Read all about the professional achievements, public service and personal milestones of generations of Mary Washington students in the Spring 2025 edition of Class Notes. More than 20 pages of text and photos reveal notable news from the fabulous Class of 1950 all the way up to the fresh new grads that make up the Class of 2024! See the full publication on issuu.
UMW Welcomes its Newest Eagles During Orientation Season
Orientation helps first-year students and their families feel welcomed, supported and connected to the UMW community
June marks the arrival of the Class of 2029 for summer orientation, a pivotal experience designed to help first-year students and their families feel welcomed, supported and connected to the UMW community.
Faculty and staff are invited to play a role in the important tradition by volunteering to greet and assist new students and their supporters. Whether offering directions, answering questions or simply providing a warm smile, employees help set the tone for an inclusive and engaging college experience.
Volunteer shifts are still available online. Sign up for a time that works for you and wear UMW-branded clothing and your name tag. A “Ask Me Anything: button will be provided. Location suggestions are listed in the sign-up, but feel free to statin yourself wherever your help is most needed. A reminder will be sent before your shift.
Orientation sessions run on the following dates:
- June 5-6
- June 9-10
- June 12-13
- June 17-18
- June 23-24
Thank you in advance for supporting out New Student Programs team and showing incoming students why UMW is a community like no other!
UMW’s Spring 2025 President’s and Dean’s Lists
The University of Mary Washington announces its spring 2025 President’s List and Dean’s List. More than 1,200 students achieved these honors during the spring 2025 semester.
To be recognized on these lists a student must carry at least 12 graded credits of new coursework. Students who earn a grade-point average of 4.00 on all work taken for graded credit in a semester receive a spot on the President’s List. Students who earn a grade-point average of 3.50 to 3.99 on all work taken for graded credit in a semester are placed on the Dean’s List.
Decisions regarding inclusion on the lists are based on a student’s record as it stands at the official close of the semester grading period. A temporary grade (I or G) postpones consideration; however, once this grade is converted to a permanent letter grade, the student’s GPA is calculated and, if appropriate, a list notation will be made on the student’s permanent record.
We congratulate the students earning these honors this semester and hope you will share in recognizing their academic achievements @MaryWash. Read more.
Brilliant Skies, Bright Future: UMW Celebrates Class of 2025
Graduates walk through campus on their way to Ball Circle for this year’s commencement ceremony, including Martina Nicholson who’s wearing the “feet” of the school’s Sammy D. Eagle mascot. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.
A bird’s eye view of the University of Mary Washington’s Ball Circle revealed a sea of blue on Saturday morning. Mortarboards, decked out with photos and flowers, ribbons and paint, signified the personalities, experiences and aspirations of the members of the Class of 2025.
Campus filled with the excitement of more than 900 graduates, along with their family and friends, gathered in the thousands to watch the ceremony, which was also livestreamed. Not a single cloud dotted the sky, providing the perfect backdrop for the streamers and confetti that arced over the grads at the end of the ceremony.
Kayla Workman of Beaverdam, Virginia, described the day as bittersweet. A historic preservation major who works as an editorial assistant for the Marine Corps Association at Quantico, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in library information sciences at the University of Alabama. The Hobbit quote she’d added to her cap said it all: “I think I’m quite ready for the adventure.”
Business administration majors Cody Faust, whose family hails from Ukraine, and Ian O’Hare of Stafford helped adjust each other’s regalia before taking their places on Jefferson Square. “Time flew by really fast,” said O’Hare, who plans to enter the Air Force. “The next thing you know, I’m getting ready to cross the stage with all of my friends.” Read more.
UMW Community Donates a Record-Breaking $1.33 Million on Mary Wash Day
Student giving more than doubled from last year’s event, and many participated in activities at the Mary Wash Day headquarters on the Cedric Rucker University Center patio on April 2. Here, two students take photos at the selfie station with a puppy brought to campus by Old Dominion Humane Society.
When Eagles come together, truly amazing things happen. The entire University of Mary Washington community recently demonstrated that, rallying to raise over $1.33 million on Mary Wash Day to support students, faculty and programs.
A total of 2,565 donors helped crush participation goals, making 3,654 gifts during the 24-hour celebration of philanthropy and engagement, held April 2-3 from noon to noon. Alumni, families, friends, faculty, staff and students collectively unlocked hundreds of thousands of dollars in challenges and matches sponsored by generous donors, doubling and tripling the impact of each gift.
“This achievement isn’t just about surpassing a financial goal – it’s a powerful testament to the extraordinary commitment of the UMW community to invest in the University’s mission,” said Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14.
Mary Wash Day saw a 58 percent increase in giving over last year’s event and passed the million-dollar mark for the first time in Mary Wash Day’s eight-year history, she said. “This milestone shows that when Eagles unite around a shared purpose, there’s no limit to how high we can soar or what we can accomplish together.”
Donors from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., as well as those from overseas, made gifts to 124 different areas across the University, benefiting academics, arts, athletics, service, career and cultural programs. Read more.
Alumni Invited to Reunite and Reconnect During UMW’s Reunion Weekend
Kathy Vi ’04 (second from left) and her classmates cool off with ice cream at Carl’s, a time-honored tradition during the UMW’s Reunion Weekend. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
When Kathy Vi ’04 returned to the University of Mary Washington last year for her 20th Reunion Weekend, it was exactly what she had in mind, filled with meaningful conversations, college memories and making connections with friends both old and new.
“It was a fantastic and focused weekend dedicated to these cherished relationships,” said Vi, who now serves on UMW’s Alumni Association Board of Directors. “Our college experience laid a crucial foundation for our lives, and the University continues to offer valuable resources, networks and a sense of belonging that enriches our lives today.”
As this year’s Reunion Weekend chair, Vi is excited to welcome back more than 500 alumni, families and friends to Mary Washington for 2025’s Reunion Weekend, held May 30 through June 1. While the event specifically honors classes ending in 0 and 5, all Eagles are invited back to campus to rediscover everything they loved about Mary Washington as students.
Attendees can look forward to a vibrant three-day schedule filled with lively class gatherings, a Ball Circle picnic, guided campus tours, thought-provoking lectures, family activities, commemorative photos, art exhibits, beverage tastings and more. And no Reunion Weekend would be complete without the time-honored tradition of visiting Carl’s for its famous frozen custard. Read more.
UMW Impact Grants Program Transforms Ideas into Innovation
Nine projects and initiatives pitched by UMW faculty, staff and students earned Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grants after their presentations to the UMW Alumni Association Board of Directors and Young Alumni Council in April. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Amira Said has always been passionate about sustainability, but the junior environmental science major has unearthed new ways to care for her community and the planet since coming to the University of Mary Washington.
“During my first year, I noticed how much food waste was generated,” she said. Building upon the UMW Office of Sustainability’s work – which has earned the University a perennial spot on The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges – she secured funds last year to place three large compost bins in high-traffic areas on campus.
Yet, Said wants to go even greener, with plans to engage her fellow students in a hands-on learning experience to promote composting. The Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant she received this spring will prevent hundreds of pounds of food waste from ending up in landfills, instead producing nutrient-rich recycled matter to use in UMW’s pollinator gardens and on the grounds.
Now in its second year, the Impact Grant program recently awarded over $25,000 in donor-funded grants, ranging from $500 to $5,000, to nine projects pitched by students, faculty and staff on behalf of recognized campus organizations. Eight initiatives earned funding last year, including Eagles in Recovery, the Charnoff Production Studio, an initiative to dispense free menstrual products on campus and a new program called “Soft Landings,” which helps incoming students with autism spectrum disorder acclimate to Mary Washington.
Applicants were required to submit a video and slide deck, demonstrating financial need and outlining measurable objectives, a detailed budget, a sustainability plan and a targeted audience. Each project was also evaluated on how closely it aligned with UMW’s ASPIRE values. Read more.
Seven UMW Graduates Earn Perfect 4.0 GPAs
As the Class of 2025 graduates crossed the stage at the University of Mary Washington’s Commencement to the applause of faculty, staff, family and friends, seven students received top-of-class honors.
Graduates Bonnie Butler, Kathleen Conner, Thomas Held, Austin Moore, Jessica Oberlies, Kelsey Payne and Maria Werner earned the Colgate W. Darden Jr. Award for Academic Achievement for completing their degrees with the highest grade-point average in the undergraduate program. All seven – the greatest number of grads earning this achievement in recent history – finished with a perfect 4.0 GPA, graduating summa cum laude, the highest academic distinction, and earning additional honors through their programs. Read their stories!
UMW Graduates (from L) Kelsey Payne, Maria Werner, Bonnie Butler, Jessica Oberlies, Thomas Held, Kathleen Conner and Austin Moore earned the Colgate W. Darden Jr. Award for Academic Achievement for completing their degrees with the highest grade-point average in the undergraduate program. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi. Click the photo to read their stories!
Peace Corps Ranks UMW Among Top 10 Volunteer-Producing Small Colleges
University of Mary Washington ranked among the Peace Corps’ top 10 volunteer-producing schools for 2025 in the small college category.
With five University of Mary Washington alumni currently serving in the Peace Corps across Albania/Montenegro, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Senegal and Timor-Leste, UMW’s commitment to public service and global engagement continues to thrive. That dedication has earned the University a spot among the Peace Corps’ top 10 volunteer-producing schools for 2025 in the small college category – a distinction shared by a select group of institutions with fewer than 5,000 undergraduates.
“Peace Corps service embodies many of UMW’s core values, like creating meaningful connections, civic engagement, intercultural competence and collaboration,” said UMW Education Abroad Coordinator Caitie Cavalier. “I’m incredibly proud of this achievement and of our students who continue to live out these values during, and well beyond, their time at Mary Washington.”
UMW has a longstanding record of service, appearing on the Peace Corps’ volunteer-producing colleges list regularly since 2005. More than 270 Mary Washington alumni have served since the agency was established in 1961.
UMW’s Peace Corps Prep Program, which is part of the Center for International Education, helps undergraduates prepare for future international service roles. The program focuses on building competencies critical to intercultural fieldwork, including sector-specific training, foreign language proficiency, intercultural competence and leadership development. According to Cavalier, “In today’s ever-connected world, global experiences are more important than ever.”
Class of 2025 graduate Jessica Oberlies will soon add to the Eagle tradition of service when she travels to the Philippines this summer to serve as a coastal resource volunteer for the Peace Corps. Read more.
UMW Class of 2025 Senior Spotlights
As the Class of 2025 prepared to soar from University of Mary Washington, we turned the spotlight on graduating seniors. These Eagles have spent their college years finding what matters most, rising to challenges and lighting the way for others. Before they take flight, meet some of UMW’s seniors whose stories reflect the spirit of our campus community. Read their stories.
Click to read their stories!