Louisville-native Ngo is a second-year graduate student studying Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy. She is the current director of Professional Development in the Graduate Student Council, a Trustee’s Scholar, and has earned departmental honors in the Psychology Department for successful defense of her thesis.

Louisville-native Porter is a senior majoring in both Computer Information Systems and Marketing. She is a Woodford R. Porter Scholar, a student worker in the Admissions Office, President’s Office, and Campus Housing Department at UofL, and is heavily involved in extracurriculars such as the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.��

They join Northern Kentucky University students Sarah Rhodes and Haven Wolfe, and University of Kentucky student Molly Sullivan on the five-person court.��

Additionally, Olivia Andrews, a UofL senior from New Albany, Indiana, is a second alternate should one of the princesses be unable to serve. UK junior Lauren Carter is first alternative.��

The Royal Court was selected after attending final judging with 25 other finalist candidates. There were nearly 80 original applicants for the program, representing different colleges and universities from around Kentucky and the region. All the applicants went through preliminary judging in November.

One of the five will be crowned the Derby Festival Queen by a spin-of-the-wheel at the annual Fillies Derby Ball on April 9��at The Galt House. Each woman will receive a $2,000 scholarship ($1,000 from the Fillies and $1,000 from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation).

Candidates for the Princess Program must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average and are selected by a panel of three out-of-state judges. Criteria for selection includes knowledge of the Derby Festival, poise, intelligence, personality and campus and community involvement.

The first Derby Festival Princess was crowned in 1957, the second year of the Festival. Previous Princesses have included former Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins and the late Gail Gorski, the first female pilot ever hired by United Airlines.

Forrest (Ellenwood, Georgia) registered a Louisville school-record mark of 23.26 meters (76-3.75) to claim the gold medal on the opening day of the 2021 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with the top collegiate throw of the year. Forrest took the gold medal in the weight throw at the 2021 ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships. She was named the ACC Indoor Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year and ACC Women’s Field Performer of the Year. Forrest was also a 2021 ACC Postgraduate Scholar.
��
In addition to this season’s success, she was the 2019 NCAA runner-up in the weight throw and an all-American in the hammer throw. She qualified for the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships before the season was cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19. She is also a member of Louisville’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee serving as an ACC Representative and is a three-time All-ACC Academic Team selection.
��
Forrest earned her bachelor’s degree in health and human performance – exercise with a minor in sport administration in May 2021.

Schneider (San Diego) has collected numerous athletic and academic honors after a career-best season in which she helped the Cardinals to their first-ever NCAA final four and the ACC regular season title. The senior defender finished her collegiate career with a 4.0 GPA while majoring in biology with a concentration in genetics subcellular and a minor in Spanish. The 2020-21 NFHCA Scholar-Athlete of the Year was also the recipient of the Elite 90 Award for the NCAA Field Hockey Championship and was a finalist for the Honda Award. Additionally, she earned CoSIDA Academic At-Large All-District honors.
��
The three-year starter and team co-captain earned NFHCA All-America third team honors and is a two-time West Region selection (2019, 2020). She is a four-time NFHCA National Scholar of Distinction, a two-time All-ACC Academic Team selection and has been a member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll in each of her seasons at Louisville.��
��
Schneider earned her bachelor’s degree in biology, with a minor in Spanish in May 2021.
��
About the NCAA Woman of the Year
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award has honored the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of outstanding female college athletes.
��
Following university nominations, conference offices will then select their nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year. Each conference��nominee will be notified by the NCAA, and all conference-round nominees will be announced on ncaa.org in August.��

Conference nominations are forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee, which identifies the top 10 honorees in each of the three NCAA divisions. From those 30 honorees, the selection committee then determines the three finalists in each division for a total of nine finalists.

The Committee on Women’s Athletics will select the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year from the nine finalists. At an award ceremony Oct. 17 in Indianapolis, the Top 30 honorees will be celebrated, and the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named.

Unsurprisingly, however, the ceremony will be delivered virtually, a product of a relentless pandemic that has gripped the world for nearly a year now. While the in-person commencement ceremony in May was canceled – replaced with an online celebration – this time around seems tougher. The tunnel seems much longer than most of us expected.��

Still, despite some pandemic weariness, our graduates are also tougher, and they’re not willing to let this lingering crisis rain on their milestone.

“It’s been a wild ride. I’m grateful for this experience and I believe this has made me mentally stronger,” said Charice Johnson, a Louisville native graduating with a communication degree. She notes that the beginning of 2020 was a bigger challenge, particularly the transition to work-from-home in March. She balanced her job with Student Affairs, with her education, with raising a fourth grader, who is also learning from home.

Johnson leaned on the positives; for example, being at home allowed her to accomplish tasks she would have otherwise been too tired to do in the evenings. UofL HR’s Learning Cafes also helped keep her optimistic.

“Often, employees may feel besides themselves in certain situations, but those workshops have maintained a sense of community,” she said. “I’ve been able to seize opportunities to grow and learn as both an employee and a student.”

Johnson plans to continue working for UofL as a program assistant, senior for the University Career Center, while expanding her education by taking online courses provided by various institutions.

Meherunissa Naseem, a biology major/psychology minor from India, also believes she is graduating with sharpened resiliency.

“Though finishing my degree in the middle of a pandemic and not having a traditional ceremony or celebrating with friends and family is not what I have expected, I still feel fortunate to be able to accomplish the biggest dream of my life,” she said.

Naseem identifies bigger challenges, such as graduating debt-free and transitioning from India to the United States.

“When look back at it all, the decision I made and all the challenges I faced, I feel blessed and grateful,” she said, acknowledging her strong support system in her family.

Naseem chose to endure those challenges and attend UofL because of its diversity and research opportunities. When asked what she loves most about her soon-to-be-alma-mater, she simply answers, “Everything – the infrastructure, the buildings, the professors, the faculty, the staff, the students.”

Next, Naseem plans to move to a different state and gain some experience in biology before choosing a grad school to attend.

Kendall Ruber, a graduate student from Butler, Kentucky, describes the experience of finishing her degree in the middle of a global pandemic as simply, “surreal.”

“At the beginning of the pandemic, when we had to convert to online instruction on a whim, my classes seemed like a blur, and time seemed to move both fast and slow at the same time,” she said. “As the months have passed, it still seems like the concept of time doesn’t exist anymore. I still have trouble processing the fact that my graduation occurred and that eight months have passed since we were last in the classroom together.”

Adjusting to online learning has been a challenge for Ruber, particularly as she also works a full-time job.

“It was grueling to be sitting at my desk alone for upwards of 14 hours a day without any human interaction,” she said, describing herself as a “people person.”

She is trying to keep herself positive by remembering what she is grateful for. That includes a field – business analytics – where she can work remotely, watching her friends and classmates chasing their dreams and staying healthy.

Ruber, who also earned her undergraduate degree at UofL, chose to the school because of its diversity.

“UofL has exposed me to various cultures, identities and ideologies and I have come out a better person and professional because of it,” she said. “UofL has pushed me to challenge everything I had previously experienced coming into college. Growing up in an extremely homogenous community, I had a very narrow view of the world. UofL broke down many of those barriers and continued to introduce me to people and places that would allow me to grow.”

Ruber is currently assisting teaching statistics for UofL’s Online MBA program and hopes to one day become a data scientist.

From surreal to “overjoyed.” That’s how Tony Hobson, who is graduating with an organizational leadership and learning degree, describes finishing his degree amid this unusual environment.��

“I am so overjoyed it’s actually happening,” he said. Hobson, who started his college experience in the early 1990s, keeps himself optimistic by looking for meaning behind these challenges.

“At the end of the day, if we’re going to get through these tough times, there has to be a purpose,” he said.

Hobson’s post-graduate plans are to pursue management-based positions, possibly in transportation, and to further his acting career.

Christian Loriel Lucas reflects on her time at UofL with a deep sense of pride and relief. The 35-year-old mom juggled attending school amid a pandemic with working full-time at the School of Medicine with having a child learning from home and another child whose daycare was closed.

“It was a lot to deal with. I cried a few times. I laugh about it now,” she said.

Lucas recalls one night in particular when her children were running around upstairs and her husband was on a work call. She was hunkered down in the basement trying to focus on a literary theory question for class.

“I ended up sobbing over one question. My brain just couldn’t focus,” she said. “But I survived it. The biggest challenge has been trying to keep it all together – family and work came first, school came second.”

Still, at times, she had to swap priorities and leave the house to get some peace and quiet for her schoolwork. Other times, she couldn’t bond with her cohort because she was with her family.

“I had no time for life outside of work and home, but I utilized every moment I had to get things done,” Lucas said. “I knew I couldn’t do everything, but I managed to keep myself and my family afloat.”

Her family, and the support they provided, is what sustained and motivated her. She also acknowledges a strong support system among her coworkers, friends and professors.

“Knowing that somebody was rooting for me was the positive energy I needed to keep going,” Lucas said. “I really felt bad at times for taking my family through this just so I could get my degree. But they are so proud of me.”

Lucas’ post-graduation plans are to continue her creative writing career and she plans to write “a lot.” Her work has already been published, ,” a publication that celebrates Black women writers.

Unsurprisingly, however, the ceremony will be delivered virtually, a product of a relentless pandemic that has gripped the world for nearly a year now. While the in-person commencement ceremony in May was canceled – replaced with an online celebration – this time around seems tougher. The tunnel seems much longer than most of us expected.��

Still, despite some pandemic weariness, our graduates are also tougher, and they’re not willing to let this lingering crisis rain on their milestone.

“It’s been a wild ride. I’m grateful for this experience and I believe this has made me mentally stronger,” said Charice Johnson, a Louisville native graduating with a communication degree. She notes that the beginning of 2020 was a bigger challenge, particularly the transition to work-from-home in March. She balanced her job with Student Affairs, with her education, with raising a fourth grader, who is also learning from home.

Johnson leaned on the positives; for example, being at home allowed her to accomplish tasks she would have otherwise been too tired to do in the evenings. UofL HR’s Learning Cafes also helped keep her optimistic.

“Often, employees may feel besides themselves in certain situations, but those workshops have maintained a sense of community,” she said. “I’ve been able to seize opportunities to grow and learn as both an employee and a student.”

Johnson plans to continue working for UofL as a program assistant, senior for the University Career Center, while expanding her education by taking online courses provided by various institutions.

Meherunissa Naseem, a biology major/psychology minor from India, also believes she is graduating with sharpened resiliency.

“Though finishing my degree in the middle of a pandemic and not having a traditional ceremony or celebrating with friends and family is not what I have expected, I still feel fortunate to be able to accomplish the biggest dream of my life,” she said.

Naseem identifies bigger challenges, such as graduating debt-free and transitioning from India to the United States.

“When look back at it all, the decision I made and all the challenges I faced, I feel blessed and grateful,” she said, acknowledging her strong support system in her family.

Naseem chose to endure those challenges and attend UofL because of its diversity and research opportunities. When asked what she loves most about her soon-to-be-alma-mater, she simply answers, “Everything – the infrastructure, the buildings, the professors, the faculty, the staff, the students.”

Next, Naseem plans to move to a different state and gain some experience in biology before choosing a grad school to attend.

Kendall Ruber, a graduate student from Butler, Kentucky, describes the experience of finishing her degree in the middle of a global pandemic as simply, “surreal.”

“At the beginning of the pandemic, when we had to convert to online instruction on a whim, my classes seemed like a blur, and time seemed to move both fast and slow at the same time,” she said. “As the months have passed, it still seems like the concept of time doesn’t exist anymore. I still have trouble processing the fact that my graduation occurred and that eight months have passed since we were last in the classroom together.”

Adjusting to online learning has been a challenge for Ruber, particularly as she also works a full-time job.

“It was grueling to be sitting at my desk alone for upwards of 14 hours a day without any human interaction,” she said, describing herself as a “people person.”

She is trying to keep herself positive by remembering what she is grateful for. That includes a field – business analytics – where she can work remotely, watching her friends and classmates chasing their dreams and staying healthy.

Ruber, who also earned her undergraduate degree at UofL, chose to the school because of its diversity.

“UofL has exposed me to various cultures, identities and ideologies and I have come out a better person and professional because of it,” she said. “UofL has pushed me to challenge everything I had previously experienced coming into college. Growing up in an extremely homogenous community, I had a very narrow view of the world. UofL broke down many of those barriers and continued to introduce me to people and places that would allow me to grow.”

Ruber is currently assisting teaching statistics for UofL’s Online MBA program and hopes to one day become a data scientist.

From surreal to “overjoyed.” That’s how Tony Hobson, who is graduating with an organizational leadership and learning degree, describes finishing his degree amid this unusual environment.��

“I am so overjoyed it’s actually happening,” he said. Hobson, who started his college experience in the early 1990s, keeps himself optimistic by looking for meaning behind these challenges.

“At the end of the day, if we’re going to get through these tough times, there has to be a purpose,” he said.

Hobson’s post-graduate plans are to pursue management-based positions, possibly in transportation, and to further his acting career.

Christian Loriel Lucas reflects on her time at UofL with a deep sense of pride and relief. The 35-year-old mom juggled attending school amid a pandemic with working full-time at the School of Medicine with having a child learning from home and another child whose daycare was closed.

“It was a lot to deal with. I cried a few times. I laugh about it now,” she said.

Lucas recalls one night in particular when her children were running around upstairs and her husband was on a work call. She was hunkered down in the basement trying to focus on a literary theory question for class.

“I ended up sobbing over one question. My brain just couldn’t focus,” she said. “But I survived it. The biggest challenge has been trying to keep it all together – family and work came first, school came second.”

Still, at times, she had to swap priorities and leave the house to get some peace and quiet for her schoolwork. Other times, she couldn’t bond with her cohort because she was with her family.

“I had no time for life outside of work and home, but I utilized every moment I had to get things done,” Lucas said. “I knew I couldn’t do everything, but I managed to keep myself and my family afloat.”

Her family, and the support they provided, is what sustained and motivated her. She also acknowledges a strong support system among her coworkers, friends and professors.

“Knowing that somebody was rooting for me was the positive energy I needed to keep going,” Lucas said. “I really felt bad at times for taking my family through this just so I could get my degree. But they are so proud of me.”

Lucas’ post-graduation plans are to continue her creative writing career and she plans to write “a lot.” Her work has already been published, ,” a publication that celebrates Black women writers.

Paula Johnson, a doctorate of nursing practice student, says it is important to pause and commemorate the milestone and think about the advancement of women.��

“It is truly amazing that all four of my daughters and I are in school at UofL in the year that we, as women, celebrate our progress in issues of equal rights, including our right to vote,” she said.

With two daughters pursuing engineering degrees, one step-daughter earning a business degree and one step-daughter following in Johnson’s footsteps to become a nurse, Johnson says she is extremely proud.

“You have to do what you love and make a career out of your naturally given talents,” she said. “There are lots of mountains to go over in school but I encourage the girls to remember they are going over them in order to do what they love.”

For Johnson, it is a passion for nursing, and a goal to teach the next generation.

She has been in the nursing profession for 30 years, including working as an advanced practice nurse for 23 years.

“After working so many years as a nurse practitioner, I have a lot to share and want to reflect that to students who don’t know what we have come from as a profession and where we are going – why we have to be evidence-based and perform at a very high level,” she said.

Johnson says she had a great opportunity to interact with medical students and residents, along with nursing students while working 14 years for UofL Pediatric Neurology before transitioning to Norton Medical Group – Child Neurology.

She is hopeful for her future, and can’t wait to see her daughters launch into their own careers upon graduation.

“I was always guiding my daughters – asking them what classes they liked in school and helping them figure out what they loved to do,” she said.

And, in the year of this historic centennial and progress of women’s rights, Johnson says she is reminded they can all strive toward what they dream of becoming.

The two completed a feat never before achieved at the University of Louisville as they became the first siblings to receive such distinguished honors.

Although the accomplishment was unprecedented, the brother and sister were not the first in their family to call themselves Cards. Following in their parents’ footsteps, Naethan and Natasha chose to attend the University of Louisville as Grawemeyer and McConnell Scholars, respectively before turning their attention to the Fulbright program. Natasha pursued marketing and political science majors, while Naethan found a chemical engineering mentor in James Watters – the same professor who taught and advised their father on his path to a PhD at UofL in the 90s.

The Mundkur siblings were competitive growing up, but not with each other. Instead, their ambitious spirit was internal.

“We are both competitive, but in our own direction,” said Natasha. “My brother is a Slytherin and I’m a Gryffindor. We approached our world from two very different lenses. We may have had our opportunities to clash in terms of being brother-sister competitive, but I don’t think it has ever impacted our fields.”

“Natasha and I are the kind of people who become antsy or dissatisfied when we feel like our life is becoming stagnant,” Naethan added. “We feed off of our successes.”

Naethan’s technical intelligence versus Natasha’s social intelligence meant that they were never competing for the same things. Instead of butting heads or battling for the spotlight, the Mundkur siblings find a sense of pride in each other’s success.

If it weren’t for his sister’s experience and encouragement, Naethan likely would not be a part of the renowned Fulbright network.

“A lot of successes aren’t solely my own,” said Naethan. “My sister was 100% a driving force in why I applied [for the Fulbright Award].”

She helped him through the process, introduced him to Bethany Smith and Dr. Charles Leonard in the International Scholarships Office, and urged him to write a story for his application that encompassed who he is.

Like many people, the Mundkurs’ outlook on life, finding success, and working hard was largely shaped by their family. Raised by two engineers, Naethan followed in their footsteps to enter the field. Natasha on the other hand, drew inspiration from watching the struggles and emotional life lessons of her parents.

As people of color, the Mundkur siblings knew of the obstacles that would come their way from a young age. Growing up as the children of immigrants in Louisville, they understood the value of working hard at an early point in their lives.

“I saw my parents go from fresh, new, permanent residents in this country to full-blown citizens – moving from one part of Louisville to the exact opposite part over our lifespan and seeing our lives change,” said Natasha. “Our parents never sugar coated the life that we would have or the struggles that we would face.”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that the combination of watching our father’s drive to succeed and then having our mom, who I can’t really quantify the value of her raising us, being there for us, taking us to events and practices – just always being around – that one-two punch combination I think helped us both become what we are,” said Naethan

From a young age, the siblings were bound to accomplish lofty goals. While nothing is set in stone, the siblings have big plans for their careers. Natasha has her sights set on diplomatic relations, while Naethan is eager to work on the development of groundbreaking technologies.

The Fulbright program allows the two of them to gain an international and intercultural immersive learning experience that fosters research and relationships alike. While their goals may be vastly different on paper, at the core they are the same. The siblings have a passion to bring positive change to their community, and when Naethan and Natasha Mundkur are passionate about something, they will give it their all. It’s the way they were raised.

This academic year, for the first time, Kentucky’s college students will have a say in what that “change and improvement” should look like. CPE President Aaron Thompson recently created a student advisory group after his listening tour last year. He felt the formation of the student group would fit two major CPE priorities: communications and collaboration.

This year’s inaugural group includes 22 college students from across the state – including four UofL Cardinals. They include Juniors Rachel Burns and Priyadarshini Chandrashekhar, and sophomores Afi Henriette Tagnedji and Noah Young. The students are tasked with attending meetings to discuss high-level issues “that may need more attention from student government or campus boards,” as well as helping out with events, public engagement and policy development. The group’s work will continue through June 2021.

As , students are faced with the most challenging academic year in memory, and this group will provide an “invaluable opportunity” to understand their unique needs and circumstances.

Tagnedji, for one, is ready to offer such insights.

“Students are at the forefront of education systems and we have a lot to say. I have a lot to say. That alone is enough [reason to get involved],” she said.

“As a member of this board, my goal is to bring about bold dialogue, progressive reforms, and uplift the marginalized to bring about an ever-changing, equitable future for postsecondary education,” Young added. “Making the state of postsecondary education an optimistic, equitable, and prosperous enterprise, not only benefits our great state, but the country as a whole.”

All four of the UofL students are involved in a number of other initiatives. Burns and Tagnedji, for example, are both MLK Scholars. Young is a resident assistant, and Chandrashekhar has been involved in the undergraduate arts and research showcase.

Still, they are dedicating their time to this advisory panel to focus on priority areas they’ve each identified, including:

• Burns, who is studying history, is focused on student services and resources, as well as sexual assault and dating violence.
• Chandrashekhar, a biology major and math minor, is focused on academic quality, online instruction during COVID-19, student support and access to resources for success.
• Young, a political science major, is focused on college affordability, mental health, diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Tagnedji, a sophomore biochemistry major, is focused on student health and safety, education quality and access to financial aid.

“Cost is and has always been a barrier to education. ����ֱ�� is a right and higher education should be no less. Students need support financially, not just with tuition but with other funds that come from an understanding of the real cost of post-secondary education,” Tagnedji said.

Such financial support is critical, she adds, as it also ties into retention and belonging.

“With culturally relevant curriculum catered to ‘the times,’ I believe universities can bring added value to the many changemakers emerging, especially in this socio-political climate. The onus really is on institutions to equip students to be the change they want to see,” she said. “All these issues are near and dear to my heart because I have seen firsthand what the power of an equity-focused education system does for individuals and the communities to which they belong.”

Indeed, Tagnedji, who is originally from Todome in Togo, west Africa, is the first in her family to attend school in the U.S. And though just a sophomore, her involvement on the CPE student advisory panel fits her extensive community involvement resume.

In fact, that involvement is a big part of the reason she ended up at UofL. In late 2018, she met Provost Beth Boehm while both were serving on the Evolve 502 board (Tagnedji was serving as the student board member at the time).

Boehm recommended she apply for the Martin Luther King Scholars program. She did just that and was accepted, which led to a number of conversations with people across campus, including President Neeli Bendapudi and Jenny Sawyer, executive director of admissions.

“I was smothered with information, opportunities, and a very loud message of belonging. This really is the place for me, and I am so glad I had everyone’s support through the entire process,” she said. “Choosing the University of Louisville is honestly one of the best decisions I have ever made.”

Tagnedji is looking forward to being part of this new group that will be able to enact change well beyond UofL’s campus. ��

“I am optimistic. I must be. I never commit to initiatives I do not believe in and having worked with Dr. Thompson on past projects, I am excited to see the change that comes from this council,” she said.

“I always had an entrepreneurial spirit, which I believe comes from my parents,” said Hernandez, a senior marketing major. He has tested the entrepreneurial waters with several ventures during his time at UofL, including photography and owning coffee roaster, Herns Coffee. Hernandez’s parents have been involved in textiles and manufacturing—a direct connection that helped to jump start the Secure Mask.

Brown’s passion for finance and investment has helped to give the duo a solid fiscal foundation. Like Hernandez, Brown has already built a successful enterprise—he has been a ticket broker since 2016.

“Building my ticket brokerage allowed me to learn how to interact with both business-to-business clients and business to consumers,” he said. “It also taught me the importance of cash flow and managing inventory.”

That inventory management currently occupies much of Hernandez’s apartment. “We ship everything out from my apartment. There are boxes everywhere.”

Ramping up inventory has gone hand-in-hand with an increase in demand. Initially, mask orders were from the Louisville metro area.

“When we first started selling the masks, I used to spend part of the day delivering them in my car,” Hernandez said. “But that all changed when we started doing ads on television.”

Brown, a rising junior double majoring in finance and economics, and Hernandez began working with a local media company when they were interviewed by a television station in Philadelphia.

“After that [interview], we started getting orders from all over. Pablo was on the phone with a repeat customer from LA last night. Folks call at all hours about orders,” said Brown.

The local media company has also helped place television spots for the duo in a variety of markets beyond the Midwest, including running ads in Hawaii.

The increased profile means increasing the team. The Secure Mask has between six to 10 part-time employees, many of them also UofL undergrads.

“Being an intern at the College of Business taught me a lot about working with people,” says Hernandez. “Working directly with Sharon Handy and the marketing team helped me understand the importance of project management and teamwork.”

Brown also attributes their venture’s success to his time at the College.

“I’ve met a lot of people [who] work or know people in different sectors of the economy. My professors have helped show me what a real workplace looks like,” he said.

Hernandez agreed, adding, “They have always been more than just professors. I will talk to them outside of the classroom and know that if I had any questions about anything, I could come to them. They are more mentors than professors.”

While Hernandez and Brown saw a business opportunity, The Secure Mask company understands it is much more than just making masks. Hernandez’s parents have started multiple businesses, which “always called his attention,” he said.��That sense of doing business right includes supporting the most vulnerable in the community. The Secure Mask website features a section that allows people to receive free masks to those facing medical or financial hardship.

With an upcoming school year just around the corner, both��Hernandez and Brown continue to strike a balance between work, school and life.

“As we begin to scale, gaining access to capital will be a big challenge. The Secure Mask has to keep a lot of inventory on hand, so we have to have a lot of capital to invest in inventory and run the day-to-day operations,” Brown said. “There’s a lot to learn both in and out of the classroom.”

Story written by Jim Warner, College of Business content developer.��

Formerly known as Mr. and Ms. Cardinal, the Cardinal Awards are presented by UofL’s Student Activities Board and is based on academic excellence, co-curricular activities and service to the university.

Ford is a��Woodford R. Porter Scholar and a Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Scholar. She serves as the regional publications chair for the National Society of Black Engineers, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the Speed School Mentoring Program. She has performed many hours of service in the community with Fed with Faith Program, as a West End School Tutor, Cabbage Patch Settlement House Volunteer, and a speaker for the Black Achievers Engineering Cluster.��

Goli is��a Barry Goldwater Scholar, a Henry Vogt Scholar, and a KEES Scholar. He serves as the founder of both the Louisville Social Innovation Lab and the Droplet Water Project, and serves as a member of the Indian Student Association. The Droplet Water Project is a philanthropic project to help college students get involved in a global effort to provide access to clean drinking water by expanding clean water intervention from Cachipay to Tauramena, in Colombia. He has been involved in research in diabetes care and treatment at the University of Louisville and Harvard Medical Schools.

On MLK Day, the scholars will participate for the second time in a day of service, helping organizations throughout the community. In fact, this program was created specifically to focus on service and social justice, using Dr. King’s work and the Civil Rights Movement as the primary points of study.

Second-year scholars travel to the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement – Selma, Birmingham, Montgomery and Memphis – to explore these historical areas firsthand and gain new insight from the era and how to apply it to their academic and professional endeavors.

“Students who apply to the program seek it out because of its focus on social justice issues and because they want to become social agents of change for their communities,” Russell said. “Our program is young, but we have a lot of success stories, including students who have gone onto law school and to med school. Our students are doing big things.”

Russell adds that while housed in the University Housing Program, the MLK Scholars Program could not thrive the way it does without support from the Cultural Center, Admissions, the Anne Braden Institute, Social Change, the Peace, Justice and Conflict Transformation Program and others.

The 2023 cohort

Arianna Moya Porras, from Louisville, is the founder and field organizer of the Latino and Hispanic Empowerment Organization, and is also the vice-president and co-founder of the Earth Activists and the Community Outreach Coordinator for her school’s Immigration and Refugee Assistance Program. Arianna is also involved with organizations such as the Y Club, One Blue Wall Literary Magazine, Women in Science and Engineering, and the Muhammad Ali Center Council of Students, among others. She has dedicated over 120 hours of tutoring help to the Americana Community Center. Her peace/social justice area of interest is increasing Hispanic voter engagement and education. She majors in political science.

Marco Munoz, a bioengineering major from Louisville, is involved with a number of organizations, including the Latin American and Hispanic Student Organization, the Beta Club, the Science Olympiad, and all-county orchestra. He volunteers with the Americana Community Center, La Casita Community Center, the Kentucky Humane Society, and the Adelante Hispanic Achievers. His peace/social justice area of interest is removing barriers and increasing opportunities for immigrant students.

Exile Lukudu, from Louisville, a biology major, played soccer, viola and Conga drums at his high school, Butler. In his community, Exile has held leading roles in church plays and acts as a leader in his youth group. His peace/social justice area of interest is eliminating discrimination through cultural understanding and appreciation.

Rachel Burns, a sociology major from Lexington, can play eight instruments. Rachel serves as a mentor to orchestral students and as a camp counselor at the Wesley Woods Summer Camp for elementary and middle school students. She has helped organize Black History Pajama Night every year since 2012 at a local elementary school, and is a mentor for the Girls Guiding Girls Program. She is involved with clubs such as the Younglife Club, the Equity in Advanced Placement program, the History Club, and the Psychology Club. As a hostess at Texas Roadhouse, she translates for Spanish-speaking customers. Her peace/social justice area of interest is spreading awareness of police brutality against the African American community through education and art.

Olivia Ridgeway, from Versailles, double-majors in political science and Pan-African studies. She has served as a moderator for the Chamber of Commerce Political Forums, has interned for the Amy McGrath for Congress Campaign, has coordinated and hosted the Versailles Mayor Debate, created the Random Acts of Kindness Club, and interned for the Spark Community Café. Olivia has been involved in many other organizations, including the NIA African American Girls Alliance Club, the Film Club, the Woodford Student Leadership Council, and the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra. Her peace/social justice area of interest is combatting homelessness through sustainable housing and food programs.

Camila Perez, from Bowling Green, is a chemistry major who served as an officer of the Science Club and is a member of the National BETA Club, the Spanish National Honors Society, the Spirit Club, and the Future Healthcare Professionals in high school. She was also a varsity member of the track and field team. Camila has helped organized a Walk for Water, raising money for drinking wells in impoverished countries, and has volunteered with the Salvation Army and United Way. Her peace/social justice area of interest is cultivating cultural literacy and decrease hiring discrimination.

Louisville native Nyah Smith, a bioengineering major, played for her high school girls basketball while tutoring middle school students through the Cabbage Patch and B-Elite Mentoring Programs. Nyah has also developed and implemented a study skills enrichment program. Additionally, Nyah was a member of the Black Student Union, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and has participated in the 2018 National Youth Leadership Program, focusing on Medicine. Her peace/social justice area of interest is improving education for Black students to overcome social, economic, and political oppression.

Afi Tagnedji from Todome, Togo, is majoring in biochemistry. She was the head of surgery within her school’s chapter of the Future Physicians of America Club, as well as president of her Student Body Council and captain of both the Rifle Team and the Lady Raiders Soccer team. She has served on the Jefferson County Superintendent Advisory Council and the Academic team, as well as on the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. In her community, Afi has volunteered for the Youth Service Center, as a peer tutor, and for the Student Leadership Team Planning Committee. Her peace/social justice area of interest is affordable healthcare.

Louisville native Sadie Finley serves as a Youth Development Specialist at Saint Vincent dePaul Family Success Center, where she helps low-income and homeless students with homework. In her community, she volunteers extensively with the Jefferson County Public Schools’ Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Committee. Her roles include camp counselor at the Girls Excelling in Math and Science program, STEM-based Camp Invention, and the Summer Literacy Program at St. Vincent dePaul. Sadie is also a member of YPAS concert choir and guitar ensemble, the Black Student Union, the Crimson Scholars, and the Kiwanis Key Club. Sadie’s peace/social justice area of interest is minority youth education and support.

Louisville native Gordon Rowe III majors in finance with a minor in political science. In high school, he held numerous leadership roles, including president of his senior class, treasurer of his junior class, President of the Black Student Union, and Student Ambassador for two years. He also works as a Kids Club Attendant through the YMCA, is a member of the Muhammad Ali Council of Students, the Future Business Leaders of America, the John Schnatter Economics Program, and the YMCA Black Achievers. In his community, Gordon has volunteered with numerous neighborhood cleanups and served at Family Scholar House and Hotel Louisville. His peace/social justice area of interest is empowering Black citizens in West Louisville educationally and economically.