LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kauner Shacklette's distaste for calculus led him down an unexpected path that culminated in his graduation from the University of Kentucky College of Design in May 2026, armed with the foundation for a promising career in architecture.

The Vine Grove native entered UK as a computer science major but quickly realized the field wasn't suited to his strengths and interests. During priority registration for his spring classes, Shacklette enrolled in an introductory design course taught by Associate Professor Liz Swanson that would prove transformative. "I took that in the spring, and by the next fall, I was in the architecture program," he said. "It eased me into what design work could look like, and that's where I found my passion."

As a first-generation college student, Shacklette could have viewed the major change as a setback. Instead, his early college experience — which allowed him to earn an associate degree during high school — kept him on track and created opportunities across UK's College of Design. The School of Architecture at the University of Kentucky College of Design is the only NAAB-accredited architecture program in Kentucky, providing a rigorous foundation combining design studios with coursework in building technology, materials, and architectural history.

Shacklette's commitment to design was affirmed during an architecture studio that tasked students with designing a house for vampires and their various physical forms and stages of ability. The project challenged him to think creatively about accessibility in design, pushing him to apply inclusive design principles through an imaginative framework. "That pushed me to see design in a new way that I had never seen before and really take this idea of accessibility and apply it to such an outside-the-box concept like vampires," he said.

The studio-based learning environment proved crucial to his development. With smaller class sizes and close faculty relationships, Shacklette moved beyond technical skills to rethink how design shapes human experience. "I think that architecture is one of the few majors where you get so much feedback from professors, and you really develop those close relationships with them," he said.

These relationships opened doors Shacklette hadn't imagined. He led sustainability initiatives through the Student Sustainability Council, externed with Brooks + Scarpa Architects, and participated in international experiences spanning Italy, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain and Ethiopia. Shacklette was among 52 students across the United States awarded an inaugural NextGen Service Fellowship by the Institute of International Education, funded by The Rockefeller Foundation and Outrider Foundation.

His fellowships also included the prestigious Gaines Center for the Humanities award, which provides funding and mentorship for independent research. During his final year, Shacklette served as an instructional assistant for the very design course that sparked his initial passion. "Being a first-generation college student, I didn't know what my experience would look like," he reflected. "Four years later, I've had opportunities I never would have imagined, and I've grown in ways I never expected."

This fall, Shacklette will attend the University of Michigan to pursue a Master of Architecture. Long term, he hopes to combine creativity and impact through roles in design companies or historic preservation with the National Park Service.