The summa cum laude graduate became a second lieutenant with the Army ROTC commissioning ceremony in May that preceded commencement. He was an honors scholar who wrote a timely thesis in addition to the several other research papers that admittedly left him “typed out” by semester’s end. But what really got to him was the commencement moment recognizing first-generation college students.

“This matters to me,” he said. “You don’t need to be a legacy to pull off some great things.”

But tenacity helps, as does the willingness to seek answers from good advisers. Not to mention time management.

While studying to earn his UofL undergraduate degree in four years in political science with a minor in Russian, Payne also served in the Army National Guard, having joined in 2019.

“We made it work. It was a struggle,” Payne said. “Doing ROTC and the National Guard and academics is difficult.”

But the balancing act paid off and he plans to further his educational journey with a graduate or law degree, having an interest in immigration law or even a “dream” of working for the State Department.

Before that, however, he will spend four months working in recruitment at Fort Knox and later will report to Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona to train as a military intelligence officer.

Payne credits some critical internships in political science as good preparation for that intelligence officer role. While working with government officials on Louisville Metro Council and in the Kentucky General Assembly through the Legislative Research Commission, he learned to gather and distill critical information, research issues and present facts and even recommendations to decision-makers to use.

The Louisville native was always intrigued by watching the news and learning about current events, which ultimately led him to the political science department and its faculty members who opened his eyes to career opportunities.

His choice of Russian studies also became “very timely,” he admits.

“I always wanted to choose a language that was critical and impactful,” Payne said. Russian, he decided, was “more relevant in the world and underused in the west.”

The combination of major and minor led him to the also timely honors thesis topic about the Russian diaspora, although the swiftly shifting current conflict in Ukraine made it more stressful to write.

He cannot believe the changes in world affairs that have occurred in his time at UofL, especially this last year, and within his National Guard service. “It’s been a heck of a ride.”

A week before his classes started last year, he was in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, when the capital city of Kabul fell and he suddenly was helping a unit prepare to deploy to Afghanistan.

As a Guardsman stateside, he has worked with an engineering battalion and spent the past year supporting the 101^st Airborne Division. “I had a blast doing that,” he said. Other assignments have included helping to run COVID-testing centers and polling places.

And Payne’s face is familiar around the American Legion Jeffersontown GI Joe Post 244, where he has volunteered and became a district officer, believing he may be the youngest member in Kentucky. Bolstering such civic organizations is important to society, in his estimation, and he says they need new blood to support them.

Whether it be drawing attention to military service through the veterans work or continuing his Guard tenure, Payne said he hopes to continue building the force.

“I take the most pride in recruiting,” Payne said.

“Honorary degrees salute special achievements and recognize outstanding service to the university and to the community,” said Gonzalez. “I am pleased and proud to confer this degree on such an extraordinary individual.”

Nolan’s leadership and efforts have resulted in $50 million to help support public education initiatives in Louisville to provide equitable access to quality educational opportunities for all students. For Nolan’s commitment to public education, in 2020, he received the Kelly Award from the Kentucky Department of ����ֱ��.

During his time as vice president of technology at GE Appliances, Nolan created FirstBuild, a global maker destination, in partnership with UofL. The partnership continues today, boasting 15 products on the shelf and 454 prototypes created.

Nolan is also a longtime member of UofL’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering’s advisory board. Gonzalez noted that, thanks to Nolan, strong ties between UofL and GE Appliances have been built resulting in the development of scholarships and GE’s participation in student organizations such as Speed Spectrum, Society of Women Engineers, the Women’s Leadership Conference and the Engineering Living Learning Community.

Since 2004, GE Appliances has hosted 575 co-op students from the Speed School, which have completed 1,314 co-op rotations. In 2020, UofL honored GE Appliances as its “Outstanding Corporate Partner of the Year.”

“With Kevin’s leadership, GE Appliances invested in first-generation college students through support of the Speed School’s Brown-Forman Engineering Academy,” said Gonzalez. “Kevin has also invested personally, giving to the Mechanical Engineering Fund in the Speed School.”

In his remarks to the graduating class of 2022, Nolan emphasized the importance of how one’s unique gifts and differences can define character and create future opportunities. Nolan, an honors scholar graduate from the University of Connecticut, where he received a mechanical engineering degree, shared how struggles with dyslexia early in his studies hampered his interest in school. It was one of his professors at the University of Connecticut whose belief and support helped drive and influence Nolan’s success.

“It’s your differences that make you special,” said Nolan. “Leverage those differences to create opportunities for yourself. Don’t try to fit in by becoming something else or someone else. Be who you are and who you want to be. We need all of you with all you have to offer. After all, creativity thrives on the diversity of ideas. And that’s why I have been so committed to this university and why I have appreciated the many partnerships we have built with UofL.”

Nolan’s final word of advice to the 2022 graduates: Stay curious.

“Use your skills and innate curiosity to fuel your passion and discover what you love,” he said. “I have been so fortunate to have my career and passions intersect. It is truly something I wish on all of you. Keep learning. Keep growing. Keeping asking the question, ‘what if’.”

Hear Kevin Nolan’s complete remarks on the UofL YouTube channel .

Her passion for helping others led her to UofL, where she became a first-generation student, Woodford R. Porter scholar, Multicultural Teacher Recruitment Program scholar and president of the Kentucky ����ֱ�� Association’s student program on campus, among several other accomplishments. Now, all of Hunter’s hard work has paid off and she’s earned her degree in early education with a track in learning and behavior disorders.

However, Hunter strayed from the path to becoming an educator before finally discovering her calling. She came into college undecided of her major and focused on taking general education courses to explore her options and find her purpose. She tried out nursing, but quickly realized that was not the career for her.

“I met with my advisor and got into the lower division of nursing and everything,” she said. “Everyone was so helpful, but in that first week of nursing classes, I figured out that was not for me. I don’t like blood.”

She ultimately switched to education and never looked back.

“I think I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, but I had those thoughts running through my head, like, ‘Oh, they have to deal with this and that and they don’t get paid enough,’” she said. “But once I let all of that go and went toward what I love to do, which is being with kids and helping them out, I really found my true passion in teaching.”

While in high school, Hunter participated in a buddy program where she helped students in a moderate to severe disability classroom. Her experience sparked her interest in helping those with learning and behavior disorders. ��

“For one period of the day, I would help students with life skills and go on field trips to learn skills like counting money or how to pick out hygiene products,” she said. “We were trying to get those students ready for transitioning in their lives. We helped prepare them for what life after high school would look like and made sure they had the skills they need to transition successfully.”

Hunter, who hails from Shelbyville, knew then she had a passion for helping people. And when it came time for her to decide on a college, an on-campus tour of UofL’s campus and a scholarship opportunity helped make the decision an easy one.

“I toured around the university with my cousin who was a student and I just loved it. I saw so many diverse groups of people, which was so different for me, especially coming from a small town,” she said. “It was very different for me, but an exciting type of different, so I applied for and got the Woodford Porter scholarship, which really swayed me to attend here.”

Being a Porter scholar provided Hunter with a community that helped her discover more about herself and build relationships that have helped her succeed in education.

“I’ve been a Porter since my freshman year and that has allowed me to make so many connections with not just other Black students, but Black educators. That’s something I’ve not seen a lot of, so those opportunities to connect and network with other Black educators has been really great,” she said. “It’s also allowed me to learn a lot more about myself and connect with my dad’s side of the family, which is my Black side.”

Hunter credits her parents for helping her not only become a first-generation student, but to achieve everything she’s accomplished over the last four years.

“My mom and dad cared so much and wanted to make it different for me, so they learned along with me and helped me through it all,” she said. “It feels really good to graduate first-gen. Especially since I had no idea at first going through the process of learning all the things that come with college and now I know and can help others and my future children one day.”

In addition to her multiple scholarships, Hunter also serves as a peer buddy for the Best Buddies program, is a member of the Black Student Union, Baptist Campus Ministry, Kentucky Association of Professional African American Women and works as a student success ambassador on campus.

“I have mentees that are also first-gen students and helping them find resources and support from the Student Success Center has also provided so much help for me too,” she said. “Seeing the impact I’ve made on my mentees’ lives has been so rewarding.”

Hunter’s professors and mentors have inspired her to make an impact on others.

“I’ve seen the passion all my professors have and being able to help other educators like they’ve helped me is what I want to do. Especially in education, you always need a mentor and someone to help you. I want to be that person to give that back to new teachers or college students or kids.”

For her next move, Hunter is going to attend grad school at UofL to pursue her master’s in teacher leadership with an ESL endorsement this fall.

One of Hunter’s fondest memories from her time in undergrad is helping a student learn to write his name during her student teaching.

“It’s incredible what you can do just by showing a student they are loved.”

“Sports is a male-dominated industry, and one without many women of color in leadership,” Morton said.

Recognized for her aspiration to change the sports industry, Morton has received the Savannah Walker Award for Social Justice. The award recognizes a graduating senior from CEHD’s Department of Health and Sport Sciences who has demonstrated a commitment to social justice, equity and inclusion.

“I wanted to become an advocate for Black girls, so they could know this is possible for them, too” said Morton, who has combined her sports affinity with a passion for mentoring and representation through the CEHD’s Sport Administration program.

Morton is a Woodford R. Porter Scholar, J. Blaine Hudson Scholar, Dean’s List Scholar,�� member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Sigma Alpha Lambda National Leadership and Honor Society member. She graduates May 14 with Summa cum Laude honors.

She has also volunteered with the TRIO Upward Bound Secondary School Outreach Program, the Cardinal Cupboard, the Louisville Men’s Soccer team and as a tutor for participating Jefferson County Public Schools.

Matched with a mentor as part of the Porter Scholar Program during her freshman year, Morton realized she could give back to other students through a mentoring relationship. She became involved in the Caring of New Students Experiencing College Transition (CONECT) Peer Mentorship program, which seeks to help minority students feel welcomed and supported.

“I’ve been blessed with support at UofL, so I wanted to give back – it’s been a great journey.” Morton said. “I want to be someone who shows other people that, once you put the work in, you can do it. You’ll excel in it.”

Morton currently works as an intern for the Louisville Sports Commission, with hopes of continuing with the organization following graduation. She plans to pursue a master’s degree or graduate certificate in the future.

UofL News talked with him about his work to help and inspire other students through Greater Influence and about those who helped him on his journey into medicine.

UofL News:��What led you to become a physician?

Tino Mkorombindo:�� I always somewhat had a scientific mind. I always had an interest in medicine, the human body. Ultimately however, what made me realize I wanted to be a physician was my upbringing centered around service. My parents were always doing what they could for others, to a point where sometimes they exhausted themselves. But it was always worth it because they were doing something to make someone else’s situation better. That’s something that I always valued and that’s an integral part of who I am.

My parents raised me that if you can do something for someone else, do it. If you have food and you know someone else doesn’t, give it to them. Don’t even expect a thank you. Just give it to them.

As a physician, I get to do what my mind is already geared around – I get to be curious, I get to learn, I get to grow – but at the same time, I get the opportunity to help and to heal in a special way.

UofL News:��You came to the United States from Zimbabwe. Tell us more about that journey.��

Mkorombindo: We came to America from Zimbabwe just before my 6th birthday. My parents left everything we had because they wanted us to have access to incredible opportunities and a great education. In addition to their jobs, my parents were both very active community leaders and doing well for themselves. Many people told them they were making a mistake by coming to America. When they came here, they were in school full time while working full time at multiple jobs. People told them they were working too hard. This wasn’t going to be worth it. But my parents had a vision.

I remember asking my dad (Stanley) what fueled him and he said, ‘What I did was never about me. I never dreamt that you would be going to Harvard. I never dreamt that you would be a doctor and be a businessman and accomplish what you would accomplish. I just knew that I wanted you to have the possibility. And that’s what brought us here.’

UofL News: What were the greatest challenges you faced to get into and through medical school?

Mkorombindo: The greatest challenge was getting the information and the resources. I believe there’s a hidden language and a hidden curriculum that students – especially minority students – aren’t aware of. I spent a lot of time trying to figure that out. That is why I created Greater Influence. I realized that a lot of students are not succeeding, not because they’re not capable, not because they’re not intelligent enough, but just because they don’t have access to the right information and resources.

UofL News: How does Greater Influence help minority students get into medical school?

Mkorombindo: The first part of what we do is the non-technical skills where we teach students things like how to communicate, how to network, how to tell your story. And we talk about other things that matter, like mental health, nutrition and exercise. That way they can have all the resources – not just educational, but the things that will put them in the position not only to succeed, but to excel.

Our second component is focused on developing partnerships with organizations that have available resources and are passionate about increasing representation. I was able to work with a test prep company and sponsors to get their premium MCAT prep bundle free of charge to send to 90 underrepresented students. I’ve also secured partnerships to provide ACT/SAT and other test prep materials to students.

We’re celebrating our two-year anniversary and I’m still in awe. In our first mentorship cohort, 11 of 18 students successfully matriculated into medical school, with five of them receiving full-ride scholarships. We’ve amassed almost 3,000 subscribers across our social media platforms and email subscription lists.

We were able to hire our first employee who manages the day-to-day operations, so Greater Influence is going to be sustainable as I go into residency.

UofL News: What made you choose the University of Louisville?

Mkorombindo: It was the culmination of really small interactions. For example, on my interview day I was walking into the medical school building and this lady next to me starts talking to me. We engaged in a stimulating conversation. At the end, I let her know I’m there to interview. She says, ‘Oh, best of luck,’ as she’s entering the building and she says, ‘I should let you know I’m Dr. Amy Holthouser. I’m the associate dean of medical education.’

That interaction let me know that Louisville was the one for me because they cared about me as a person. Because of people like Drs. Holthouser, Erica Sutton, Dwayne Compton and Faye Jones, I’m very happy with my decision to come here and if I could do it all over, I would choose Louisville again.

UofL News: You took a break from medical school and completed your MBA. What motivated you to do that?

Mkorombindo: As one of the UofL , I was taught how to become a leader and an advocate for social justice and change within health care. When I look at health care, a lot of the people who are making the decisions are centered around business or use business terminology that physicians don’t really get a lot of training in. I wanted to develop myself as a leader who would be comfortable in the room where the decisions are made and who can advocate for those that don’t have the voice to be able to do so.

UofL News: Why did you chose orthopedics?

Mkorombindo: ��When I came into medical school, I remembered a physician who cared for me when I was in high school. I remembered having such positive interactions with him so I called him and I asked, ‘What do you do?’ He says, ‘I’m an orthopedic surgeon. It’s the best specialty there is. I think you’re going to want to be an orthopedic surgeon.’

He was right – orthopedics has the complexity in clinical cases, diversity in patient population, passion for innovation and surgical outcomes that were a great fit for me.

Our program director, Dr. Brandi Hartley, invited me to shadow her. From my very first experience, I knew this was what I wanted to do.��

UofL News: What did it feel like when you opened that envelope on Match Day and learned you would be doing your residency at Harvard?

Mkorombindo: UNREAL! It was truly unbelievable because I never would have thought this was a possibility. The feeling was even more special because it was bigger than myself. My parents put everything on the line for me to be in the position to be there. So, when I made it to one of the best programs in the world, those years of people telling them it wasn’t going to work out or this wasn’t a good decision, it was worth it.��

I never aspired to go to Harvard specifically just because I never thought it was a possibility. Instead, I focused on being the best version of myself that I could possibly be, and I had faith that I would find the program that would set me up to accomplish that.��

I have to credit Dr. Craig Roberts, the orthopedics chair at UofL. He gave me the confidence to shoot for the moon. I also must thank Drs. Steven Glassman, Mladen Djurasovic, Leah Carreon, Charles Crawford and the rest of the faculty and staff at the Norton Leatherman Spine Center for their guidance and support.

UofL News: What is your vision for yourself beyond residency?

Mkorombindo: I’m planning to go on to fellowship to specialize after residency. I have a strong interest in spine surgery, but I’m open to other subspecialties within orthopedics. And I’m passionate about research and innovation and I’m going to continue to give back to students who are following me as well.

I also plan to be involved in global health with intentions to give back to my home country of Zimbabwe. My oldest brother, a UofL and UAB-trained pulmonologist, and I have already begun to discuss how we could make this happen.

[See a Mkorombindo learned he would be training at Harvard]