Alumni Ready to Reunite, Reconnect and Rediscover UMW at Reunion Weekend
Reunion Weekend brings decades of Mary Washington graduates together.
For Deb Hodges Shelton ’94, Reunion Weekend is a chance to reconnect with college classmates, hang out at old haunts and fall in love with Mary Washington all over again.
“Our alumni really do have a unique relationship with our alma mater since it’s a smaller school,” said Deb, a longtime Reunion Committee member who enjoys getting to know graduates of other classes. She looks forward to spending future reunions with one soon-to-be alum, in particular. “My daughter is a rising sophomore at UMW, so our traditions will carry on!”
More than 700 alumni, families, and friends are expected to return to the University of Mary Washington for the four-day Reunion Weekend, held May 30 to June 2, celebrating classes ending in 4 and 9. Yet, all are welcome to participate in parties and picnics, campus tours, lectures, family fun, class photos, arts and cultural events, beverage tastings, trips to downtown Fredericksburg and Carl’s for ice cream, and much more.
“Reunion Weekend is full of celebration and reconnection, not just with our lifelong friends and classmates, but also with our alma mater,” said Executive Director of Alumni Engagement Mark Thaden ’02. “We hope our alumni leave Mary Washington next week with even more memories than they had before.” Read more.
Rays of Sun and Success: UMW Graduates Class of 2024
Members of the Class of 2024 also celebrated a unique four years. As the first class to arrive at UMW during the pandemic, many had missed experiencing in-person high school graduations.
From the front steps of the Cedric Rucker University Center to the Lee Hall terrace and around the rim of Ball Circle, proud family and friends cheered their hearts out Saturday morning for the University of Mary Washington’s 2024 graduates.
Nearly 1,000 students from UMW’s Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, and Education received bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University’s 113th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 11. Puffy clouds dotted a bright blue, sun-filled sky as the ceremony unfolded all morning long.
The culminating moment of years’ worth of work was “exciting” and “awesome,” said Veronica Namulondo, who left home in Uganda to earn an MBA at Mary Washington.
Tayin Drea Rivera-Dorazio, a transfer student from Richmond, Virginia, predicted the emotional impact of earning a degree in communication and digital studies would come to him in waves throughout the day. Read more.
