​Tiwaladeoluwa Adekunle Adekunle, from Nigeria and Ghana, spoke at the 10 a.m. May 7 ceremony. She graduated with baccalaureate degrees in international studies and English from the UK College of Arts and Sciences. During her time at UK, Adekunle has held leadership positions with the African Student Association, UK Amnesty International and the Society for International Studies. She has also served as an ambassador for the College of Arts and Sciences, a peer instructor for UK 101 and a member of the International Student Leadership Team. Adekunle plans to spend this summer in The Gambia, and then begin a master’s program in communication at Purdue University this fall.

“I’ve reflected a lot on what it means to just leave after an experience as profound and transformative as college,” Adekunle said. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to remind us all of what a gift this has been, and to hopefully, give my peers something meaningful to take with them.”