Summer Camp Gives High School Students a Glimpse of College Life
Rappahannock High School rising senior Shaniyah Lanier participates in ‘Kitchen Chemistry’ during UMW’s Summer Enrichment Program, as Professor of Chemistry Kelli Slunt looks on. The residential program gives high-schoolers a glimpse of college life. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.
Holding tight to a video camera aimed at his face, high school junior Simon Young became a blur of motion earlier this month, whirling on a whimsical stool in the University of Mary Washington’s Hurley Convergence Center. The experience and its result – a panoramic portrayal of Simon’s dizzying ride on the curious chair – was part of a lesson in virtual and augmented reality.
Billed as an exploration of science fact rather than science fiction, the class was one of several – from kitchen chemistry to computational physics – available to rising 10th- through 12th-graders who took part in UMW’s weeklong Summer Enrichment Program (SEP). Packed with immersive instruction and high-impact activities, the unique residential program creates a microcosm of college, giving teens a taste of how it feels to live and learn on campus.
“I wanted a snapshot of college life,” said Zack Roland, a senior at Stafford’s Mountain View High School. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.” Read more.
UMW, Germanna Partner on Fast-Track Business Major
UMW President Troy Paino and Germanna President Janet Gullickson sign an agreement creating a pathway between the two schools to put students on a fast track toward a business major. Photo by BC Photography.[/caption]
The University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College signed an agreement Monday that creates a fast track to earning college business degrees in the Fredericksburg region. The pathway program allows students to complete both an associate’s and a bachelor’s degree online in about two-and-a-half years, saving time and money.
The ultra-accelerated route provided by the two schools starts with Germanna’s “College Everywhere” program, which gives students the opportunity to earn a two-year associate’s degree remotely in just 12 months. Those who transfer to UMW can then finish the major in business administration, also online, within an additional 18 months.
That’s great news for Cheryll Mosley, a 32-year-old single mother of two from Stafford County who’s nearing completion of a one-year associate’s degree at Germanna. Next, she’ll transfer to Mary Washington’s AACSB-accredited College of Business. “I know what I want, and I know how to get there. This program has really helped me grow,” said Mosley, who plans to start her own business.
“This is all about the students,” said UMW President Troy Paino. “This is about removing obstacles, creating access and opportunities, lowering costs, accelerating time to degrees. All of those things are really going to make a difference, not only in the students’ lives but in our community.” Read more.UMW Grads Win Fulbright Awards to Teach Overseas
UMW grads (from left) Theresa Darroch '20, Mary Cheney '21, M.Ed. '22 and Charlotte Kramer '22 are all winners of this year's Fulbright Awards to work and study overseas.[/caption]
Charlotte Kramer ’22 was still absorbing the first piece of news – that she’d received semifinalist status for a grant to live and work overseas – when a second email came through.
“I thought I was seeing things,” Kramer said of the message that upgraded her standing and meant she’d get to spend nearly a year in Bulgaria. “I think I understood, even if I couldn’t fully process, how life-changing that moment was.”
Kramer, who earned a degree in anthropology in May, is one of three recent University of Mary Washington grads to win a Fulbright award this year. The transformative U.S. government-sponsored honor, among the world’s most highly regarded, aims to boost cultural connections around the globe. But the journey for these alums – among the nearly 60 Fulbright finalists and semifinalists Mary Washington has produced throughout the years – began with the support and inspiration they found among faculty.
“They helped me navigate the whole process,” Kramer said of UMW’s Fulbright Advising Committee (FAC). Kramer will leave for Ruse, Bulgaria, later this year. Mary Cheney ’21, M.Ed. ’22, will head to South Korea and Theresa Darroch ’20 will go to Taiwan. Read more.Commencement 2022 Story Round-Up
After receiving their diplomas, graduates from UMW’s College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business and College of Education posed for photos. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.
The University of Mary Washington held its first Commencement on Ball Circle in three years on Saturday, May 7, conferring a total of 1,163 undergraduate and graduate degrees that day. Here is a round-up of stories from Mary Washington’s 111th Commencement celebration.
Drizzly Weather Couldn’t Dampen UMW Commencement
Mary Washington Graduates Class of 2022
Students, Professor Win Top-of-the-Class Awards
UMW Bestows Emeritus Honors on Faculty, Administrators
Class of 2022: Stellar Student Stories, Part 1 of 3
Mission Complete: Innovation Challenge @Dahlgren a Strong Win for STEM
From left, U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Virginia, and University of Mary Washington’s John Burrow watch as King George high-schoolers Samantha Jones, Susan Randall and Ashton Jones compete in the Innovation Challenge @Dahlgren. Back right are UMW Assistant Professor of Special Education Kevin Good and Dahlgren Campus Director Michael Hubbard. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)
Keegan Kearl tapped out calculations on his cellphone while Christopher Ashley and Rodrigo Alexander Veliz hunched over a laptop. All three, along with their Spotsylvania High School teammates, were intent on making a robot do their bidding.
The teens were among more than 70 students representing 12 districts – from Richmond to North Stafford, and throughout the Northern Neck – at last weekend’s début Innovation Challenge @Dahlgren, conceived as an annual event. Fredericksburg Christian School took home the top prize – $3,000, a ginormous trophy and a year’s worth of bragging rights – in the two-day robotics-style competition aimed at boosting STEM learning.
“This is an opportunity to show how important these skills and capabilities are,” University of Mary Washington College of Business Lecturer John Burrow told the competitors at the start of the contest, held at UMW’s Dahlgren Campus. “Your goals are important to the nation, the region and the community.” Read more.
