As Transylvania gets ready for tomorrow’s commencement on Old Morrison Lawn, the university continues celebrating the Class of 2025. Check out previous spotlights of graduating seniors here and here.
Senior Madi Davis rallied her campus in support of children with pediatric cancer two years in a row. The biology major from Louisville started the Transy Dance Marathon fundraiser in 2024 and served as chair for the inaugural event and again this past March. “The Transy community has always been special to me, so it was really great to watch everyone come together for a common cause and fight for the kids,” she said. Davis, who triple minored in chemistry, Spanish and medical humanities, also served as president of the Pre-Health Club for two years and played volleyball her entire time at Transylvania. She plans to attend Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in the fall.
Senior Mlelwa Dieudonne is known for being a “bright light” at Transylvania, always ready to participate in classroom discussions and put what she’s learned into practice. The accounting major from Lexington helped relaunch our Entrepreneurship Club — and with the assistance of the Center for Entrepreneurship landed an apprenticeship and started a bookkeeping company. “The Center of Entrepreneurship really helped me develop my business plan,” she said. Dieudonne has also been involved with our Student Government Association, Sigma Gamma Rho and Alumni on Location. Plus, she got real-world experience by providing free e-filing for the local community through our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.
By taking advantage of research opportunities at Transylvania, chemistry major Trent Fry discovered his future path. The senior is headed to the University of California San Diego, where he has a graduate assistantship for Ph.D. studies in bioinorganic chemistry. His undergraduate work included investigations into organic synthesis with professor Bob Rosenberg and a presentation at the American Chemistry Society national conference in New Orleans. Fry, who is from Cynthiana, Kentucky, also played soccer for Transy and served as an Academic Center for Excellence tutor and Embedded Learning fellow. He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha and our American Chemical Society chapter as well.
Kennedy Kniffley found a community at Transylvania where she could not only become a campus leader, but also let her creativity shine. The senior writing, rhetoric and communication major from Louisville helped establish our Sigma Gamma Rho sorority chapter and served as editor of The Transylvanian. Kniffley also was a member of the Black Student Alliance, Leading Ladies, band and choir, and she wrote for the Louisville Defender and was a First Engagements scholar and Phonathon caller. A creative writing minor, Kniffley interned for Apex Publications and studied in Rome for a summer. After graduation, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in popular fiction writing and publishing at Emerson College.
Transylvania senior Colby Napier will have an inside track when he starts the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at UK’s Hazard Campus this fall. Through a job shadowing and scholarship partnership we have with Appalachian Regional Healthcare, he learned a lot about prioritizing relationships. “The more you connect with your patients, the better care you can give them,” said Napier, a health and exercise science major (pre-PT) from Hindman, Kentucky. Back when he played high school basketball, he realized the value of physical therapy in getting athletes back performing at their top level. He went on to play basketball for the Pioneers, earning a spot in the 1,000 Point Club. Napier, who was also a member of the Pre-Health Club, will be working at an Appalachian facility for a few years as part of the ARH program, helping provide care to a region that needs more health professionals.
Senior Maddie Mullan has inspired fellow Pioneers to “embrace their authentic selves rather than trying to conform to a predefined mold of who they think they should be.” The psychology and sociology double major from Lindenhurst, Illinois, has been active in college life through groups like TUnity, the Conservation Action Committee and Alpha Omicron Pi, along with playing for our field hockey team and serving as an area coordinator for Bassett and Rosenthal. “What motivated me to be a campus leader was thinking about the legacy I wanted to leave on Transy’s campus, and with this came the desire to grow personally while making a positive impact on those around me.” Mullan, who minored in women’s, gender and sexuality studies, also conducted research on cancel culture through a school grant with their adviser, professor Iva Katzarska-Miller. “My plans after graduation are to gain real-world job and research experience in my field before pursuing further education.”
With perseverance and resilience, Alexandria Smallwood has been a supportive friend leading by example on campus and beyond. The biology major and sociology minor from Louisville has positively impacted her fellow Pioneers as a resident assistant and member of Phi Mu and PhiDE. In her various roles, she’s mentored younger students, organized projects and was simply there to offer encouragement to classmates. “I want to build a community where people feel valued and that they have a place on campus,” said Smallwood, who plans to attend medical school. She also has an Instagram page @illyandme dedicated to telling her story and raising awareness about ostomies.
Katherine Taylor has been serving up aces on the court and in the classroom during her time at college. Not only did the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference recently recognize her as the Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Year (for the third time) and conference tournament most outstanding player, but she also regularly appears on the dean’s list and has received other academic honors such as a Transylvania Class Award for earning a 4.0 GPA. The pre-pharmacy biology major from Burlington, Kentucky, was captain of Transy tennis, VP of the Pre-Health Club, VP of membership experience for Tri Delta and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Psi Chi and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Her many other recognitions include the Tri Delta Sarah Ida Shaw Honorable Mention and Academic All-American award. Taylor, who minored in chemistry and psychology, has appreciated being able to give back to her school by making positive contributions to campus life. She plans to attend the University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy while working at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as a four-year pharmacy intern.
Getting into medical school is impressive enough, but senior Ethan Tiller went well beyond the rigorous academic work it takes to do that. The biochemistry major from Grayson, Kentucky, has served as an RA, admissions ambassador, Pre-Health Club vice president and Transy Dance Marathon leadership team member. Tiller did all that while playing baseball for the Pioneers his entire time at Transylvania. “Being a four-year student athlete has connected me to a group of individuals that have similar priorities: excellence in the classroom and on the field,” he said. Tiller also noted how the sport fosters stability, accountability and responsibility. The pre-med student, who minored in data analytics, plans to start classes at UK College of Medicine this fall.