LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 29, 2022) — University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto has selected four student representatives to speak at the UK Commencement Ceremonies May 6-7, at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Each speaker will address her or his respective ceremony in person. The speakers are:
Amy Luu Ngo
Ngo, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, will address her classmates as the student speaker for the 9 a.m. Saturday, May 7 ceremony. Ngo is earning a bachelor's degree in biology from the UK College of Arts and Sciences and a minor in health advocacy and a certificate in clinical healthcare management from the UK College of Health Sciences.Ngo has worked as a clinical laboratory technician to process thousands of COVID-19 samples for the UK community and the Commonwealth. She has also conducted research through the UK Office of Undergraduate Research and served as a teaching assistant intern in the UK Department of Chemistry. She also is a member of Lambda Alpha Chi Omega; UK Amnesty International; vice president of financial and medical coordinator for UK Shoulder to Shoulder: Global Brigades; a member of the Interprofessional Healthcare Living Learning Program; a volunteer with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; and volunteered on campus with various UK vaccination clinic COVID-19 efforts.
Ngo is also the first in her family to attend college, and is excited to share her story.
“As a first-generation college student, there were various obstacles and challenges that I had to overcome,” Ngo said. “I hope that my speech emphasizes the importance of perseverance when facing life tribulation. Also, be able to show how the University of Kentucky has created an environment that gives their students a sense of community and belonging.”
Robert E. Anderson III
Anderson, of Covington, Kentucky, will address the audience 9 a.m. Friday, May 6. Graduating from the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment with a master’s in nutrition and food systems, Anderson served as a graduate research assistant; study coordinator; lab coordinator of the Performance, Nutrition and Body Composition Laboratory; Cooperative Extension publication assistant; Kentucky Health and Wellness ambassador program assistant; teaching assistant and lecturer. He is the 2021 GradResearch Live! 3-Minute Thesis Competition winner and Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition Graduate Student Congress representative.
Haley Brents
Brents, of Louisville, Kentucky, is earning a bachelor’s degree in special education from the UK College of Education, as well as a minor in psychology and certifications in learning/behavior disorders and moderate/severe disabilities. She will give the student address at the 2 p.m. ceremony on Friday, May 6. Brents was president of Underground Perspective, a UK Diversity Recruitment ambassador, K-Crew leader, UK101 peer mentor, Hall and Area Council member, and a LexEngaged Living Learning Program participant. She also spent three years as a resident adviser and is the recipient of the William C. Parker Scholarship, James and Patsy Education Scholarship, Still We Rise Scholarship and the Alma Lee Allen Special Education Scholarship.
Deborah Myers
The California, Kentucky, native is the student speaker for the 6 p.m. Friday, May 6 ceremony. Myers is graduating with a bachelor of business administration in finance and marketing from the UK Gatton College of Business and Economics and a bachelor’s in agricultural economics from the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Myers hopes to express appreciation to the UK community and a challenge as fellow classmates start their new firsts.
“I found my home at the University of Kentucky and am deeply proud to call myself a Wildcat,” Myers said. “This institution provided me with educational and experiential firsts that empowered me to learn and grow beyond what I knew was possible. What’s more, I hope to challenge my fellow graduates to set forth with both purpose and intentionality as we aim to educate, innovate, heal and serve our Commonwealth and beyond.”
Throughout her four years on campus, Myers was named a Women in Finance Scholar; Honorary Commissioner of Agriculture; Women Business Leaders Delegate; University Endowment Fund Student Portfolio Manager; Coca-Cola Scholar; Commonwealth Ambassador; and Kentucky Governor’s Scholar. She has dedicated time as a resident advisor, Agricultural Economics Academic Team Secretary, Cooperative Extension Service intern, CAFE Ambassador and Student Council Representative, Southland Students Volunteer, and intern for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and Fifth Third Bank.
The University of Kentucky is increasingly the first choice for students, faculty and staff to pursue their passions and their professional goals. In the last two years, Forbes has named UK among the best employers for diversity, and INSIGHT into Diversity recognized us as a Diversity Champion four years running. UK is ranked among the top 30 campuses in the nation for LGBTQ* inclusion and safety. UK has been judged a “Great College to Work for" three years in a row, and UK is among only 22 universities in the country on Forbes' list of "America's Best Employers." We are ranked among the top 10 percent of public institutions for research expenditures — a tangible symbol of our breadth and depth as a university focused on discovery that changes lives and communities. And our patients know and appreciate the fact that UK HealthCare has been named the state’s top hospital for five straight years. Accolades and honors are great. But they are more important for what they represent: the idea that creating a community of belonging and commitment to excellence is how we honor our mission to be not simply the University of Kentucky, but the University for Kentucky.
