‘UK at the Half’: UK’s youth educational experiences set grad on path to success
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 24, 2024) — When Lexington native Devin Thompson walked across the Rupp Arena stage at last month’s Commencement ceremony – he completed a journey that began when he was a little kid and continued during his teenage years.
The biology major first came to the University of Kentucky campus to attend what was formerly called the See Blue STEM Camp (now STEM Experiences Camps), led by the UK College of Education with support from the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Medicine.
As he grew older, participated in another UK summer project through the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program. The program, based in UK’s Center for Interprofessional and Community Health Education, is a collaborative effort with the University of Louisville Health Science Center and eight regional centers to positively affect the distribution of health professionals throughout Kentucky. Through their Summer Enrichment Program, Thompson had the opportunity to “experience college before college.”
In this “UK at the Half,” Thompson discusses how his “pipeline experiences” helped him make the transition to succeed as a student at UK and what’s next for him, following his graduation.
“UK at the Half” airs during halftime of each UK football and basketball game broadcast on the radio and is hosted by UK Public Relations and Marketing. To hear the “UK at the Half” interview, click the play button above.
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.