For both employees, the recent government shutdown and reduction of benefits provided through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was a unique opportunity to call attention to the need. According to Dare to Care, one in eight Americans rely on SNAP benefits, including co-workers, friends and neighbors. In Jefferson County alone, SNAP has supported more than 96,000 people and 45,000+ households per month.

One food drive in November that was organized by Lawson delivered four truckloads of donations to the La Casita Center and the Chestnut Street YMCA.Ěý

In addition, just in the month of November, various holiday initiatives were organized by athletics, the Cardinal Commuter Community, Bluegrass Student Collective, Graduate School, School of Music, School of Dentistry, College of łÉČËÖ±˛Ą and Human Development, Department of Theatre Arts, Early Learning Center, Visitor Information Centers, parking and many more.

plays a pivotal role in all these efforts bringing departments together and setting the tone for collaboration. From hosting initial planning meetings to creating outreach materials and coordinating logistics, the team’s leadership amplifies the impact and demonstrates UofL’s commitment to supporting both internal and external community members.

“Our goal was to unite the Cardinal family in a way that showed the power of working together,” said Vice President for Community Engagement Douglas Craddock. “This drive was about more than donations—it was about building connections and supporting our neighbors during a challenging time.”

Lawson said she sees how UofL lives the community of care principle. “In the current environment, people in the world are just going their separate ways, but the Cardinal community has never worked like that. We know it takes a village, we need to stay a village and continue pulling together for one another and the broader community.”Ěý

Amanda Schweinzger, who grew up in a low-income household in Northern Kentucky, was inspired to start a drive and online fundraising campaign because she knew of people dealing with difficulty from the shutdown. “I could not just sit idly by,” she said. “I know what it’s like to struggle, what it’s like to get help from food pantries.”

Schweinzger, who started with her own department, grew the outreach from there. She decided to partner with Dare to Care, who supplies the , extending to the broader community and giving back to an organization that gives to UofL students year-round.

While physical donations are always appreciated, Dare to Care encourages monetary donations because they can fill in the gaps in what is needed most and can supply perishables such as fresh meat and produce. Every dollar donated to Dare to Care means two meals for needy families.

For her campaign, Schweinzger set up a and has already raised more than $500. Her goal is to bring in $1,000 by end of January 2026.

Schweinzger said in her experience as a student and now as an employee at UofL, she sees empathy and generosity as a common core value of the campus community. “They care about people, and the community around them, and they’re always willing to rise to the occasion.”

The Alumni Awards are the highest honors bestowed by Louisville Alumni. Helm is one of 18 honorees who will be celebrated this fall during

Helm received a Bachelor of Arts with highest honors in political science in 1979 and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Brandeis School of Law in 1982. She was twice selected as a University of Louisville Alumni Fellow: in 2008, for the College of Arts & Sciences and in 2017, for the Brandeis School of Law.

She retired from Starbucks Coffee Co. after a prestigious 21-year career in legal and human resources roles, including serving on the company’s executive team as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary and executive vice president, chief partner officer (leading human resources).

“Lucy Helm is an extraordinary Cardinal who is deeply committed to UofL’s mission. We are proud and excited to recognize her accomplishments at this year’s Alumni Awards celebration,” said Josh Hawkins, assistant vice president for alumni relations. “Her commitment to excellence inspires all of us to follow her lead and make a positive impact on our community.”

At Starbucks, Helm was a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion, including leading the company’s achievement of gender and racial pay equity in the U.S. She also created Starbucks’ pro bono services program, which became a model for other corporate law departments. Helm is now the global chair of the board of Mercy Corps, a global relief and development organization.

The Alumnus of the Year honoree personifies the qualities, mission and values of the university. The award is presented to a graduate who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in professional and philanthropic endeavors and who has shown loyalty and support to the entire university.

Helm joins the 2022 Alumni Fellows who represent each of UofL’s colleges, schools, libraries and student affairs division, as well as the signature award winners, who will be recognized for extraordinary achievements in their profession and enduring service in their community.

The 2022 Alumni Fellows are:

• Charles P. Denny ’75, ’80
• Sadiqa N. Reynolds ’93
• Evan Holladay ’13
• Lois S. Cronholm ’62, ’67
• Lynn Hampton ’78, ’83
• Amy B. Farnsworth ’92, ’95
• Awab Habib ’15
• Michael D. Anthony ’05, ’10
• Renee Campbell ’82
• Gulam Zade ’11
• Carol Friedman Abrams ’68
• Christa-Marie Singleton ’92
• Barry C. Johnson ’81, ’85
• Kimberly Meyer ’92, ’16
• Duke Appiah ’09, ’13
• Norbert E. Paulin ’70

For more than 30 years, the Alumni Awards have honored and celebrated the historic achievements of graduates who are exemplary ambassadors for the university.

“Louisville Alumni is grateful for the strong culture of alumni innovators, educators and collaborators who share the common bond of being UofL graduates,” Hawkins said. “The Alumni Awards is our opportunity to honor and celebrate our extraordinary alumni.”Ěý

The 2022 Alumni Awards presented by Commonwealth Credit Union will be held Thursday, Oct. 20.

United around this year’s theme of ‘Power and Policy’, organizers hope to inspire change through vision, voice and vote.

“Juneteenth is a prime example of how policy change can shift power from the oppressor to the oppressed,” said Riece Hamilton, president of the UofL Black Faculty/Staff Association. “We want the campus and community to recognize the force we have when we collectively come together for the good of all. We understand that fighting against injustice for any group of people benefits all groups of people.”

The week of events leading up to Juneteenth will kick-off with a lecture by author, activist, educator and historian who will deliver the keynote titled, “Free at Last?”

As chairperson of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, Berry led the charge for equal rights and liberties of all Americans during four U.S. presidential administrations. She also served as assistant secretary for education in the U.S. Department of Health, łÉČËÖ±˛Ą and Welfare.

Berry is a founder of the monumental Free South Africa Movement (FSAM), and received the Nelson Mandela award from the South African Government for her role in organizing the FSAM, raising global awareness of South African injustice that helped to end over 40 years of apartheid.

A trailblazer for women and African Americans, she became the first woman to lead a major research university as chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder. She now teaches the history of American law and social policy as the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought at the University of Pennsylvania.

Visit theĚýĚýto learn more and register for the following events:

Keynote: Mary Frances Berry
June 13, noon;
*streaming available

A panel discussion focused on Juneteenth, cash bail, and racial justice work.
June 14, noon;
*streaming available

Celebratory luncheon and Black business owners vendor fair
June 16, 11:30 a.m.; nearĚý

A tour around campus designed to highlight historical points around UofL relative to Blacks/African Americans
June 17, noon;

Step into the narrative and take a journey through the African American experience; free admission.
June 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.;

at Burnett Avenue Church
Join us for a virtual worship service to give thanks for how far we have come and the blessings in store for the future.
June 19, 11 a.m.; virtual eventĚý

At the Crossroads: A History of Black Health in Louisville
This exhibit explores the establishment of health care facilities by and for Black Louisvillians in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
On display now; Ekstrom Library

The Black Faculty/Staff Association along with the Commission on Diversity and Racial Equity (CODRE), Commonwealth Credit Union, Cultural Center, Office of Community Engagement, Office of Diversity and Equity, Office of the President, UofL Standing Up for Racial Justice (UofL SURJ) and various university sponsors are presenters of the second annual Juneteenth week of ‘Power and Policy’.

“This week should be a reminder that the people hold the power now and forever; it is what we do with it that matters,” Hamilton said.

In “Captain Marvel,” rated PG-13, a female pilot gains superpowers after a freak accident and uses them to help save the world alongside another superpower yeilder. .Ěý

It will be followed by “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” on Friday, July 12, and “Ralph Breaks the Internet” on Friday, Aug. 2.Ěý

“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part,” rated PG,Ěýreunites the heroes of Bricksburg in an all new action-packed adventure to save their beloved city. It’s been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: Lego Duplo invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild. The battle to defeat them and restore harmony to the Lego universe will take Emmet, Lucy, Batman and their friends to faraway, unexplored worlds, including a strange galaxy where everything is a musical. .Ěý

Finally, “Wreck-It Ralph” includes a PG rating and features video game villain Wreck-It Ralph faced with braving the internet to help Vanellope fix her game, “Sugar Rush.” .Ěý

All three events begin atĚý6:30 p.m. on the lawn between the Natural Sciences Building and Grawemeyer Hall. The films begin at sunset.

Pre-movie activities include children’s inflatables and games. Concessions will be available for purchase. During the “Captain Marvel” event June 28,ĚýSmok’N Cantina and Hi-Five Doughnuts food trucks will be on site.Ěý

Families are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and picnic baskets and coolers with snacks and drinks to make for a comfortable evening. Parking is available in the lot next to Grawemeyer Hall (2301 S. Third St.) and behind Ernst Hall (216 Eastern Parkway).

Cards Under the Stars is sponsored by Commonwealth Credit Union.Ěý

The keynote speaker for the event was Valerie Young, who wrote “The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women” and who is a nationally renowned expert on imposter syndrome. She said imposter syndrome affects about 70% of all people and is especially high in academia.

“Fundamentally, what we’re talking about is confidence,” she said. “We have these feelings despite our accomplishments. We explain away our success, whether it’s through luck, timing, connections, personality, diversity hire, or something else. Being found out is our biggest fear.”

There are a number of factors behind why so many people feel like frauds – situational, organizational, culture, etc. Her mission is to normalize imposter syndrome and provide people with the right tools to overcome it.

Men and women tend to approach imposter syndrome differently, Young said. More women tend to lack confidence and have a harder time resonating with the word “successful.” They’re also more likely to underestimate themselves and internalize their failures.

Conversely, men may feel pressured to be internally confident, even when they don’t feel it. They’re also more likely to externalize failure, deflecting blame.

To illustrate the difference between men and women, a study by Hewlett-Packard found that for job postings that included 10 criteria – men, on average, would apply if they had six out of 10. Women would not apply unless they had all 10.

“Success is complicated. We’re all successful, everyone in this room,” she said. “We just have to define what that means.”Ěý

Young said there are five types of imposters:

1. The perfectionist, where 99 times out of 100 they will feel like a failure
2. The expert, who feels that they never really know the answer
3. The genius, who feels an erosion of confidence if they don’t grasp something quickly and easily
4. The soloist, who feels that needing help evokes shame
5. The super woman, who expects to excel at everything

To unlearn these behaviors, Young said it’s important to talk about imposterism, and to normalize it.

“The only way to stop feeling like an imposter is to stop thinking like an imposter,” she said. “Reframe it, the way a non-imposter does. That means reframing failures and mistakes. You can be disappointed if you fail, but you shouldn’t be ashamed if you did your best. Non-imposters seek out criticism. They don’t personalize it.”

It’s also important to reframe what it means to be competent, she adds.

“Non-imposters know they can’t be perfect at everything,” Young said. “What’s important is to know the more you do anything, the better you’ll get at it over time. And, regardless of how confident you feel, you have to keep going. Everyone loses when bright people play small.”

President Neeli Bendapudi also addressed the crowd, acknowledging the importance of diversity, especially in academia.

“It is so important to have leadership that reflects who we serve,” she said.

Bendapudi also touched on the glass cliff theory, in which women tend to be appointed to leadership roles when “things are going really, really bad.” This means the likelihood of failure is also greater.

Bendapudi closed with two pieces of advice:

• “As a manager, you need to be super explicit about what you want. Don’t assume people know.”
• “When you have a really busy day, wear comfortable shoes!”

Allison Ball, Kentucky State Treasurer, provided a discussion about financial empowerment, noting that this is an area where women’s leadership can make a major difference.

The program was sponsored by Commonwealth Credit Union, and Karen Harbin, CCU’s president and CEO, opened things up with a brief overview of her 33-year career. She was followed by Provost Beth Boehm, who offered advice to the crowd.

“Sometimes people ask how I got here. It took me 32 years. It was not a meteoric rise,” Boehm said. “I was always the one who rolled up my sleeves and did the work. There is no magic wand that makes your vision a reality. It takes hard work.”

Boehm added that it’s ok to say “no” every now and then, however.

“There are three reasons I give my time to serve – if I felt like I could contribute; if I felt like I could learn something; and if I had the time,” she said. “There are talkers and there are doers. Be a doer.”

Karan Chavis, chief of staff at the School of Medicine, threw out some statistics for the group to underscore the importance of having events such as the Pathways Leadership Conference. Those stats include:

• 5% of the Top 500 S&P CEOs are women
• 8% of congressional seats are held by women
• In 2018, women’s average salaries were 85 cents to men’s dollar
• In Kentucky, women will achieve pay equity in 2069