May 1, 2025 - Sophia Goodin & Sophie Ciaverelli (Spring Graduate Spotlight)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 1, 2025) – As the University of Kentucky prepares to celebrate its newest alumni during Commencement ceremonies on May 9^th and 10^th, each student walking across the stage carries a unique story of transformation and impact shaped by their time on campus. Earning a degree in any field demands dedication, perseverance and countless hours of study, but the experience of UK often provides much more, equipping students with skills and perspectives gained through community engagement, hands-on research opportunities and impactful experiences with the wider world, allowing them to go on to lead lives of meaning and purpose.

Two such students are graduating this spring from the UK College of Public Health, with journeys that show how UK’s supportive environment, coupled with their own initiative, has prepared them to tackle complex health challenges on a broad, even global, scale.

Sophia Goodin, a Lexington native, and Sophie Ciaverelli, who grew up partly in Texas and Germany, were drawn to public health for its focus on making a difference at a population level, rather than through solely individual patient care. They both held a desire to use their skills to help entire communities and appreciated the unique viewpoint Public Health provided in getting to the root causes and solutions of certain problems.

Another cornerstone of their UK experience has been the supportive and close-knit community within the college, along with the accessibility and passion of the faculty and staff. Goodin describes the community as “super welcoming,” and noted the ease of having “personal conversations” due to the college’s smaller size. Ciaverelli added that the college made strong impressions on them by helping students feel “they want me here, I belong here, and they are celebrating the fact that that I'm here” right from the start.

On this episode of Behind the Blue, Goodin and Ciaverelli reflect on their time at UK, their unique research and international experiences, and what's next as they prepare for graduation and embark on their future paths in public health.

‘Behind the Blue’ is available via a variety of podcast providers, including iTunes and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Behind the Blue is a joint production of the University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page. 

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