Representing more than 20 degree programs, our Gaines Fellows represent some of the finest undergraduates at the University of Kentucky.
Meet Our Fellows
Our Senior Fellows
Botshelo Angoma
Botshelo is an international student from Johannesburg, South Africa. He is majoring in Agricultural and Medical Biotechnology and in Psychology.
"I feel a great sense of excitement and opportunity to bridge my passions in art and health. Each discipline has its nuance, I believe through the Gaines Fellowship, I can explore creativity in health in an effort to find novel solutions for public issues. Furthermore the prospect of finding a community that would support me in doing so is even more exciting, as we all share passion for the humanities."
María Arenas Flórez
María is an international student from Cucuta, Colombia. She is majoring in Biology.
"Being awarded the Gaines Fellowship is a tremendous honor. This fellowship will not only provide me with a community of like-minded individuals but also offer the opportunity to cultivate lasting friendships and professional relationships. Through this network, I anticipate engaging in enriching discussions, expanding my knowledge, and collaborating on innovative ideas that will shape my future endeavors and contribute to personal growth and success."
Maria Carey
Maria is from Richmond, Kentucky. She is majoring in Neuroscience and in Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.
"I am ecstatic to be a Gaines Fellow as I believe that this will be an incredible opportunity to push my knowledge and learn more about the humanities. I know the lectures will be invigorating and encourage me to dive deeper to explore my curiosity. I am thrilled to be able to conduct my own research project senior year since I am always wanting to know more about the statistics of my community. I have grown up in the arts so I hope to gain a better understanding of the humanities and how it has truly affected my life for the better."
Caleb Dotson
Caleb is from Lexington, Kentucky. He is majoring in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Diversity and Inclusivity Awareness. He is also completing the undergraduate Certificate in Social Work.
"I am so grateful to be selected from among the many excellent applicants. Humanities have always held a special place in my life, and I am excited to explore how they intersect with my professional interests. I look forward to learning from the other fellows and being challenged to grow not only as a scholar and a student but as a person."
Danielle Ferriell
Danielle is from Pewee Valley, Kentucky. She is majoring in Psychology and in Social Science Research. She is also completing the undergraduate Certificate in Arts & Sciences.
"I am so thankful to be offered this opportunity. I am excited to learn lots of new things, meet new people, and gain skills that I hope to take with me into my future endeavors. I am passionate about psychological research and believe an education in the humanities will provide me with a strong foundation to grow in my career."
Beaux Hardin
Beaux is from Stow, Ohio. They are majoring in English and in Modern and Classical Languages, Literature, and Culture.
"I am so excited to have been awarded the Gaines Fellowship! I am extremely lucky and cannot wait to get started. I hope to learn from all the experiences that Gaines will give and I hope to gain a way to give back to my community!"
Chase Myers
Chase is from Lexington, Kentucky. He is majoring in Psychology.
"I am beyond grateful to be awarded the Gaines Fellowship. My time at UK has been one filled with discovery, and I hope to continue this journey of creative exploration during my time in the Gaines Fellowship. Through this program, I hope to grow my abilities in ways that will best help those within our community, specifically through the creative art of writing and poetry."
Faith Sammons
Faith is from Arlington Heights, Illinois. She is majoring in Digital Media Design, Theatre, and in Musical Theatre for Theatre Majors. She is also completing the undergraduate Certificate in Fine Arts.
"I am so beyond honored to be part of the Gaines Fellowship. I hope to dive deeper into my studies and find ways to integrate advocacy work into my work in the humanities, particularly in the culinary and fine arts."
Kauner Shacklette
Kauner is from Pine Grove, Kentucky. He is majoring in Architecture and in Historic Preservation.
"As a first-generation student, the Gaines Fellowship is symbolic of the fact that anything is possible when you are determined. I feel extremely grateful and honored to be awarded this opportunity as it will help me further my interest in the field of architecture. I hope the experience helps me explore the relationship between humans and their understanding of the world. The humanities are all about people and I hope to interact with a diverse group of individuals, whether that be other fellows, artists, or public officials."
Amica Snow
Amica is from Lexington, Kentucky. She is majoring in Elementary Education.
"I am excited to be awarded the Gaines Fellowship. Everyone at UKY knows how competitive and coveted this fellowship is, so I am exhilarated to be a part to participate. As a Gaines Fellow, I hope to diversify my research skills and connect with my peers who share an appreciation for the arts."
Marc Vazsonyi
Marc is from Richmond, Kentucky. He is majoring in Mathematical Economics.
"I am very excited and honored to have been awarded the Gaines Fellowship. I believe it will be an excellent opportunity for me to connect with a diverse group of students who are also passionate about learning, and to engage in shared learning opportunities. I also look forward to gaining experience conducting research guided by faculty members."
Natalie Williams
Natalie is from Elizabethtown, Kentucky. She is majoring in English.
"I am absolutely ecstatic to be awarded the Gaines Fellowship and have this incredible opportunity, I was so excited when I saw the email show up on my drive home for break that I called everyone to let them know! I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the humanities and I am excited for the academic and personal growth that I believe will accompany being a part of this program. I am excited to learn about and research things that are meaningful and interesting to me for my thesis and community service project, and hope to also create lasting and meaningful connections with my fellow Gaines Fellows and all of the staff."
Our Junior Fellows
Sidney Acree
Sidney is an English major from Burkesville, Kentucky.
“I am so excited to be accepted into the Gaines Fellowship. I realize how coveted this fellowship is, and I am going to make sure I take advantage of the opportunity awarded to me. From this experience, I hope to gain more insight into research and how research can be used to improve issues we face. I also hope to make friends who are interested in the humanities and dedicated to their studies like myself. Thank you all for this opportunity; I promise to make the best of it.”
Priscilla Agbozo
Priscilla is an Exploratory Business major from Mesaiees, Qatar.
“I was genuinely surprised and honored to have been selected. I am so excited to enrich my college experience and get to build new connections. I’m excited to learn more about the humanities and pursue my passions and interests outside of my major.”
Hunter Coady
Hunter is double-majoring in Biology and English. He is from Crestwood, Kentucky.
“I am beyond ecstatic. It is something I’ve wanted to apply for since I first heard about it at the beginning of freshman year.”
Carter Franklin
Carter is majoring in International Studies and Spanish. She is from Louisville, Kentucky.
“I am completely ecstatic––the humanities are not just a discipline, but a passion I hold so close to my heart. To me, they are the key to delivering impactful change and making a difference in the world.”
Eduarda Frizzo Pereira
Eduarda is an international student from Porto Alegre, Brazil. She is majoring in Economics and Political Science.
“It's an honor to be awarded the Gaines Fellowship and to be able to be part of a group that makes such a huge impact on the UK community through the lens of humanities and research. I hope to dive into an extremely diverse experience and learn from each person who crosses my path inside the Gaines community.”
AJ Hopkins
AJ is majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Science, and in Law and Justice. She is from Independence, Kentucky.
“Words cannot describe the rush of pure joy I felt upon being notified of my acceptance. I am beyond honored to be awarded the Gaines fellowship. This experience presents me the rare and wonderful opportunity to pursue meaningful community work and research as part of my academic curriculum, and I know my time in the fellowship will push me to learn more and experience more in so many new and unexpected ways”
Matthew Mitchem
Matthew is majoring in Political Science, Economics, and Public Policy. He is from Nicholasville, Kentucky.
“I am beyond thrilled and honestly caught at a lack of words at being awarded the Gaines Fellowship. From my original application, I had doubts that I would make it into such a competitive and prestigious fellowship, but here we are. From Gaines, I hope to expand my knowledge and work to demonstrate that to a larger audience in a way that only Gaines can provide. Be it through the thesis or engagement project, I am ready to give everything I have to make a difference.”
Riley Owen
Riley is majoring in Biology and Neuroscience. She is from Burlington, Kentucky.
“I am elated to be able to be a part of such an incredible opportunity. Through this fellowship I hope to grow my knowledge and applications of the humanities, combine my love for science and humanities into two very cool projects senior and junior year, and collaborate with other fellows and form lifelong friendships! I am also excited to collaborate with faculty advisors and delve deeper into research that I am truly passionate about and combines both of my passions.”
Prisha Patel
Prisha is an Architecture major from Lexington, Kentucky.
"Being awarded the Gaines Fellowship is truly an immense honor. I am beyond grateful and ecstatic to be selected for this opportunity as a first-generation student. Coming from a mother who has always said “anything is possible”, I have been instilled with this mindset. This opportunity is a perfect example of this expression. I hope this experience gives me a deeper insight into my studies in architecture and the applications of intersectionality within it. I am thrilled to engage and interact with all sorts of diverse people, whether it be my peers, faculty, or even external individuals.”
CC Rhein
CC is majoring in Integrated Strategic Communications. She is from Lexington, Kentucky.
“I am extremely excited and grateful to have been awarded a Gaines Fellowship. I think this opportunity will allow me to meet students that are similarly passionate about learning and the chance to be part of a community. I hope that we are able to learn and grow together as we work through the new challenges that we will face as members of this fellowship.”
Da'Vazjah Scharkley
Da'Vazjah is majoring in both Psychology and Social Sciences Research. She is from Adairville, Kentucky.
“I am so graciously honored and excited to be awarded the Gaines Fellowship. I've planned for this moment, and more than ever, I am proud that my accomplishments, hard work, and support from many of my advisors and peers have pushed me to be a part of an amazing program. I look forward to connecting with community of talented individuals and using the experience that I gain to impact and help others.”
Sanai Wright
Sanai is majoring in English and History. She is from Chicago, Illinois.
“I am so honored and excited to have been awarded the Gaines Fellowship. I want to gain more research experience and collaborate with other majors and people of different backgrounds. I am also interested to see what entails with being a fellow and building a sense of community with other fellows.”