earned her education master’s degree in college student personnel at UofL before pursuing her doctorate at Kent State, where she has served in many roles including Student Multicultural Center director on her way to becoming the Ohio school’s top student advocate.

She talked about her Louisville educational experience and her reign as 2008 Kentucky Derby Festival queen in a discussion with Louisville Alumni about UofL’s impact on her life.

How has your UofL experience shaped your career or community involvement?

My experiences at the University of Louisville and the city of Louisville, Kentucky, changed my life. I began my career at UofL pursuing my master’s in a field that I loved. I also had the opportunity to meet Dean Mardis and talk to him about his journey to deanship as it was something I was interested in. I appreciated how he showed up as the dean, and that has stuck with me throughout my career. I also had a chance to connect with fantastic faculty, colleagues, classmates and students who I stay in touch with to this day.

I also had the once-in-a-lifetime experience to be the queen of the Kentucky Derby Festival. It was an honor to sit in that seat as the second Black woman to hold that title. I was able to build relationships with the princesses and the Fillies (group that presents the Derby Ball) during that time. Those experiences stick with me to this day.

What program or initiative at UofL would you like to encourage support of?

In the work that I do, and the experiences that I see students go through, I would be remiss not to encourage support of the Louis and Louise W. Weisser Bornwasser Student Emergency Fund. These are very difficult times that our students are experiencing and support to this fund can make a significant impact in the lives of those who are facing challenges.

To read the entire Q&A with Louisville Alumni, check .

“” combines informative online modules with a virtual roundtable discussion. The roundtable discussion is scheduled for March 16, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Any faculty or staff member may sign up .

Featured in the training are Heidi Cooley-Cook, assistant director, and Mike Miller, family field training coordinator, of the , and Colleen Martin, director of UofL’s .

“We currently have 40 students who are receiving support from the DRC,” Cooley-Cook said. She added that a total of about 333 students enrolled in fall 2020 identify as having ASD — a number that is expected to continue to grow.Ěý

KATC is a university-based program with a legislative mandate to enhance outcomes for Kentuckians with ASD. It is a statewide resource for families and educators. The DRC provides support for UofL students with documented disabilities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 88 traditional college-age individuals in the United States identify as having ASD. But the CDC also estimates that by 2022, that number will increase to 1 in 59. The CDC defines ASD as “a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.”

While coping with the transition from high school to college can be challenging for many incoming students, for those with ASD, these challenges may be amplified. The modules combined with a Feb. 10 roundtable discussion explored various aspects of this issue, including students’ difficulty making friends and working on group projects.

Junior Nathaniel Newcomer, a student with ASD who is majoring in health and human performance, said group projects can be vague for someone on the spectrum. “Be specific about what is required to work with a team,” he suggested.Ěý

Cooley-Cook said students with ASD may become unsettled when there are changes in their routines or may have trouble with loud noises or other sensory experiences, such as experiencing a sound as a taste. Professors and staff who recognize these signs are more prepared help students remain calm when they are upset.

Miller and Cooley-Cook emphasized that UofL is providing students with ASD much more than just a degree: These students learn life skills from professors and fellow students who become their role models.

Miller works one-on-one with 10 ASD students each academic year. This year, his group includes students in engineering, business, biology and exercise science.

He takes a photograph of every student he works with as a freshman, and then another of them as a senior. When he asks the student which version they like better, they always pick the senior photo, he said. Every student he has worked with has found employment after graduation, Miller said.

Miller said he’s worked with the J.B. Speed School of Engineering to ensure that classes are videotaped (even before COVID-19). That way, students who need help taking notes can refer back to lectures. This also helps the entire student body, because the recording is available to every student in the class who may need it, he said.

Speed mechanical engineering senior Ben Mitchell, who participated in the roundtable, has worked with Miller for four years and is maintaining a 4.0 GPA. He plans to go into the Master’s of Engineering Program at Speed after he graduates.

“Mike has always been available to listen to my successes and my struggles ever since I first met him, and I know he’s so proud of how far I’ve come from when I first started out here,” Mitchell said.

In addition to the KATC and the DRC, “Reframing Autism” is sponsored by the Dean of Students office and the Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning.

The percentage of adults ages 18 to 25 who have had serious thoughts of suicide in Kentucky is 7.45%. Further, 46% of college students have a diagnosable mental health issue, half of which are untreated.Ěý

These numbers indicate a crisis and, as we mark Suicide Prevention Month in September, UofL is focused on ensuring our students are aware of the resources available on campus to help them better manage their mental health.Ěý

The University of Louisville Counseling Center, for example, provides short-term individual, group, and couples counseling, crisis intervention and psychological testing. The Dean of Students Office, Residence Life and UofL Department of Public Safety are also equipped with suicide prevention resources and help.Ěý

Then, , part of Student Affairs. The program was created specifically to provide training and awareness campaigns for students, faculty and staff. To mark Suicide Prevention Month, the group will host tabling events Sept. 19 and 23 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the SAC across from Chick-fil-A. The group will also host a “100 reasons to live” tree showcasing students’ artwork drawn on leaves.Ěý

Also in September, the University of Louisville’s Dean of Students and Counseling Center encourages students to complete the online, interactive Kognito training, which allows users to learn how to help a friend or fellow student who is struggling.ĚýTopics include techniques to talk to a friend you are concerned about, how to recognize signs of distress and what support services are available on campus. For the college-aged cohort specifically, such interactive training is critical, according to Geri Morgan, student care manager in the Dean of Students’ office.Ěý

“Suicide remains the second leading cause of death among traditionally-aged college students,” Morgan said. “We know from UofL’s well-being survey that students are more likely to go to a friend with their thoughts of suicide rather than to a family member, adviser, or instructor. Helping students learn and practice the skills to help their friends is important in getting students under such stress to professional help and potentially saving someone’s life.”

UofL is also focused on educating the community about suicide risk and ways to support loved ones. From Sept. 26-28, will lead a training, hosted by UofL’s Kent School, called “Navigate: Helping Families Navigate Suicide Risk.” The training will be held in Burhans Hall on the Shelby Campus.Ěý

The first day will cover an overview of suicide risk and assessment, including managing ongoing suicide risk and determining appropriate response based on risk levels. The other days focus on understanding family factors, including communication, response, dynamics and youth and adult development; and guidelines for moving forward, including family safety planning, tough conversations and family-based treatment. łÉČËÖ±˛Ą credit is available and a student rate is available as well.Ěý

For those who need help, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is 1-800-273-TALK. A full list of resources available at UofL is .Ěý

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