The university is conferring a total of more than 3,300 degrees and certificates and more than 1,900 students are expected to attend the traditional two commencement ceremonies at the KFC Yum! Center. Interim UofL President Lori Gonzalez will lead both ceremonies, which mark the return of spring commencement exercises to the downtown arena since they were canceled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last spring, exercises were held outdoors in historic ceremonies at Cardinal Stadium.

Slaw, of Atlanta, served one combat tour in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army and was introduced to UofL when he served at Fort Knox. 

“I knew the school to have an excellent reputation for working with veteran students,” said Slaw, now a captain in the Army Reserve.

He said he will tell his fellow graduates to “remember the little kid inside of you who once dreamed of this day … this is only the beginning!”

In nominating Slaw to be speaker, Crystal Rae Coel, the law school’s assistant dean for student affairs and diversity, called him “one in a million.”

“He is a selfless, never tired, power-through leader with a wealth of knowledge and service,” Coel said. 

Reflecting on his law school experiences, Slaw added he “never expected Covid-19 to be added to the list of struggles one must endure during law school.”

However, he added, “our burdens fail in comparison to those who have lost loved ones during this pandemic.”

Slaw was featured in a recent UofL Magazine story about the longtime partnership between the law school and Louisville’s Central High School. He hopes to be a congressman someday as well as run an equal housing nonprofit. 

Slaw said he valued his experiences as part of the Student Bar Association and the Student Government Association while at UofL.

“They allowed me to learn the inner workings of both student government and collegial administration while serving others,” he said. “This service to others is where the value in the experience can be found.”

The May 14 ceremonies at the KFC Yum! Center will be as follows:

• 10 a.m.: College of Arts & Sciences, Brandeis School of Law, Kent School of Social Work & Family Science, Graduate School, School of Dentistry, School of Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Public Health & Information Sciences.
• 3 p.m.: College of Business, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, College of ����ֱ�� & Human Development, School of Music.

For more, visit .

After graduating, Midle will return to her alma mater, South Oldham High School in Crestwood, Kentucky, to teach mathematics.

“I hope to stay there and help the students grow and give back to a community that gave me everything,” she said. 

The university is conferring a total of more than 3,300 degrees and certificates and more than 1,900 students are expected to attend the traditional two commencement ceremonies at the KFC Yum! Center. Interim UofL President Lori Gonzalez will lead both ceremonies, which mark the return of spring commencement exercises to the downtown arena since they were canceled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last spring, exercises were held outdoors in historic ceremonies at Cardinal Stadium.

Midle said she plans to give her fellow UofL graduates a message of “new beginnings.” 

“I hope to provide my fellow graduates with a sense of hope and accomplishment as we enter this new chapter in our lives,” she said.

In their nomination letter, College of ����ֱ�� & Human Development associate professors Sue Peters and Shelley Thomas praised Midle for overcoming the challenges of becoming a teacher during a pandemic that upended school schedules and locations and left few true classroom experiences to learn from.

“Piper, however, learned how to adapt to the challenge, going above and beyond to refine her teaching skills. This is representative of the commitment to academic excellence and student engagement that she shows on a consistent basis,” they said.

Midle said UofL was a perfect fit for her as someone who grew up right outside of Louisville in Pewee Valley. A lifelong Cardinal fan with an older brother who graduated from UofL last year, she wanted to support the teams she had always loved as part of the Marching Band and the Pep Band. She played both flute and saxophone in the Cardinal Marching Band beginning in her freshman year.

“Some of my favorite experiences have been through band and the College of ����ֱ�� & Human Development,” Midle said. 

She loved traveling to away games to other cities with the band, she said, and she was disappointed they missed out on so many travel opportunities in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. But some of her most treasured band memories were a result of that difficult time. 

“While I did miss out on these opportunities, I was given different opportunities to work closer with my CEHD peers as well as provide nursing homes and hospitals with free performances to try to raise spirits and show our support of those on the frontlines during this time,” she said.

The May 14 ceremonies at the KFC Yum! Center will be as follows:

• 10 a.m.: College of Arts & Sciences, Brandeis School of Law, Kent School of Social Work & Family Science, Graduate School, School of Dentistry, School of Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Public Health & Information Sciences.

3 p.m.: College of Business, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, College of ����ֱ�� & Human Development, School of Music.

For more, visit .

Each ceremony, led by University of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi, will include one student speaker.

Aliyah D’Rae Brutley, College of Arts & Sciences

Brutley will speak at the first ceremony of the weekend May 7 at 7 p.m. She is receiving a bachelor of science in theatre arts and a bachelor of arts in psychology.

A , Brutley is this year’s recipient of the Woodcock Medal, the most prestigious recognition of accomplishment by an undergraduate student in A&S. The Woodcock Medal is awarded each year to “an outstanding senior whose personal characteristics and superior scholarship give promise of constructive leadership in society.”

As an undergraduate student, she was cast in UofL’s Repertory Company, which is a small ensemble usually reserved for graduate students that tours Jefferson County Public Schools. 

“I had the pleasure of … seeing the look on young Black girls’ faces as they saw themselves reflected on stage,” said Sidney Monroe Williams, assistant professor in theatre arts, who nominated Brutely for the Woodcock Medal.

Brutely is graduating with a 4.0 GPA and is currently employed in a National Science Foundation-funded project to retain underrepresented minority women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). She previously worked at UPS loading and unloading delivery trucks. 

Brianna Marie Blasi, College of Business

Known as Bree to her friends, Blasi will receive her bachelor of science in business administration at the second weekend ceremony May 8 at 10 a.m. The marketing major said she wants to send a positive message to the class of 2020, whose ceremony last year was abruptly cancelled because of the pandemic, and the class of 2021.

“As we celebrate the classes of 2020 and 2021, let us live in the moment and remember how far we’ve come,” she said. “The struggles and the changes we went through have made us more resilient, made us more equipped for the unknown, and most importantly, showed us our strength.” 

Blasi, of Louisville, said UofL has felt like home to her from the moment she arrived for freshman orientation. 

“From the professors, lovely staff members and education resources to all the supportive classmates I have encountered over the last four years, I was truly able to excel at UofL and reach my goals,” she said. “When Covid-19 hit, my world, and so many others’, was shook to its core. It sometimes seemed like I was travelling through this never-ending dark tunnel with no sign of light. What helped me get through it all was the continuous support from classmates and understanding professors.”

Murphy Lamb, School of Music

Pianist Murphy Lamb will give remarks at the 4 p.m. ceremony May 8, the final ceremony of the weekend. The Campbellsville, Kentucky, native is graduating with a bachelor of arts in music and a minor in physics.

“I hope to relay to guests and fellow graduates that graduation is a time to reflect on our experiences, look forward to the opportunities ahead of us, but most importantly, it is a time to connect with one another in the present. It is a time to celebrate our accomplishments and live into the fullness of the moment,” Lamb said.

Lamb developed chronic tendinitis in his wrists and elbows during his first year in the School of Music and feared he would have to abandon his dream of a music degree.

“As a pianist this was an incredible obstacle,” he said. “At my worst I was almost forced to make the decision to leave my major. How could I complete a music degree if playing my instrument was a serious health risk? I would not have been able to find a solution had it not been for the empathy and flexibility shown to me by my close personal mentors and beloved faculty in the School of Music. They gave me space to rest when needed, time to develop ways to work around my condition, and a never-ending stream of words of encouragement.”