony of the weekend. The Campbellsville, Kentucky, native is graduating with a bachelor of arts in music and a minor in physics.

“I hope to relay to guests and fellow graduates that graduation is a time to reflect on our experiences, look forward to the opportunities ahead of us, but most importantly, it is a time to connect with one another in the present. It is a time to celebrate our accomplishments and live into the fullness of the moment,” Lamb said.

Lamb developed chronic tendinitis in his wrists and elbows during his first year in the School of Music and feared he would have to abandon his dream of a music degree.

“As a pianist this was an incredible obstacle,” he said. “At my worst I was almost forced to make the decision to leave my major. How could I complete a music degree if playing my instrument was a serious health risk? I would not have been able to find a solution had it not been for the empathy and flexibility shown to me by my close personal mentors and beloved faculty in the School of Music. They gave me space to rest when needed, time to develop ways to work around my condition, and a never-ending stream of words of encouragement.”��

Growing up, Blocker loved to learn. She placed a high priority on education and academia, so when the Louisville native graduated from Seneca High School in 2000, as a surprise to many, she chose to join the United States Marine Corps. While at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Blocker became an Honor Graduate – a distinction awarded to the graduate who best exemplifies what it means to be a marine – while gaining knowledge of the world and learning from those with different lived experiences.

“I felt like I needed to get out of my bubble of Louisville to appreciate the world and learn about different people and cultures,” Blocker said. “I stayed stateside, but I met a lot of diverse, interesting people and learned a lot of life lessons from them.”

After spending more than two years in the Marine Corps, Blocker became a mom in 2004. Shortly after her son, Cameron, was born, he was diagnosed with autism and epilepsy, which inspired her to begin advocating for children and adults with autism and disabilities.

Blocker took on her next journey with a 12-year career with the United States Postal Service as a sales, service and distribution clerk. During that time, she married her husband, Shane, and became a stepmother to her Shanna and Raven.

While working for USPS, as the true lifelong learner she is, Blocker got to know and learn from people in the diverse communities she served.

Throughout the years, the goal of ultimately getting a college education remained in her mind. Blocker took classes here and there, sprinkling them in where she could, but it wasn’t until she got a job as a Program Assistant for Academic Services at UofL’s Thorntons Academic Center of Excellence that she really made it a top priority.

“I didn’t appreciate my journey at the time,” Blocker said. “I was going to work for a university and I didn’t have my degree but once I got [to UofL] I knew that this was where I was called to be.”

Blocker realized that she had the opportunity to take six credit hours per semester at no cost as a UofL employee, so in January of 2020, she set out to obtain her degree. She started building upon the courses she’d sporadically taken over the years to work toward a bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership. Full of ambition and a realization that she could meet her self-imposed deadline of earning a degree before 40, Blocker doubled and even tripled up on her course load.

With a busy schedule and lofty goals, online learning was just what the working mom needed.

“I’m an online learner all day long,” Blocker said. “I can rewind and hit pause when I need to take care of something else. I can work on it when my son is in therapy and I also feel like I retain so much more seeing things written down.”

In addition to her role as a program assistant, Blocker serves as a supervisor for the federal work study program, serves on the Strategically Organizing Against Racism (SOAR) committee, and serves as an advisor for international student athletes in the Louisville International Family Enrichment (LIFE) program.

“I want to show people that leadership can come from any level,” Blocker said. “It doesn’t matter if [we’re] in an entry-level job, we can make a change. If you help one person, that one person can help five people, and then 10 people.”

Though Blocker’s path to graduation has not been traditional, she wouldn’t have it any other way. The experiences and knowledge she gained from her time in the Marine Corps and with USPS gave her tools that she said she wouldn’t have had right out of high school.

Just 16 months after beginning her coursework, Blocker is set to become a first-generation graduate as a member of the Dean’s List.

“I have a very supportive family,” Blocker said. “My son thinks it’s so cool that mom goes to school and I feel like he gets inspiration seeing me do it.”��

Following graduation, Blocker hopes to pursue a master’s degree in Higher ����ֱ�� Administration. After that, her biggest goal is to apply her laundry list of passions – of which, there’s a common theme – empowering others.

“Passion fuels my purpose,” Blocker said. “I want to empower other people to be the best they can be – underrepresented communities, people with autism and disabilities and marginalized societies. If you listen, you learn so much. Even if [we’re] different, we can all grow together.”

The North Hardin High School graduate’s exposure to UofL classrooms started about a decade prior when her aunt, Tanisha Thompson ’06, ’14, hauled her along to her courses in Strickler Hall and elsewhere.

Now Hampton’s aunt and the rest of her extended family will be celebrating with her May 7, when she graduates with an undergraduate degree in political science and English and with a long-term dream of working in Middle Eastern foreign relations for the U.S. State Department.

With faith, the support of many and with the love of other special people she lost during her four-year college journey, she has made it.

“By the grace of God, this degree – I did it for them,” Hampton said.

Hampton, born to teenagers, grew up in the military town of Radcliff, Kentucky. She was adopted by her grandparents at age 17 and watched over by many other relatives.

“My aunt took a big responsibility in my life,” she said. “When she went to college, she made an effort to make sure I was exposed to (higher) education. That influenced a lot of my decisions.”

Both Thompson, her aunt, and her husband earned UofL degrees. When it was Hampton’s turn to call Belknap Campus home, she earned full-tuition scholarships and found new circles of support in the Society of Porter Scholars and the McConnell Center as well as Zeta Phi Beta sorority.

“Definitely coming back to UofL was very familiar,” Hampton said. “I really enjoyed that.”

As she settled into college life, she became increasingly interested in political science and international relations, minoring in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies and adding Arabic language courses to broaden her skills.

Hampton earned scholarships for international study, visited Israel and Pakistan, and won a Critical Language Scholarship, sponsored by the State Department, for summer travel to Ibri, Oman, to study Arabic.

“I love the Middle East,” Hampton said. “I had a good time.”

But once she returned to the United States to start her 2019 fall semester, a series of tragedies began.

Starting with the unexpected death of her father, she lost four immediate family members over a series of months, including one relative the week before her spring finals. Then COVID-19 affected Hampton’s aunt’s mother-in-law, who had taught her to how to cook and influenced her life; at the beginning of Hampton’s senior year, she too was gone.

Under the circumstances, others might have quit on college, but Hampton felt encouragement from many fronts, including her school circles and her larger family.

Her sorority sisters have helped a lot, as have her McConnell Center leaders and fellow scholars.

“And if not for the Porter (Scholars) community, I don’t know what I would have done,” she said.

She thought it important to stick with her educational plan and not lose momentum by stepping away. “Once you get a cadence going, you need to grind it out,” she said.

“I want people to know that while the tunnel is dark, there is light on the other side. Finish if you can – do it for everyone.”

Hampton also gives credit to many faculty and staff members who supported her personally and pushed her academically. With help from several, ranging from her adviser, Luke Buckman, to her Arabic teacher, Khaldoun Almousily, to McConnell Center Director Gary Gregg, she was able to chart and stay her course at the university.

Professors David Anderson and Karen Chandler, with their expertise in African American literature, guided her also. And when she was applying for competitive travel scholarships, she received helpful guidance and editing assistance from Bethany Smith in the Office of National and International Scholarship Opportunities.

With COVID constraints derailing international travel plans, Hampton intends to work for a year before pursuing graduate studies the following year in diplomacy or international relations. But before that, she’ll be celebrating commencement with “a pretty big shebang” with the rest of her family, now that most have been fully vaccinated.

Does she have any advice for other students discouraged by personal hurdles on their way to graduation?

“I would tell them, ‘At the end of every storm, there is a sunny day’,” Hampton said. “Ultimately, you have to pick it up and keep moving.”

That decision sparked��an even bigger��passion for travel that would��take��Berry��beyond UofL’s campus and��shape her academic career. It led her to��study abroad twice��(first in San Sebastián, Spain and again in��Puntarenas, Costa Rica),��and��graduate��in 2018��with��two bachelor’s degrees��and��a��minor��–��all during her undergraduate career.��

Now,��Berry��has earned��a��master of arts��in political science��and plans to��continue��her��journey��as a Cardinal this fall at the Brandeis School of Law on an almost��full–tuition scholarship.��

All of her travel opportunities and��academic��experiences stemmed from a decision to attend��the��School of Music.��

“I knew in high school that I wanted part of my college education to involve music, and UofL’s��School of��Music is the best in the state,”��Berry said.��“I attended the Governor’s School for the Arts in high school, so UofL offered me the Trustee’s Scholarship.��And when I toured UofL, I fell in love with the close-knit feeling of campus and I could see myself growing as a student and community member here.”��

Berry��did indeed grow as a student at UofL and��earned��a��bachelor of��arts��in��music,��a��bachelor of��arts��in��psychology��and��a��minor in Spanish,��in addition to��her participation in two study abroad programs.��She decided to first study abroad in San Sebastián, Spain during her sophomore year in 2016 to immerse herself in a Spanish-speaking country and help her earn her degree’s language requirement.����

“Because that specific program in Spain offered an intensive Spanish language track that allowed me to take 14 credit hours of Spanish in one semester, I thought that would be the best way for me to effectively learn the language and finish my language requirement for my BA in psychology all at once,” Berry said.��

While in Spain, Berry also took a Psychology of Religion and Spirituality class and taught English in two local schools. Her experience in Spain helped her fall in love with the Spanish language and encouraged her to continue��honing her Spanish skills��when she returned home,��eventually��leading to her second study abroad adventure, this time as a senior in 2018.��

“I studied abroad in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, because I wanted to continue my Spanish language education, but I wanted a different cultural experience from what I had in Spain,” Berry said. “This program had a really interesting Central American Literature class that was taught entirely in Spanish. I wanted a Spanish class that would challenge my language abilities and wasn’t just focused on grammar.”��

When she returned��to UofL��from��her first study abroad in��Spain, Berry decided she wanted to work as a peer ambassador within the Office of Study Abroad and International Travel to help others achieve their study abroad goals and continued her work with the office as a graduate assistant while earning her master’s degree.��

“Working for the study abroad office as a��peer ambassador��and graduate assistant gave me the chance to share my story and helped to grow my leadership, presentation and communication skills,” Berry said.��“The staff at the office became more like mentors to me, and I’ll always be grateful for my time there.”��

Berry credits early planning and the help of the study abroad office and��her��advisors for helping her achieve her academic goals.����

“It definitely was difficult to fit everything��in, but��studying abroad as a sophomore allowed me to have the time to study abroad one more time,” Berry said.��“I expressed interest in studying abroad to all of my academic advisors and kept them in the loop with all my plans. It takes effort and careful planning, but UofL has tons of resources to make it easier for you.”��

While fitting in two degrees��and��a minor, along with two study abroad semesters, earning a master’s degree and��gaining��entrance into law school are all��great��feats��to accomplish, Berry��is��proudest of the connections she��made across the globe and the resiliency she learned through her travels.��

“I am��so��proud of the relationships I have built and grown throughout everything I have experienced,” Berry said.��“My family has been nothing but supportive, and I now have people from all over the country and the world that I can call my friends.

“Studying abroad changes your life in so many ways. It helps you learn how to navigate difficult situations where you might not know what to do and improves your resilience.��You learn about cultures unlike your own and you honestly just learn that this world is a much smaller place than we think it is.” ��