Kathleen Trenchard was the only current UMW student selected to have work in the Mid-Atlantic New Painting Biennial exhibit. Photo courtesy of Kathleen Trenchard.

Kathleen Trenchard was walking on the University of Mary Washington campus early one morning when something caught her eye next to Melchers Hall. The giant cedar tree bathed in sunlight soon became the subject of her first piece for her Topics in Painting course.

“In the class, we were focusing on our personal canon and how we wanted to grow as an artist,” said Trenchard, who captured the evergreen in a photo and amplified the colors before bringing it to life on canvas with vibrant blue, red, green and gold oil paint and pigment powder. “It was an exercise to push myself in ways that are not normal for me.”

After decades as a self-taught artist and military spouse, Trenchard is pursuing a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree in studio art at Mary Washington – and earning recognition for her work in the process. Her painting, “On the Way to Class,” spent several months hanging in Brompton, home to UMW President Troy Paino and wife Kelly. The piece also graces the cover of the 2023-24 Fiscal Year Endowment Report, recently published by the Office of University Advancement and the UMW Foundation.

Trenchard was also selected from over 600 professional artists from New Jersey to South Carolina to have her work displayed in the Mid-Atlantic New Painting Biennial exhibit. The oil painting of her husband, “Terry,” and more than 70 other works – including those by Mary Washington alumni Heidi Reszies ’86, Emma Knight ’92 and Jasper Drilling ’22 – were on view in the UMW Galleries throughout much of the fall semester.

“I didn’t realize the caliber of artists who were considered, so I was really surprised to find out I was the only current UMW student with a painting in the show,” Trenchard said. “It was such an incredible honor.” Read more at Giving.umw.edu.

University of Mary Washington senior Mima Manton

University of Mary Washington senior Mima Manton decided at a young age that she was going to study music. Many members of her family were choral singers, her uncle played trombone, her sister learned flute and cello, and like her mother, Manton took up piano, flute and bassoon.

When it came time to go to college, Manton wasn’t sure where she wanted to go, but she did feel ready to spread her wings and fly far from home.

“I always knew I wanted to study internationally,” said Manton, who hails from the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield in England. A family friend helped her research American schools that offered music scholarships, which led her to UMW. “I loved the size of Mary Washington, and after a Zoom meeting with all the music professors, I knew it was the right place for me.”

Manton has since hit all the high notes, majoring in music and joining a slew of ensembles, including the UMW Philharmonic and woodwind chamber trio Aquila Venti. She can often be found at UMW Eagles basketball and volleyball games, serving as assistant director and lead singer with the University’s new pep band. She’s also a member of Mortar Board and the Student Alumni Ambassadors (SAA), welcoming alumni, donors and friends to events put on by UMW’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement. Read more.

Senior Hayley Madden, an art history major at the University of Mary Washington.

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.

UMW alumna Kristen Ramey ’17 (front row, second from left) poses for a photo with Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other Virginia Management Fellows. As a member of VMF’s sixth cohort, Ramey is putting the business and public policy background she gained from Mary Washington to work as she explores careers in state public service. Photo courtesy of Kristen Ramey.

At the University of Mary Washington, Kristen Ramey ’17 found a home in UMW’s Community Outreach and Resources (COAR). Participating in the student-led service organization helped shape her college experience and deepened her connections within the Fredericksburg community.

“I discovered that I wanted to help people,” said Ramey, who spent four years giving her time to the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank and the Brisben Center for unhoused individuals. She also worked weekly with two elementary-school students through Big Brothers Big Sisters Greater Fredericksburg. “I loved volunteering and making a difference.”

Now, Ramey is putting her passion for public service to work at the state level, participating in the prestigious Virginia Management Fellows (VMF) program. This initiative, developed by the Commonwealth of Virginia in collaboration with Virginia Tech, offers college graduates the chance to learn about the inner workings of state government and prepare for future management and leadership roles in the public sector, all while earning a paycheck.

“I was drawn to the uniqueness of the VMF program and the firsthand experience this kind of opportunity provides,” said Ramey, who will spend two years rotating through three government agencies in Richmond. “I’m learning how different policies, processes and services impact Virginians on a day-to-day basis.” Read more.