President Capilouto Addresses the UK Class of 2020
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 8, 2020) — Today would have been the first day of University of Kentucky’s now-postponed Commencement Ceremonies. To honor this milestone during a time when in-person gatherings are not permitted, UK President Eli Capilouto has recorded a formal address to the May 2020 graduates.
“This is not the way we wanted to mark your graduation, this tremendous accomplishment that signifies resilience and resolve, commitment and capacity,” Capilouto says in the address. “We don’t choose our time or the circumstances of our world. We only know that this is our time. We get to choose how we respond. And we need you to lead. I’m betting that you will. Because you always have. That’s who you are. That is what we – as Wildcats – always do.”
Watch the full address above, or at https://youtu.be/D2cgyTxjdr0.
While the May ceremonies have been postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the university is committed to formally honoring graduates and their friends and family at an appropriate time, when it can be done in a safe way for everyone. More information about the rescheduled ceremony will be communicated in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the university encourages graduates to celebrate safely at home. Many colleges are hosting virtual celebrations and special video messages. Learn more about the colleges' plans here: https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-happenings/uk-celebrates-may-2020-grads.
Graduates are also encouraged to share their special moments at home by using the hashtag, #UKGrad.
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 health care. 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 $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.