Alumni Spotlight: Caroline Arthur ’16

For the past two years, Caroline Arthur has been acting as the Director of Alumni Relations for the University of Kentucky’s College of Health Sciences. She first got a taste of what she refers to as the “triangle” of work done between Alumni Relations, College Relations, and Marketing and Communications, after realizing that her original plan of majoring in Theater just wouldn’t do. During her four years at Berea, Caroline pursued bachelor’s degrees in Communications and Business Administration and a minor in Broadcast Journalism.

While attending Berea, Caroline jumped right into Communications by participating in multiple internships with the news station WKYT-TV, while simultaneously flexing her business skills by “beep-bopping between [the] offices” of Marketing and Com., College, and Alumni Relations for her Labor position. In the midst of her bopping, Caroline received the mentorship of Berea’s own Director of Alumni Relations, Kristin Dalessio, and decided to spend her first few years after graduating in 2016 continuing her work with Dalessio and the rest of the Alumni Relations team. While employed, Caroline was offered the chance to continue her education at EKU, with Berea paying her tuition.

Afterward, Arthur described her decision to apply for the directorial position at UK as “the natural next step” in her career – having risen from Admissions Counselor, traveling from High School to High School marketing Berea College as an option to students, to Alumni Relations Coordinator, which aids in providing administrative support to the office a whole. As Director for the College of Health Sciences, Caroline says she now works with “a very distinct group of alumni,” with her job requirements taking her all across the United States. When Alumni of the college are expected to attend a conference that relates to the field of Health and Science, Caroline will host events for past students to get together afterward and share in the work they’ve been a part of since graduating. In this way, Caroline gets to fulfill many of her passions for event planning, sharing stories, travel, and learning more about the people and world around her.

Thinking back on her time at Berea, Arthur made it clear that there was “literally nothing [she] would change.” From meaningful work to impactful internships, view shifting classes, and rare event opportunities, Caroline tried to take advantage of it all. When asked what it was that kept her so motivated, Caroline offered, “I’ve always been a ‘yes’ person.” She continued, “I think when we don’t know the answer to something our tendency is to say ‘no,’ but my inclination is always to either say ‘yes’ and then figure out how to make it work, or figure it out and then say ‘yes.’ But I try and leave ‘no’ as a last resort.” This attitude has served her well, not only career-wise but also in terms of her friendships and relationships. “I’ve been there for people; when a lot of other people have said ‘no,’ I’ve been able to say yes.”

Currently, Caroline is nurturing a newly created Virtual Mentorship-Program between UK students and alumni. Through this program, students are matched up with alumni and work together on a project required of the student via one of their classes.

Want to learn more about Caroline’s story? Contact her directly at caroline.arthur@uky.edu.

By Rowan Swift
Rowan Swift Peer Consultant