LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) celebrated its graduating class of 2025 on Friday, May 9 at Rupp Arena and at the CoSW’s Graduation Celebration.
The CoSW is committed to developing outstanding professionals, leaders who will serve individuals, families, and communities through innovative and effective practices that are guided by a pragmatic understanding of the human condition.
The CoSW is also celebrating a historic milestone as it graduates its first-ever class of Criminal Justice majors. These students are the first in the university’s history to leave UK with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Masters in Criminal Justice, programs that launched in Fall 2023 as part of CoSW’s commitment to advancing social justice and public service.
The Class of 2025 join the ranks of CoSW alumni, poised to shape the future with integrity, passion, and unwavering commitment to excellence.
“I’m really excited to be walking across that stage today,” Sara Corman, a Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate, said. “I’ve been in school for the past four years and this is a lot of hard work finally paying off. I’m so honored to be a social worker and to show my children what the future looks like in social work.”
Prior to the commencement ceremony Friday evening, the College of Social Work hosted a Graduation Celebration at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Lexington, inviting all graduates and their loved ones to come together and meet their fellow graduates.
“We are incredibly proud of our spring term graduates. Throughout their academic journey, they have demonstrated professionalism, a deep curiosity for learning, and a clear vision for turning their education into meaningful work that will positively impact communities around the world,” Dr. Matt Moore, CoSW Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs, said.
Among those who walked across the stage in Rupp Arena was Raven Whitaker-Smith, a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) graduate who, by the time she was 12-years-old, had already lived through more than most do in a lifetime.
“I haven’t actually talked about how proud I am of myself, but to be the first person from my biological family to graduate high school and then move on to college, I’m so incredibly proud of myself,” Whitaker-Smith said. “No one but my parents have seen the things that I’ve had to do to get to where I am today.”
The College of Social Work congratulates the class of 2025 and looks forward to the impact CoSW graduates continue to make on the Commonwealth and beyond, improving the human condition always, in all ways.
