March 29, 2024

STEM Students Share Gratitude at UMW’s Celebration of Giving

The Celebration of Giving, held on Dec. 6, honored Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 and other Mary Washington alumnae who majored in the sciences and gave back to support the University and STEM students. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

The Celebration of Giving, held on Dec. 6, honored Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 and other Mary Washington alumnae who majored in the sciences and gave back to support the University and STEM students. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

One of Hannah Stottlemyer’s most memorable moments at the University of Mary Washington came on a Global Medical Brigades trip to treat underserved communities in Panama. There, she put her majors in biomedical sciences and Spanish into practice when she extracted a patient’s tooth and watched his sudden relief.

Having this experience as an undergraduate was possible because she earned an Alvey Scholarship, she said, providing her with full tuition, fees, and room and board. “I feel such gratitude toward my donor,” said Stottlemyer, a Mary Washington senior who plans to apply to dental school this spring. “She achieved success and decided to selflessly invest in UMW students to ensure they also have opportunities to succeed.”

At the Celebration of Giving, Stottlemyer shared her story, honoring her late donor, Irene Piscopo Rodgers, who passed away in July 2022. The 1959 alumna left the University a transformational $30 million estate gift for undergraduate STEM research and to establish four new Alvey Scholarships for out-of-state students, in addition to the eight she created in her lifetime. This year’s event, held Dec. 6 at UMW’s Jepson Alumni Executive Center, focused on the tremendous impact that Rodgers and other alumnae in the sciences have made at Mary Washington by prioritizing the University in their philanthropic giving over the years.

“They overcame obstacles at a time when there were few women in STEM, found success in their fields and gave back to their alma mater so students could follow their dreams and change the world,” said Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement Katie Turcotte, who shared highlights from the past fundraising year and thanked those who donated in 2023. Read more.

UMW’s Giving Tuesday Totals Top $215K

Giving Tuesday logoThat’s a wrap! Donors to the University of Mary Washington gave $215,587, based on preliminary totals, in support of the UMW student experience during 2023’s Giving Tuesday celebration this week.

Members of the Mary Washington community – including alumni, faculty, staff, families, friends and students – gathered together for the 24-hour event to #MakeItPossible on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, contributing 575 gifts to areas across the University.

Current and retired faculty and staff members made a total of 119 donations, helping to unlock more than $45,000 in matching and challenge funds from generous donors, inspiring others to give and maximizing the impact of each gift.

“I’m always amazed at the way our Mary Washington family comes together for students on Giving Tuesday year after year,” said Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14. “The enthusiastic support of our alumni, faculty and staff, and families is a testament to their generosity and belief in UMW’s mission.”

The following challenges and matches were met in full on Giving Tuesday:

  • $12,500 match from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund for gifts of $500 or less to the Fund for Mary Washington
  • $10,000 challenge gift was unlocked from Mary T. Bradley MacPherson ’71 after 200 gifts were made in November to the Beyond the Classroom Endowment, a College of Arts and Sciences initiative, which focused on student study abroad this year
  • $5,000 match for the College of Business from the COB Executive Advisory Board
  • $5,000 match for the Veterans Endowment from Brian ’84 and Erma Baker ’82
  • $5,000 match for the General Scholarship Fund from Alec and Betty Olander Adams ’69

Kelly Matuczinski, a staff nurse in the UMW Student Health Center, said that she was proud to give to the Veterans Endowment, hoping that it will add to current resources for veterans and active service members at Mary Washington.

“My spouse and I are veterans, and both of our children attended UMW using G.I. Bill benefits,” said Matuczinski, who served in the United States Navy with her husband.

Jerry Slezak, director of Digital Learning Support at UMW, decided to contribute to areas that help eliminate the gap in access and provide resources for students in need, including the Technology Assistance Fund, the Gwen Hale Resource Center and the Digital Knowledge Center.

“I’ve seen how giving someone a little help when they need it can make all the difference,” said Slezak, who has been employed at Mary Washington since 1999. “I admire how these various areas support students, so I’m glad I could pitch in and donate to them.”

In addition, those who made gifts of $19.08 or more to the Fund for Mary Washington were given the opportunity to name a campus squirrel and receive a digital certificate. More than 200 donors chose to give squirrels fun names that included Henrietta Minerva Nutkin, Sir Donald Edward Fluffington, Sammy T. Squirrel and Ms. Zippy Chatternut. Alumni were also invited to make gifts in honor or in memory of the person who made their Mary Washington experience a special one.

To learn more about the #GivingTuesday totals, please visit givingday.umw.edu/makeitpossible. Final totals will be reported in the coming weeks.

Mock Interview Competition Preps UMW Students to Land the Job

Aniya Stewart ’24, winner of the 2023 Mock Interview Competition. Stewart is a mathematics major and a member of the Student Alumni Ambassadors, who participate in the biennial competition. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Aniya Stewart ’24, winner of the 2023 Mock Interview Competition. Stewart is a mathematics major and a member of the Student Alumni Ambassadors, who participate in the biennial competition. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Senior Aniya Stewart sharpened her skills before taking part in the Mock Interview Competition at the University of Mary Washington last month. She researched how to answer the toughest questions and reflected on her past performances when applying for jobs.

Still, she was surprised when she was declared the winner. “My shock wore off when the judges explained their reasoning and gave feedback,” said Stewart, a mathematics major at Mary Washington. “I was elated after that and called my mom to share the good news.”

Stewart, who is already looking for her first post-college position, said she feels more prepared than ever after participating twice in the competition, held every other year for UMW Student Alumni Ambassadors, or SAAs. The event equips students with strategies and techniques to nail any interview – and hopefully, the job.

Along with Network Mary Wash, it’s one of many initiatives organized by the Office of University Advancement and Alumni Engagement to introduce UMW students to the vast network of graduates whose guidance can help them launch their careers and lives after college. A recent Mary Talk held on Nov. 15 featured Associate Provost for Career and Workforce Kimberly Young discussing the key competencies the University has adopted to prepare students for Life After Mary Washington. Read more.

Mock Interview Competition Preps UMW Students to Land the Job

Senior Aniya Stewart sharpened her skills before taking part in the Mock Interview Competition at the University of Mary Washington last month. She researched how to answer the toughest questions and reflected on her past performances when applying for jobs. Still, she was surprised when she was declared the winner. “My shock wore off when […]

Beyond the Classroom Endowment Brings the World to UMW Students

University of Mary Washington senior Nathaniel Huff attended 19 professional theatre performances in the span of three weeks – more than most patrons see in a year – on the UMW Theatre in London trip last summer. A theatre major, Huff grew up in a small town with limited access to his chosen field. He […]

Washington and Alvey Scholars Share Advice in Their Senior Year

Washington and Alvey Scholars attended a reception in their honor at UMW’s Jepson Alumni Executive Center on Sept. 29. Recipients of the prestigious awards receive full tuition, fees, and room and board to attend the University of Mary Washington. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

Washington and Alvey Scholars attended a reception in their honor at UMW’s Jepson Alumni Executive Center on Sept. 29. Recipients of the prestigious awards receive full tuition, fees, and room and board to attend the University of Mary Washington. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

Senior Harmony Peura ’24 still can’t believe that she earned the Mary Janes Ahern ’46 Washington Scholarship, giving her a full ride to the University of Mary Washington.

“I’ve woken up every day for the past four years in complete disbelief,” said Peura, a computer science major from Virginia Beach. She expressed her gratitude for receiving the prestigious UMW award for in-state students, which provides full tuition, fees, and room and board for up to four years.

“Mary Washington is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she advised her fellow scholars. “Take this time and cherish it and do as much as you possibly can with it.”

Peura and more than a dozen other exceptional UMW students attended a reception for Washington and Alvey Scholars (a full-ride award for out-of-state residents), held at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center’s Kalnen Inn at the end of September. Eighteen recipients currently benefit from these scholarships, including five first-year students, who were welcomed into the ranks by their fellow scholars, UMW staff and members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors (AABOD), which established the first five scholarships more than 25 years ago. A total of 65 students have been awarded Washington and Alvey Scholarships since the program’s inception. Read more.

Alumna’s Scholarship Supports Students Studying Conservation Abroad

Growing up in rural Southwest Virginia, Sally Brannan Hurt ’92 dreamed of travel. She finally got her chance to go abroad to the Bahamas during a spring break trip in college. Yet, she realized she yearned to see rainforests and savannas more than she wanted to sunbathe in the sand. “Being in nature brings me […]

Gwen Hale Resource Center Helps Feed UMW Students in Need

Tamara Garrett ’23, an alum and AmeriCorps member, stocks shelves in the Gwen Hale Resource Center.

Tamara Garrett ’23 arranges boxed macaroni and cheese, cans of soup and packaged snacks on shelves. With the fall semester underway at the University of Mary Washington, she wants to ensure that the Gwen Hale Resource Center (GHRC) is fully stocked.

“Most people don’t like to ask for help, but we want students to know that no matter what they need, Mary Washington has resources available for them,” said Garrett, who graduated in May. Now working on the UMW campus as part of AmeriCorps, she’s focused on alleviating food insecurity among college students.

Years in the making, GHRC began on a much smaller scale to address that very issue, thanks to a caring UMW administrator who noticed students who didn’t have enough to eat. Members of the Mary Washington community banded together, donating funds totaling $9,000 to open and operate a two-room food pantry in the attic of Lee Hall in 2019, joining other public and private colleges and universities across Virginia that have developed similar programs. Committed to carrying out Gwen Hale’s legacy, the University renamed the space in her honor after she passed away in 2021. Read more.

Gwen Hale Resource Center Helps Feed UMW Students in Need

Tamara Garrett ’23 arranges boxed macaroni and cheese, cans of soup and packaged snacks on shelves. With the fall semester underway at the University of Mary Washington, she wants to ensure that the Gwen Hale Resource Center (GHRC) is fully stocked. “Most people don’t like to ask for help, but we want students to know […]

Gwen Hale Resource Center Helps Feed UMW Students in Need

Tamara Garrett ’23 arranges boxed macaroni and cheese, cans of soup and packaged snacks on shelves. With the fall semester underway at the University of Mary Washington, she wants to ensure that the Gwen Hale Resource Center (GHRC) is fully stocked. “Most people don’t like to ask for help, but we want students to know […]