Two UofL College of Arts & Sciences winter graduates are looking to their hometowns for guidance in their professions and hope to serve the people who shaped them. Chloe Hale and Emmy Walters, studying anthropology and biology respectively, plan to continue their education in graduate school with the goal of utilizing their advanced degrees to support communities like those in which they grew up.

Documenting home

Moving to a city from a rural county can be a culture shock. Coming from Martin County, Hale quickly realized she had a different experience growing up in Kentucky than many of her classmates. Hale’s quiet anxiety around drinking tap water is something few could understand.

“It makes me sad to see on the internet when a place in my home county doesn’t have water and it’s not gonna be back on for two weeks or something like that,” Hale said. “Just the fact that I can drink the water here in Louisville from the tap makes me feel guilty, in a way, because my family members are there, and they can’t drink the water.”

Hale grew up in an Appalachian community where clean drinking water was not a guarantee or to be taken for granted. Martin County lost its regular access to safe water due to infrastructure, resource access, mining contamination and environmental destruction.

“I think when you can’t drink the water there’s this little piece of trauma in the back of your mind every time you drink from the tap,” Hale said. “It’s like, ‘Is it clean? Can I? Is this drinkable?’”

For an independent study, Hale chose to document how hairstylists back home struggled to work without guaranteed access to clean water. She asked her sister and fellow hairstylists to take pictures throughout their workday anytime they encountered the need to use water.

“I decided that it would be a good idea to examine water access through a group of women that rely on water for an income,” Hale explained. “Hairstylists need water for absolutely everything: to clean, to wash hair, to rinse hair, to make different cleaning solutions.”

The project used these pictures as a “photo voice” to document and display the obstacles the Martin County hairstylists encounter every day due to the lack of access to consistently safe tap water.

While returning home is a complicated option with the ongoing water crisis, Hale hopes to continue her education in Appalachian studies at UofL with her sights set on a future PhD to continue to document and uplift her hometown and other communities.

“I definitely love my hometown, but think I’ve been able to curate what it means to be Appalachian a little bit more just because it is its own culture and it is an identity I’m proud of,” Hale said.

A better vision for Kentucky’s future

Emmy Walters’ first connection to optometry was through her love of reading and an early vision assessment at school. She was one of the only members in her family to need glasses and this sparked a curiosity about the relationship between her vision and the biological mechanisms that supported her eyesight and her favorite hobby. As she aged, her curiosity for vision only grew as she understood the obstacles to both eye assessments and literacy in her community.

“Growing up, our access to eye care was sufficient, but then you get in surrounding counties where there won’t be an optometrist for 45 minutes,” Walters said.

Walters early childhood love for reading was protected by her access to an optometrist, and an early assessment allowed her natural curiosity toward books to go uninterrupted. Walters still reads regularly and will attend optometry school next year. After shadowing an optometrist in Campbellsville Kentucky, her hometown, she hopes to practice in a similar rural area.

“I felt like I was home, like I was talking to my own family members; the way that they approached me and talked about things is something I’m used to, and it was comforting,” Walters said.

While shadowing in the practice, Walters began to see the personal impact she could have as an optometrist practicing outside of a major city.

“At least a third of the people that came in had never been to an eye doctor or hadn’t been in a very long time, and most of the time those were people from surrounding areas,” Walters said.

Walters hopes to one day combine her interest in optometry with her love for reading by supporting literacy through eye exams and philanthropy.

Interested in pursuing a degree or certificate program with UofL? Check out the�� to find a program.

Tinker, who earned her degree in nursing, is from San Diego, California. Originally from China, she was adopted by an American family as a child. “A big part of my story is being adopted from China,” she said. “So coming from that and being an orphan to being commencement speaker at an amazing university is something I’m very proud of and grateful for.”

She found her college home at UofL after discovering a new career path during the pandemic. At UofL, Tinker became involved in several groups, including serving as president of the Student Nursing Council. Her involvement helped her grow as a leader and set her up for success after graduation.

UofL News had the opportunity to speak with Tinker ahead of graduation to find out more about her experience at UofL and her plans moving forward.

UofL News: Why did you choose UofL?

Tinker: I chose UofL because I wanted an out-of-state school with both great academics and school spirit. I wanted research opportunities and a strong health care environment, but also a tailgate scene and things like that.

��UofL News: Why did you decide to on nursing as your career path?

Tinker:��I went to school in D.C. until COVID hit. I had interned for the House of Representatives and I was really into the Capitol Hill vibe. (But) I switched over to nursing. I was inspired by seeing what the nurses did during the pandemic. I just kind of made a big decision to change my path to nursing.

UofL News: How has the School of Nursing at UofL helped you?

Tinker:��The School of Nursing is very, very special. I have a lot of friends in other majors and we’ll chit-chat about the relationships they have with faculty and … the faculty of the School of Nursing is by far the most supportive. They take an interest in their students individually. Just the mindset, there is always growth, so I feel like everyone’s always trying to make the School of Nursing the best that it can be.

UofL News: What professor had the greatest impact on you?

Tinker:��I would say Imelda Wright. She was my first medical surgical nurse and she’s just an angel on Earth. She always comes to class in really cool high heels and just is the epitome of a strong woman role model. The other one would be Paul Clark, he is just the most supportive, positive professor. He focuses on mental health in a way that I feel like most professors just don’t. Love them both.

UofL News: What was your most memorable moment at UofL?

Tinker:��I would probably say rushing the field at the Notre Dame football game. We were right there at the front and my friends and I stormed the field and I got elbowed in the eye really hard. My contact popped out … I was running with one eye closed and it was just really fun.

UofL News: What are your plans after graduation? What type of nurse are you aspiring to become?

Tinker:��I have accepted a job in the UofL Hospital Emergency Department, a Level 1 trauma center.

UofL News: How has UofL helped you grow?

Tinker:��UofL has helped me grow through tough classes, clinical experiences, involvement like SGA, opportunities like the Research Scholars Program, leadership roles like being president of Nursing Student Council, etc. I filled my schedule to the max because of so many opportunities from classes to extracurriculars; I’ve grown from being pushed to my limits – usually in a good way! I’ve learned what I’m capable of.��

One UofL graduate isn’t letting this unprecedented and nontraditional situation keep her from celebrating.

Bronwyn Garrett Hudson is no stranger to approaching life with resilience and determination.

Hudson began her journey at UofL in 1970 and, after facing struggles and successes throughout the following decades, will earn her bachelor of science in Organizational Leadership and Learning from the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development (CEHD) this spring. ��

When Hudson began taking courses at UofL after graduating from duPont Manual High School, she strove to succeed, but found it difficult.

“When I entered college, it was like a whole new world for me,” Hudson said. “So, trying to stay focused was hard for me at the of age of 18.”

After taking college courses for almost two years, Hudson married and soon had two children, who became her primary focus. However, when she divorced her first husband, she had to steer herself in a new direction to support her family as a single mother.

Supporting others was nothing new for Hudson. When Hudson was in high school, she tutored deaf students instead of going to her own study hall, which allowed her to learn American Sign Language. This act of kindness helped her land her first job. She applied for a position with the Louisville Health Department and got it due to her experience with ASL. The job paved the way for her future, and she forged ahead.

Hudson was married and divorced a second time and gained a stepdaughter in addition to her first two children. During both of her marriages, Hudson attempted to go back to school to finish her degree, but balancing her work, family and course work remained challenging.

“Trying to finish school was very difficult because I was working a full-time job and often it would be over 40 hours a week,” Hudson said. “I had to take a break.” ��

But Hudson doesn’t seem to be the person who takes it easy. Her version of “taking a break,” meant more than two decades working at St. Joseph Children’s Home and Child Development Center, first as a teacher assistant in 1984, then as the director of the Child Development Center, where she retired in 2008. She also earned an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Development from Jefferson Community Technical College and served on Governor Beshear’s Early Childhood Advisory Council.

While serving on the governor’s council, Hudson was asked to speak in front of the education committee and the House of Representatives in Frankfort to share her classroom experiences and tell her fellow teachers’ stories from their own classrooms. Her presentation spurred the formation of Kentucky’s STARS program, which gives childcare teachers the opportunity to pursue an education and helps childcare centers provide quality childcare.

After all these accomplishments, she still wanted more – a bachelor’s degree. Hudson decided to return to UofL at the age of 65 to finally complete her college education. When she learned about , which offers free tuition to senior citizens, Hudson jumped at the opportunity.

Proving this was indeed her time, Hudson is graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor of science degree and the Resilience Award in Organizational Leadership and Learning, which is awarded to students who have faced struggles, but persevered to succeed.

Hudson is celebrating her 50-year journey to graduation with her family and a virtual ceremony with CEHD. Hudson aims to continue making a difference after earning her degree, saying she might even start a youth leadership program of her own.

While she isn’t exactly sure what her next step will be, Hudson knows one thing is for sure. “Now is my time,” she said. “It wasn’t my time back then, but now is my time.”

She started attending classes at the University of Louisville in the fall of 2009. A number of obstacles forced her to stop and resume her education twice more over an eight-year span.

Though she could’ve thrown in the towel, already holding a full-time job and no immediate incentive to get her diploma, she went seeking advice on a way to return to college. A conversation and unique program at UofL opened the door for Ballard.

“I found out about the Fresh Start Program in spring of 2016 after talking with one of my advisers,” Ballard said. “The Fresh Start Program gave me the opportunity to start over with my GPA.

“Prior to taking the Fresh Start Program, I was on academic probation and had struggled to do well in my classes. I struggled for a number of reasons, I didn’t have a reliable way to school, I worked third shift and I lacked motivation because I didn’t know what I wanted to do as a career. Ultimately, I felt lost.”

Students are eligible for only one Academic Fresh Start, but as part of the program, they can resume their academic careers and request a reset of their cumulative grade-point average. The program has no impact on earned hours.

Ballard restarted her coursework in the fall of 2016, focusing on a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and learning. At times, Ballard, who took advantage of the university’s online learning option, admitted having doubts about completing her degree with the demands of being a full-time employee and a full-time student.

“My best friend of 22 years, Heather Luckett, and my fiancé, Jacob Settle, always encouraged me to keep pursing my dream,” Ballard said. “When I felt like giving up, they both stepped in to give me pep talks and remind me why getting my degree was so important to me. Without their support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Every milestone, they have been there cheering me on; I couldn’t ask for a better support system.”

On May 11, Ballard was a walking example of success. The Louisville, Kentucky, native strolled across the stage at the KFC Yum! Center, receiving her diploma Summa Cum Laude with a 3.9 GPA.

“Getting my degree was always something I had strived for. To me it was a sense of accomplishment,” Ballard said. “I wanted to make everyone in my family proud and have a positive influence on my younger siblings. To me, getting my degree meant more opportunities and success.”

Ballard has dreams of opening more doors. Currently a strategic sourcing specialist at a custom trailer manufacturer, she aspires to further her education, potentially at Louisville.

“Next, I plan on using my degree to obtain a management position within my company,” Ballard said. “In the future I hope to go back to the University of Louisville for my MBA.”

Ali began at UofL in 2009 as a communication major and a member of the Cardinals baseball team. He left the university in 2011 when he had an opportunity to work for the Chicago White Sox.����

After spending some time working in Major League Baseball and coaching at the college level, Ali returned to UofL to finish his college career. He graduated May 11 with his bachelor’s degree from the College of Arts and Sciences.����

“I always knew I was going to end up back here … this is home for me,” he said. “I just have so much pride for Louisville.”

��and connect with other .��

After a couple of false starts, Miller decided to resume her pursuit of a college degree following retirement and a bout with cancer. She hopes her perseverance sets an example for her grandchildren. Check out her story below:��