Alumni Spotlights
Highlights: 2025 May Graduation 
UK Social Work Grad Aims to Help Kids Win on the Wrestling Mat and at Life
This article was originally published in UKNow. In life, there are wins and losses. A win doesn’t always equal success. And a loss doesn’t necessarily equate to failure. Instead, Tyran
Tamara Vest grew up in foster care. Now, she’s working to improve the system
This article was originally published by Spectrum News 1. Adversity is a word with which Tamara Vest is all too familiar. Vest, 25, a Lexington native, aged out of Kentucky’s
Marissa Massey’s Brother Was Given 24 Hours to Live — How His Miraculous Survival Led Her to UK Social Work
This article was originally published in UKNow. Everything can change in a moment. It sounds like a cliché. But experiences, good and bad, have the power to fundamentally alter us
A Catalyst for Change: UK Alum Creates App to Eliminate Bias in Hiring Process
This article was originally published in UKNow. What does it mean to be a changemaker? By definition, it is someone who is taking creative action to solve social injustices. In
UK Social Work Alumna Transforms Substance Use Treatment Through Technology, Passion
This article was originally published in UKNow. According to Raenae Moore, a successful substance use disorder program shouldn’t be measured by people completing treatment. Instead, success should be measured by
Q&A with Sabri Williams
Sabri Williams, who graduated from the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work program in May of 2020, is currently working with AmeriCorps in the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) program.
Success Against All Odds: From Aging Out of Foster Care to Social Work Grad
Can you recall a time when you felt the odds were stacked against you? It’s a common phrase you’ve most likely used in casual conversation. For Tamara Vest, “the odds
Nada Shalash
Nada Shalash graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Social Work in May 2019. While at UK, she earned her Master’s in Clinical Social Work.
Jamyle Cannon
It’s a weeknight in Chicago. The city streets and sidewalks are crowded — filled with the hustle and bustle of people making their way home for the evening.
Briana Sowers
For Briana Sowers, a College of Social Work student, it came in the form of supportive and empowering faculty and staff.
Anna Villarreal
Anna Villarreal, who started as a finance and economics major at the University of Kentucky, realized three years into her program that she wanted to shift gears.