{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"May 6, 2026 - Jinger Ballinger (Spring 2026 Commencement Spotlight)","description":" LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 7, 2026) \u2014 Growing up on a farm in Paris, Kentucky, Jinger Ballinger\u2019s future seemed mapped out long before she had the chance to imagine anything different. Days were spent working alongside her family raising tobacco \u2014 a life rooted in hard work, but far removed from classrooms, cap-and-gown ceremonies or college dreams.  In high school, Ballinger made a decision that would shape the next chapter of her life: she left high school at age 15 to work full-time on the farm. Years passed. She got married, raised five children and built a life, but quietly, a question lingered.  \u201cWhat if?\u201d  When her children got older, Ballinger took her first step back into education by enrolling in community college, earning an associate degree. Around the same time, she began working at the University of Kentucky in an entry-level role making ID badges \u2014 her first exposure to campus life.  What started as a job quickly became something more.  \u201cI decided, one way or another, I was going to get my bachelor\u2019s degree,\u201d she said.   As a first-generation college student, Ballinger entered unfamiliar territory. She hadn\u2019t grown up around higher education and the transition wasn\u2019t easy. Early on, even simple assignments felt overwhelming. But instead of discouraging her, those moments became part of the process.  \u201cI had never done anything like that before,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was a learning curve for me.\u201d   With the support of advisors and professors, she adapted \u2014 and thrived.  Ballinger chose to pursue a degree in communication from the College of Communication and Information, a decision that would prove transformative both professionally and personally.  Through her coursework, she developed skills she had never been exposed to \u2014 from digital tools to public speaking \u2014 skills that directly impacted her career.   \u201cI only knew the dialect I learned on the farm,\u201d she said. \u201cThe college helped me learn how to present myself in a professional setting.\u201d   That growth paid off. Ballinger began working as an account clerk at UK\u2019s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab\u2019s business office. Then, while completing her degree, she earned promotions, eventually becoming an Accounts Payable supervisor with UK HealthCare \u2014 a role she never imagined for herself years earlier.  \u201cEvery aspect of my life that I know today has been afforded to me in large part by the University of Kentucky. And I started out in a very, very entry level position and it was a great job,\u201d she said. \u201cI enjoyed and it was honestly the first time that I ever had to learn to navigate Lexington by myself. To be able to look back to that time and to now is incredible that we've come this far.\u201d  At the same time, she excelled academically, earning a spot on the Dean\u2019s List twice and maintaining a 3.8 GPA.  ****  Ballinger\u2019s journey wasn\u2019t just about returning to school \u2014 it was about doing so while balancing the demands of life.  \u201cThere were a million times I thought, \u2018I can\u2019t do this,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t quit.\u201d   That determination didn\u2019t go unnoticed \u2014 especially at home.  Her children watched her push through exhaustion, stress and doubt. And in doing so, she changed how they saw their own futures.  Her daughter, once skeptical of college, now hopes to pursue higher education herself.  \u201cThey\u2019ve seen that where you start isn\u2019t where you have to stay,\u201d Ballinger said.   On graduation day, Ballinger won\u2019t be walking that stage alone.   Her journey has been shared every step of the way by her faith and her family, especially her children, who have witnessed her perseverance firsthand.  \u201cFor them to see that we can come through anything as a family \u2014 that means everything,\u201d she said.   One moment stands out above the rest: receiving her cap and gown alongside her mother, who had never experienced the milestone of witnessing her daughter graduate.  \u201cMy mom was just grinning from ear to ear,\u201d Ballinger said. \u201cIt was something we had both waited a long time for.\u201d   For Ballinger, graduation isn\u2019t the finish line \u2014 it\u2019s the beginning of something even bigger.  Already accepted into UK\u2019s MBA program, she plans to continue building her career in accounting and expanding her leadership opportunities.  \u201cI\u2019ve got the soft skills now,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I want to keep growing.\u201d   If there\u2019s one message Ballinger hopes others take from her story, it\u2019s simple:  \u201cIt\u2019s never too late.\u201d  Hear Ballinger\u2019s full story on this week\u2019s special edition of \u201cBehind the Blue.\u201d  \u201cBehind the Blue\u201d is available via a variety of podcast providers, including Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Spotify. Subscribe to receive new episodes each week, featuring UK\u2019s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists, writers and the most important news impacting the university.  \u201cBehind the Blue\u201d\u202fis a production of the University of Kentucky. Transcripts for most episodes are now embedded in the audio file and can be accessed in many podcast apps during playback. Transcripts for older episodes remain available\u202fon the show\u2019s\u202fblog page.\u202f  Discover how the University of Kentucky is advancing the Commonwealth.  This interview has been edited for time and clarity.  As the state\u2019s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders \u2014 placing students at the heart of everything we do \u2014 and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people \u2014 visionaries, disruptors and pioneers \u2014 who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus. ","author_name":"Behind the Blue","author_url":"http:\/\/behindtheblue.libsyn.com\/podcast","html":"