Alumni Success Stories

A&S Hall of Fame 2017 - Charlie Grizzle

Charles L. Grizzle (Charlie), a native of Argillite, Kentucky, in Greenup County, earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1973. He spent nearly a decade in banking in Louisville, during which time he was involved in numerous political campaigns, including Deputy Chairman for the Reagan campaign in Kentucky in 1980. Following a brief stint as Executive Director of the Republican Party of Kentucky, Grizzle moved to Washington, D.C., to accept a position in the Reagan Administration at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 1988, President Reagan nominated and the U.S.

English as a Catalyst: Jaclyn Spraetz

English courses introduce students to skills beyond analyzing novels - teaching them how to interact and connect with other students and improve their skills of analysis. This skill set is useful beyond the classroom, helping former students to succeed in their occupations and as they continue their occupation.  In this podcast, Rachael Gilley, an English undergraduate student, and Jaclyn Spraetz, a 2009 Secondary English Education graduate, discuss how Spraetz's background with English courses impact her daily life. 

Curiously Inclined

“Last summer I was in Budapest briefly locked in a gypsy’s apartment while she tried to extort more money from me, and had a great time…” said Joe Nickell, as if he were describing a weekend at the lake. He is a man with many interests – over 200 “personas” are listed on his personal website including folksinger, stage magician, and séance conductor.

Peyton Fouts

At age seven, Peyton Fouts,’06, wanted to change the world. And he’s been working toward that goal since.

At that young age, he saw a girl on TV carrying one brother and dragging another (who was dead) by the hand in the sand. “She had been orphaned by AIDS and my heart broke. I knew I wanted to change their circumstances and I just kept seeing people around the world who needed help.”

Andrew Bozio

Andrew Bozio first got hooked on British literature as a junior at Louisville’s St. Xavier High School. He knew then and there he’d found his calling.

Having just finished his first year of studies in the English PhD program at the University of Michigan, Bozio credits his undergraduate experiences at UK with helping establish a foundation for his intended career in early modern literature.

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