When Hayley Madden was growing up on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., she’d often take the metro to visit her favorite museums, especially the National Gallery of Art.
Just a few years later, she found herself in another National Gallery – this time as part of a University of Mary Washington faculty-led trip to London – where she presented her original research on French painter Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s “Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat.”
“That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll never forget,” said Madden, a senior art history major from Alexandria, Virginia, who came to UMW because of its emphasis on international education. “I’ve always had a desire to see the world and view both travel and art history as an outlet to escape from reality into the realm of adventure.”
Madden has had her share of adventures since coming to Mary Washington, studying abroad twice and globetrotting across Europe to see some of the world’s most famous works of art. Now, she serves as a peer advisor and an international student liaison in UMW’s Center for International Education, helping fellow students with their own study abroad experiences. Read more.
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