UK Philanthropy

Donors and students and grads, oh my! 🎓✨

From Hollywood to Connecticut, the Bluegrass to the stars — these Wildcats made headlines in 2025. Check out our most popular articles of the year (in no particular order):

1️⃣ Luck of the Irish 🍀 – Jimmy Dunne turns his creative spark into a global career in music, media & marketing.
🔗 https://ukalumniblog.com/2025/06/06/luck-of-the-irish-jimmy-dunne/

2️⃣ Full Tilt Forward ⚡ – Stephen Wiehe shows how bold risks & smart strategy drive business success.
🔗 https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/full-tilt-forward-alum-stephen-wiehe-turns-risks-rewards

3️⃣ Sew Old, Sew New 🧵 – Krista LeRay & Amanda Caldwell mix tradition and innovation to grow a multimillion-dollar needlepoint business.
🔗 https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/sew-old-sew-new-uk-alumnae-stitch-success-multimillion-dollar-needlepoint-empire

4️⃣ Wheels of Change ♿ – Kelly Berger champions people with rare diseases & disabilities with courage & impact.
🔗 https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/wheels-change-alum-champions-those-living-rare-diseases-disabilities

5️⃣ Blue Morpho Walk 2025 🦋 – Wildcats unite for Golisano Children's Hospital at UK in this annual event full of color & hope.
🔗 https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-happenings/register-second-annual-blue-morpho-walk-benefit-kch

6️⃣ Defying Gravity 🚀 – NASA engineer Tracy Drain takes Kentucky talent to the cosmos through science & innovation.
🔗 https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/defying-gravity-uk-alum-s-journey-kentucky-stargazer-nasa-engineer

7️⃣ A Little Pizza Their Hearts 🍕 – Amy & Eric Redfield turn a historic gas station into a Food Network-featured hotspot.
🔗 https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/little-pizza-their-hearts-alumni-restaurant

8️⃣ The Sentimentalist 🎨 – Katie Morrison blends artistry & craftsmanship in dental work, watercolors & custom boots full of detail & heart.
🔗 https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/sentidentalist-uk-alum-combines-artistry-and-craftsmanship

9️⃣ Roll Credits, Y’all 🎬 – Eli Samek brings Hollywood magic to the Bluegrass through film & creativity.
🔗 https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/roll-credits-y-all-uk-alum-brings-hollywood-kentucky