Craft Academy celebrates graduating class of 2025
Morehead State University's Craft Academy for Excellence in Science & Mathematics hosted its graduation ceremony for the Class of 2025 on Saturday, May 10.
The Academy recognized 88 students representing 47 counties across the Commonwealth of Kentucky at the ceremony. Craft Academy graduates will attend 16 different colleges and universities across the United States, including 13 students who will enroll at MSU:
- Lisa Abrampah of Fayette County, Public Health, University of Kentucky
- Annalisa Banker of Fayette County, Criminal Justice
- Katherine Black of Pendleton County, Criminology, Marshall University
- Anthony Blevins of Elliott County, Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisville
- Prince Boateng of Fayette County, Engineering/Psychology
- Jaxson Brewer of Scott County, Anthropology, Harvard University
- Xander Britton of Woodford County, Undecided, University of Louisville
- Joanna Brosseit of Bath County, Neuroscience, Morehead State University
- Reese Brown of Mason County, Information Technology
- Daniel Cameron of Harrison County, Religious Vocations
- Colin Campbell of Fayette County, Computer Science
- Devin Carlton of Lincoln County, Automotive Engineering
- Dylan Carroll of Perry County, Pre-Med
- Norman Charles of Pike County, Computer Science
- Jeffrey Childers of Martin County, Undecided
- Jonah Clements-Mattingly of Bullitt County, Chemistry, University of Louisville
- Eliana Clifford of Jessamine County, Space Systems Engineering
- Caden Cole of Spencer County, Engineering, Bellarmine University
- Brayden Cook of Lawrence County, Undecided
- Paisley Cooke of Bracken County, Biology, University of Louisville
- Aubry Cooley of Lewis County, Psychology/Sociology, Morehead State University
- Addyson Crum of Martin County, Pre-Med, University of Louisville
- Angel Daugherty of McCreary County, Computer Science, University of Kentucky
- Alexander Dilger of Boone County, Space Science Engineering
- Lucas Dilger of Boone County, Engineering, University of Kentucky
- Caden Dobbins of Bullitt County, Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisville
- Gabrielle Dobson of Fayette County, Pre-Med
- Vivien Eirigh of Crittenden County, Astrophysics
- Kaysen England of Bullitt County, Pre-Med, University of Louisville
- Aime Ensenat Pena of Jefferson County, Nursing, University of Louisville
- Dylan Foster of Hardin County, Physics or Robotics, University of Louisville
- Ashlee Foxworth of Harrison County, Sociology and Anthropology, University of Kentucky
- Caitlyn Gregory of Estill County, Exercise Science/Physical Therapy
- Samuel Gross of Knox County, Pre-Med, University of Kentucky
- Dalton Hall of Montgomery County, Astrophysics, Morehead State University
- Ashton Hazelwood of Madison County, Mechanical Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
- Jonah Hirsch-Rosales of Fleming County, Undecided
- Jacob Holbrook of Carter County, Psychology, University of Louisville
- Silas Host of Jessamine County, Mechanical Engineering
- Trevan Hughes of Pulaski County, Computer Science, University of Kentucky
- Rhianna Ilari of Scott County, Environmental Science, University of Kentucky
- Madelyn Irish of Mason County, Psychology, Northern Kentucky University
- Justin Jones of Henry County, Undecided
- Makayla Jones of Pendleton County, Political Science, Berea College
- Patrick Kelly of Woodford County, Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky
- Gabriel Kendall of Bullitt County, Biology, University of Louisville
- Emma Laney of Boyd County, Biology, Morehead State University
- Kaylee Lawhorn of Carter County, Pre-Med
- Jacob Layne of Boyd County, Biology, University of Kentucky
- Kiara Little of Bath County, Aerospace Engineering, Morehead State University
- Roger Love of Harrison County, Pre-Med, University of Louisville
- Ethan Lung of Lewis County, Geology, Morehead State University
- Micah Marsh of Harrison County, Aeronautical Engineering
- Annika Marshall of Kenton County, Pre-Med, University of Louisville
- Emma Lee Martin of Shelby County, Nursing, University of Louisville
- Kennedy Mills of Martin County, Undecided, Morehead State University
- Kirk Mills of Martin County, Aerospace Engineering, University of Kentucky
- Ethan Morse of Bath County, Computer Science, Morehead State University
- Thomas Morton of Jessamine County, Engineering, University of Kentucky
- Jason Myers of Bullitt County, Biology, University of Louisville
- Addison Ody of Elliott County, Architecture, University of Kentucky
- Gabriella Ostrander of Leslie County, Psychology/Neuroscience, Centre College
- Sahil Patil of Laurel County, Neuroscience
- Keira Patton of Powell County, Pre-Med, Morehead State University
- Helena Pearce of Fayette County, Pre-Med, University of Kentucky
- David Pohlmann of Warren County, Chemical Engineering, University of Alabama in Huntsville
- Caleb Raider of Lincoln County, Law, University of Kentucky
- Ella Ranson of Fayette County, Biomedical Sciences/Ophthalmology
- Hailey Royster of Leslie County, Mortuary Science
- Mahallah Saadiq of Fayette County, Pre-Med
- Andy Sabic of Jefferson County, Astrophysics
- Delanie Schachere of Grant County, Undecided, Morehead State University
- Palmer Schmidt of Jessamine County, Environmental Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
- Margaret Shelton of Harlan County, Elementary Education, Eastern Kentucky University
- Clyde Shiley of Jefferson County, Business, Bellarmine University
- Matthew Shope of Lewis County, Pre-Med/Optometry
- Alexis Stevens of Estill County, Automotive Technology/Entrepreneurship, Lincoln College of Technology (Denver)
- Carter Stevens of Rowan County, Physics, Morehead State University
- Brooklyn Strange of Clark County, Pre-Vet
- Erin Thorpe of Breathitt County, Psychology, Morehead State University
- Justin Triplett of Greenup County, Computer Software, Shawnee State University
- Robert Vanderpool of Bullitt County, Engineering, University of Louisville
- Aiden Vieu of Hardin County, Space Systems Engineering, University of Kentucky
- Nattalie Wall of Bell County, Aerospace Engineering
- Aubrey Watson of Carter County, Accounting, Marshall University
- Gabriella Watson of Boone County, Education, Western Kentucky University
- India Young of Marion County, Communications, Asbury University
- Tiffany Zhang of Clark County, Pre-Med
Dr. Joseph W. Craft III of Lexington, president and CEO of Alliance Resource Partners LP, was the guest speaker at this year's graduation ceremony. He and his wife, Ambassador Kelly Craft, are co-founders of the Craft Academy. Initially pledging $4 million to establish the Academy in 2015, it is the single largest cash gift in the history of the University.
"We want you to excel, we want you to work hard, we want you to have fun, but we also want you to care and serve others," Craft said. "I look back over these last 10 years, and every class has done that and succeeded, and every year seems to get better."
The Craft Academy graduation speaker was Katherine Black from Pendleton County. She is the daughter of Kathleen Black and Daniel Black.
Black will attend Marshall University in the fall as a member of MU's Honors College, where she will double-major in criminal justice and cyber forensics & security.
"Craft Academy isn't just a program. It was a challenge, a community and, for many of us, a second home," Black said. "We're leaving here not just smarter, but stronger, more compassionate, and ready to do good and be kind in a world that needs both."
The Craft Academy for Excellence in Science & Mathematics is a dual-credit academy for academically exceptional Kentucky students. Craft Academy provides students with postsecondary residential experience to complete their junior and senior high school years by enrolling in college courses. The Craft Academy aims to meet the unique educational needs of the Commonwealth's academically gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors. The academic rigor of the Craft Academy challenges students to excel at their highest level through project-based STEM+X courses and hands-on learning experiences emphasizing innovation, design and creativity, and civic and regional engagement.
For more information on the Craft Academy for Excellence in Science & Mathematics, contact 606-783-9025 or email craftacademy@moreheadstate.edu.
