You may know the University of Kentucky for its academic excellence + high-flying basketball team, but the growing community is also a pathway to a rewarding career for thousands of locals.

The institution consists of service workers, caregivers, landscapers, engineers, business professionals, and problem solvers. At UK, employees can discover opportunities for growth, a collaborative culture, meaningful work, work-life balance, and an inclusive environment.

We recently connected with three different UK employees to see how their careers have benefited at the university.

Keep Growing at UK

They say, “Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.”

For 2002 UK graduate Sarah Fitzgerald, that certainly rings true. A proud alum and the university’s current Donor Relations and Stewardship Officer, Sarah found a home at UK first as an undergraduate student and now as an employee for almost 13 years.

"You can come here, do your job, do it well, and go home,” Sarah said. “Or, you can come here and take that extra step.”

Her role overseeing the UK LEADS Scholarship Program and the UK Fellows Society is one of the many ways Sarah has been able to give back to students and people at UK — a major reason why she’s stayed as an employee for over a decade.

“Good people surround you, so mission-driven for the students, the state, health care, and research,” she said. “We don’t lose sight of it. That’s why I stay here.”

Be part of something bigger

Harold “Tree” Sandford has been part of UK’s Facilities Management team for more than 40 years.

As Associate Director of Maintenance and Operations, his role is as dynamic as it is essential. Whether he’s 20 stories high cleaning windows at Patterson Office Tower, replacing lights at Kroger Field, or scuba diving in the aquatic center’s pools to tighten bulkheads, Tree keeps the university running smoothly.

“Unfortunately, things break. If they didn’t, I wouldn’t have a job,” Tree jokes.

But for him, working at UK is about much more than repairs. “As a staff member, every time UK wins a national championship or wins a big football game or you see the amazing things that the folks at UK HealthCare are doing — helping people, taking care of children — it just makes you so proud that you’re part of that staff.”

Careers that grow with you

Trey Cline discovered his passion for audiology as a UK undergraduate after being inspired by a classmate’s talk on speech pathology.

Now a Clinical Audiologist for UK HealthCare, he treats patients of all ages, from newborns to centenarians. With support from UK’s tuition reimbursement program, Trey is pursuing a Ph.D. in gerontology while continuing his work. “The beauty of being here is that you can grow,” Trey says.

Trey also credits his team for creating a supportive environment for collaboration. “We all genuinely like each other, get along, and are friends,” Trey says. “And we all happen to be good at our jobs.”

More than just a job

At UK, you’re more than an employee — you’re a partner in progress, a collaborator in creativity, and a champion of change. Discover your next career at UK.

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