# UK announces four student speakers for Class of 2026 commencement **Published:** 2026-05-05T16:27:18.000Z **Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/meet-may-2026-uk-commencement-student-speakers) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-announces-four-student-speakers-for-class-of-2026-commencement LEXINGTON, Ky. — [Four graduating students have been selected by University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto to represent the Class of 2026 as speakers](https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/meet-may-2026-uk-commencement-student-speakers) at the university's May commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday at [Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center](https://www.rupp.uky.edu/). [The May 2026 commencement ceremonies will take place Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9](https://commencement.uky.edu/may-2026), with four separate ceremonies scheduled throughout both days. More than 4,200 graduates are expected to participate across the four ceremonies, with a record 6,693 May degree candidates approved by the UK Board of Trustees. The student speakers are Mostafa Mubarak, Carolina Burn, Siena Pilati and Fatimah Alomar. Each represents a different academic discipline and background, reflecting the breadth of the UK experience as leaders, scholars and innovators shaped by discovery, service and community engagement. Mubarak, from Alexandria, Egypt, is graduating with three bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science from the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. As an entrepreneur and international student, Mubarak founded Jomo Figures, a startup that transforms customer photos into custom-designed figurines, and co-founded the Student's Association of the Middle East and North Africa. He will speak at the 9 a.m. Friday ceremony. "Stop waiting to feel ready and just go," Mubarak said of his message to graduates. He plans to scale his software ventures while pursuing work authorization to formally launch his entrepreneurial career in the United States. Burn, from Downers Grove, Illinois, is graduating with a bachelor's degree in integrated strategic communication from the UK College of Communication and Information, with minors in business and Spanish. She is also a student in Lewis Honors College. Burn strengthened her skills through internships with UK Athletics Sports Video and served as social media coordinator for the Association for Women in Sports Media. She also worked as a service dog trainer with UK 4 Paws for Ability. She will speak at the 2 p.m. Friday ceremony. "There's time for an extra celebration, time for friends and family, time to find your dream job and time to figure everything out," Burn said of her message to classmates. After graduation, she plans to explore opportunities in social media and marketing with goals of working for a sports team or entertainment company. Pilati, from North Canton, Ohio, is graduating with a bachelor's degree in public policy from the UK Martin School of Public Policy and Administration and a certificate in artificial intelligence. She held multiple leadership roles including Executive Director of University Affairs for the Student Government Association and founded the Cats Vote Coalition, a nonpartisan student organization focused on civic engagement. She also interned with the U.S. Government Accountability Office and conducted policy research through the UK College of Public Health. She will speak at the 6 p.m. Friday ceremony. After graduation, Pilati will continue her work in Lexington as a policy fellow in the mayor's office before beginning a Master of Public Policy program at Georgetown University in the fall. Alomar, from Lexington, is graduating with bachelor's degrees in biology and neuroscience from the UK College of Arts and Sciences. A Singletary Scholar and Lewis Honors College student, Alomar conducted research on maternal response to COVID-19 vaccination and the neurological impacts of alcohol use. She served as president of Medicats, a premed student organization. She will speak at the 9 a.m. Saturday ceremony. After graduation, Alomar will pursue her Doctor of Medicine degree at the UK College of Medicine. ## Sources - [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/meet-may-2026-uk-commencement-student-speakers) - [Information on UK's commencement ceremony dates and venue](https://commencement.uky.edu/may-2026) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/meet-may-2026-uk-commencement-student-speakers.