Recent UMW graduate Jaylyn Long ’24 poses in Orlando after accepting the Undergraduate Rising Star Award she received from NASPA last month. The award recognizes Long’s contributions during her time at Mary Washington to the field of student engagement in higher education.
Jaylyn Long ’24 thought she’d made it to her most magical Mary Washington moment this past May – graduation! But Dean of Students Melissa Jones had a secret to share. As she straightened the soon-to-be grad’s regalia on that sunny Saturday morning, she asked a question: “Have you checked your email?”
“I was thinking, ‘no, of course not, I’m graduating,’ ” said Long, last year’s SGA president and Class of 2024 vice president, who spent her college career digging deeper and deeper into student affairs. Now, as she peered at her phone, just before crossing the stage at Commencement, she saw a message that brought her to tears. She’d won the Undergraduate Rising Star Award from NASPA, the national organization for the field of student affairs in higher education. Better yet, the people behind it were the Mary Washington administrators she most admired.
“This award is a reflection of the mentorship that these three phenomenal women have poured into me as a student leader,” Long said of Jones, Vice President for Student Affairs Juliette Landphair and Associate Provost for Equity and Inclusion Shavonne Shorter, who each penned a nomination letter to NASPA on Long’s behalf. “I felt like all the work I had done over my four years at Mary Wash was truly complete.”
She picked up the prize in person last month at the NASPA Region III Summer Symposium in Orlando. It gave her, she said, access to pros in the field, networking opportunities and inspiration. She’ll head to Boston College this fall to pursue a master’s degree in higher education administration. Read more.