WKU News

From a young age, Lily Meade knew that WKU was where she belonged. “When people would ask me where I was going, I’d say, ‘Oh, I don’t know,’ but in my heart it was going to be WKU,” she shared. Originally from Richmond, Kentucky, Lily arrived on the Hill with a clear love for learning—but it wasn’t until she stepped into the Mahurin Honors College that everything clicked. “My mom encouraged me to apply to Honors, and then I went to honors orientation. That was the turning point. I realized, this is actually the best thing I’ve ever been in.”

Now a junior with senior standing, Lily is pursuing a major in psychological science with a quantitative concentration and a statistics minor—an academic path that blends her dual passions for psychology and data. “Everyone groans when they hear ‘statistics,’ but I get excited about it,” she said. “To me, it’s just the right kind of challenge.”

Her academic interests have led her to WKU’s Suicide and Self-Injurious Behaviors Lab, where she is preparing to apply for a Faculty Undergraduate Student Engagement (FUSE) grant and lay the groundwork for her senior thesis. “I want to build a survey tool that captures psychological constructs like suicide and self-injurious behavior in an unbiased, meaningful way,” she explained. “It’s where psychometrics and public health meet—and I’d love to keep exploring that intersection in grad school.”

Lily’s research ambitions are matched by her deep campus involvement. She has found community not just through Honors, but through programs like Out in Honors, Bowling Green Pride, and service-learning opportunities coordinated by Honors Social Planning Board. “I still remember the people who carried my fridge into my Minton dorm room,” she laughed. “Those small moments turn into long-term friendships.” From Honors colloquia like the Mammoth Cave course taught by Dr. Groves to mentorship in the residence halls, Lily values the way Honors creates space for connection. “I graduated with 53 people in my high school class—Honors gave me that small-school feel while still offering big-university opportunities.”

One of those opportunities was studying abroad in Austria through the KIIS program over summer 2025. Though study abroad hadn’t always been on her radar, hearing about it at her Honors TOP piqued her interest. She eventually enrolled in a course titled The Psychology of Good and Evil, which included travel to historical sites and in-depth discussion of trauma, genocide, and resilience.

“Being in Austria made the course real in ways I couldn’t have imagined,” Lily said. “Visiting the Dachau concentration camp after studying it in class—it was emotional, it was disorienting, and it was important.” Staying with a host family helped her feel more immersed, even if the experience included its own challenges. “There were six of us in the house. Carol Ann and I shared a room with a bathroom that had no curtains. It was humbling—but unforgettable.”

While the coursework deepened her understanding of global psychology, it was the independence she gained that left the strongest impression. “This was the first time I traveled abroad without my family. I came back knowing I could handle more than I thought—personally and academically.”

Looking ahead, Lily plans to pursue a Ph.D. and continue her research in quantitative psychology, potentially expanding it with a global lens. “I’d love to study mental health from a cross-national perspective, not just Kentucky or the U.S.,” she noted. “This experience made me realize that’s possible.”

She also wants other students to know that study abroad isn't always picture-perfect—and that’s okay. “I got homesick. A lot of people do,” she admitted. “But just like your first year at college, the hard parts don’t cancel out the good. They’re part of the growth.”

Interested in Studying Abroad Like Lily?
Whether you're drawn to global research, language immersion, or cultural exploration, WKU Global offers programs for every major and background. Visit www.wku.edu/global to schedule an advising session and explore your options.