Family Weekend brings Wildcat community together

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 14, 2025) — For Muge Celik, Family Weekend at the University of Kentucky has come full circle.

Nearly 20 years ago, as an international student far from her home country, she watched other Wildcats beam with pride as they showed their parents around the campus she had quickly grown to love.

“What stood out was how happy students were to show the campus to their families,” she remembered. “UK has such a beautiful campus, and being right in the downtown of a beautiful city makes it even more awesome. You can reach anything easily and still enjoy peace and relaxation.”

Back then, she didn’t have relatives in town to share the experience.

“At first it felt lonely that I didn’t have any family of my own here,” she said. “But some of my American friends’ families took the duty and adopted me for the weekend.”

They took Celik to Fayette Mall, American favorites like Cracker Barrel, Sonic and Waffle House, and helped her see Kentucky through their eyes.

“It was such a joyful time to see those places for the first time in my life and feel included in their families.”

Today, Celik’s story continues, now as a proud UK parent. When her son enrolled at UK in 2017, and now with a daughter also beginning her Wildcat journey, Celik returns each year to Family Weekend not as a guest, but as a host.

“Each experience has its own excitement, pride and joy,” she said. “Now that my daughter is here, I’m looking forward to seeing it all again through her eyes.”

Celik’s made it a mission to pay forward the kindness she once received.

“Since I know the feeling of not having family with you, I want to give back,” she said. “Whether a student is international or not, I want to include them in my family. That makes us an even bigger family.”

That sense of connection, of belonging to something larger than oneself, is exactly what Family Weekend is designed to foster, says Nicki Jenkins, director of UK Family and Civic Engagement.

“The main goal of Family Weekend is to bring our students and families together in a way that celebrates what it means to be part of the Wildcat community,” Jenkins said. “It gives families a chance to step into their student’s world for a few days, see campus through their eyes and share in the traditions that make UK such a special place.”

Each fall, the weekend becomes one of those rare moments when home life and campus life overlap.

“Students get to show their families where they live, study and spend their time,” Jenkins said. “It helps parents and supporters feel part of this new chapter, and it gives students a chance to proudly share their UK experience.”

When families arrive, she added, something powerful happens.

“Students see that their support system extends beyond just phone calls and texts, it’s present on campus too. That visible encouragement builds confidence and helps students feel like they really belong at UK.”

This year’s Family Weekend coincides with UK Homecoming and a historic football matchup as the Wildcats take on Texas. The schedule is filled with opportunities for connection and celebration — from the UK Alumni Tailgate and the Kentucky Donut Trail to optional excursions, tours and family-friendly events.

Two new traditions are adding to this year’s excitement: the Kiddy-Cat Parade, where future Wildcats will parade through campus to Wildcat Plaza for ice cream and a photo with the Bowman wildcat statue, and the Family Cornhole Competition on Main Lawn before kickoff.

“Both events create unique ways for families to connect with each other, show their UK pride and make lasting memories together,” Jenkins said.

Across Lexington, the weekend’s energy is impossible to miss. From the cheers at Kroger Field to dinners at favorites like Cracker Barrel (a continued Celik family tradition), Wildcats and their families are united by shared pride and purpose.

“UK has awesome opportunities and resources for students and families,” Celik said. “Even after all these years, I’m still learning new things about UK. My family is growing within UK and its traditions. It feels so good to volunteer on campus, eat in the Champions Kitchen or just walk around and see happy, involved students. We really are a big, happy family at UK.”

Jenkins hopes that feeling of belonging will continue to ripple forward.

“Ten years from now, I’d love for alumni to come back and say, ‘I remember bringing my family to Family Weekend when I was a student,’” she said. “That’s the heart of it — creating a legacy of belonging, pride and connection that stretches across generations of Wildcats.”

In many ways, Family Weekend embodies the university’s larger commitment to the “power of we,” the idea that community is not an accident, but a choice made day after day through small, intentional acts of care. As President Eli Capilouto reminded the campus earlier this year, community begins with the choices we make for one another. To lift while we lead, to choose curiosity instead of judgment and to open doors rather than close them. Through those choices, Wildcats discover that we are more alike than we are different — and together, we are stronger, wiser and more compassionate than any one of us could be alone.

Family Weekend 2025 is hosted by the Office of Family and Civic Engagement, housed in the Office for Student Success. Visit families.uky.edu for the full schedule of events and additional details.