Applications for May 2023 Commencement student speaker now open
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 6, 2023) — Continuing with university tradition, the University of Kentucky May 2023 Commencement ceremonies will feature a student speaker to give a three- to five-minute address to the May Class of 2023.
Applications for student speakers are now open and will close 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 3. Apply here.
Students interested in applying must be receiving a degree as a May or August 2023 graduate. Applicants must have contributed to the university through campus and community activities or through their chosen field of study and present evidence of demonstrated public speaking ability. Applicants will present their address to the Commencement Speaker Selection Committee, who sends recommendations to the UK president.
Application materials include a resume with activities, work experience and accomplishments achieved during the applicant’s study at UK. In addition, a summary of no more than three typed, double-spaced pages of the proposed speech and a completed online application are required. Incomplete applications are unable to be considered by the selection committee. Documents must be submitted in PDF format with the applicant’s first and last name.
Ceremonies will take place Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. View the ceremony schedule here: https://commencement.uky.edu/may-2023.
Interested students can for more information and application instructions here: https://commencement.uky.edu/student-speakers.
If you have any further questions, please contact the Commencement graduate assistant at commencement@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 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.