Making every opportunity count: Mary Akingbasote’s UK Invests story
Throughout the fall semester, UKNow will spotlight University of Kentucky students who are putting UK Invests lessons into practice and building the knowledge and habits they need for a successful financial future.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 18, 2026) — Sometimes the most valuable opportunities are the ones that help you grow in multiple ways at once.
For Mary Akingbasote, a second-year doctoral student from Ondo State, Nigeria, UK Invests has provided more than an opportunity to learn about investing.
It’s become a way to build financial knowledge, develop healthy habits and form meaningful connections across the University of Kentucky community.
“I’m most excited about continuing to build my investments and creating long-term financial security,” Akingbasote said. “I want to keep applying what I’ve learned through UK Invests to make thoughtful financial decisions and build a strong foundation for my future.”
In addition to pursuing her Ph.D. from UK’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, she is also a graduate research assistant in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering.
Her research focuses on using carbon dioxide and hydrogen derived from organic waste to produce acetate through solid-state gas fermentation systems and extremophilic microorganisms. The broader goal is turning agricultural and industrial waste into valuable products, while supporting sustainability.
Through UK Invests, Akingbasote is also investing in her own future.
Launched in 2022, UK Invests helps students become healthier, wealthier and wiser by building a foundation of financial education and healthy habits. Through the program, students complete online financial education modules, open brokerage accounts and earn funds from the university by engaging in activities that promote success — from attending financial education sessions to building career skills, participating on campus and prioritizing physical and mental health.
Since its launch less than four years ago, more than 18,000 students have opened investment accounts — earning nearly $3 million in university-funded rewards. Collectively, student investments are projected to exceed $9 million at the next quarterly update at the end of the month.
The program’s growing reach will also be showcased this fall through a new partnership with UK Athletics. Beginning with the Sept. 5 football game against Youngstown State, the UK Invests logo is featured on Kentucky Football jerseys as the team’s Official Jersey Patch Partner. The partnership will help introduce more students, families and fans to the program and highlight the ways UK Invests is helping students build financial confidence and prepare for their futures.
UK Invests was initially implemented in phases, beginning in Fall 2022 with UK student-athletes who deposited their NCAA Alston Awards earnings into UK Invests brokerage accounts after completing financial education programs. UK Invests then expanded to the full undergraduate, graduate, and professional student body population in Fall 2023 and has quickly become one of UK’s most successful student initiatives to-date.
In this UK Invests student spotlight, Akingbasote shares how the program has shaped her experience at UK and has helped her invest in her future.
UKNow: What interested you in joining UK Invests?
Akingbasote: I was interested in UK Invests because it gave me the opportunity to learn new things, participate in wellness programs that positively impact my life and earn money while doing so.
UKNow: Before participating in UK Invests, what did you know about investing or financial wellness?
Akingbasote: I was already quite familiar with investing — but participating in the various UK Invests programs allowed me to expand my knowledge and learn new approaches to financial wellness.
UKNow: What is the most valuable lesson or skill you've gained through the program?
Akingbasote: Discipline. The program has reinforced the importance of being consistent and intentional when it comes to both my finances and personal well-being.
UKNow: How has participating in UK Invests influenced your experience as a UK student?
Akingbasote: It has greatly enriched my experience as a UK student. I always look forward to participating in the Connection Group, meeting new people and having a space where I can talk openly about things I was going through. It helped me feel more connected to the UK community.
UKNow: What advice would you give other students who are considering joining UK Invests?
Akingbasote: Make the most of every opportunity. Attend the events, socialize and connect with other students, learn as much as you can, and be intentional about investing wisely.
UKNow: What financial goal are you most excited about working toward in the future?
Akingbasote: I’m most excited about continuing to build my investments and creating long-term financial security. I want to keep applying what I have learned through UK Invests to make thoughtful financial decisions and build a strong foundation for my future.
UKNow: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Akingbasote: I’m grateful for the opportunities UK Invests has provided. Beyond the financial benefits, the program has given me opportunities to learn, connect with others and develop habits that I can carry with me beyond my time at UK.
Here’s a reminder on how UK Invests works:
- Students can create a brokerage account and learn about financial wellness through iGrad (a leading financial education provider).
- Students can earn money by practicing and participating in healthy behaviors and habits — beginning with financial education and expanding to building employability skills, getting involved on campus and prioritizing physical and mental wellness.
- As part of this initiative, the university is working with Fidelity Investments to ensure students are empowered to make deposits in their future investment opportunities that can help them reap a lifetime of benefits for themselves, their families and their communities.
UK Invests is available to all undergraduate, graduate and professional students — helping participants build financial knowledge, strengthen healthy habits and invest in their future.
To learn more about the program and how to get started, visit ukinvests.uky.edu.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.