December 5, 2025

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Celebrating Virginia Intern Day, July 31

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Virginia Intern Day is July 31, 2025

Virginia Intern Day July 31, 2025! #MaryWash #VirginiaInternDay

Virginia Intern Day is coming up on July 31, 2025! 

The day is an opportunity to commemorate the value of internships in developing Virginia’s workforce by celebrating the students and employers who make those experiences possible.

Be sure to check out social media in the coming week and especially on Virginia Intern Day as UMW students and employers share content highlighting their internship programs. Follow @marywash and @umw_ccpd on Instagram for featured content.

You can also help spread the word and promote Virginia Intern Day by showcasing Virginia internships from the recent 2024-2025 academic year (including summer 2025). Use hashtags: #MaryWash #VirginiaInternDay #VID #NationalInternDay #NID #VTOP

This Virginia Intern Day is particularly special for UMW, as the Princeton Review recently listed UMW in its Best Value Colleges for 2025 for students seeking a great education with excellent career services — naming UMW to a specialized ranking of #18 in Top 20 Best Schools for Internships.

Share your internship stories on social media and help us show everyone why we’re ranked in of the top 20!

UMW Provides Career Resources, Hosts May 15 Mini-Conference for Alumni and Federal Workers

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UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development offers a range of career resources and programs to serve alumni and the community.

UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development offers a range of career resources and programs to serve alumni and the community.

Whether it’s for a first job after college or a career change, the University of Mary Washington provides a range of resources and programs for taking the next step.

With a ground-level network spanning the I-95 corridor – stretching from Fredericksburg through the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., to the state capital in Richmond, Virginia – UMW is uniquely positioned to assist government workers and contractors looking to stay employed in the area. Combined with an online support system made up of more than 45,000 alumni around the world, the connections are endless.

The University also will host a mini-conference on Thursday, May 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center to help job seekers learn to effectively communicate their experience, craft compelling résumés and tap into resources.

“We want to serve our alumni and the community around Mary Washington in a truly meaningful and positive way, and that is what this event is for,” said Assistant Director of Career Education Mary Becelia. “With options for many career paths and resources tailored to federal workers, UMW continues to be an educational resource for the local as well as the Northern Virginia region focused on meeting the needs of our community, particularly as it relates to career management in the current moment.” Read more.

Segelken, Young and Pack Appear on WFVA to Discuss Career Resources

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Segelken, Young and Pack appear on WFVA to discuss career resources

Segelken, Young and Pack (from left) appear on WFVA to discuss career resources

Director of Continuing and Professional Programs Teresa Segelken, Associate Provost Career & Workforce Kimberly Young, and Associate Dean of Graduate Admissions Christy Pack got together to talk with NewsTalk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk.

They spoke about UMW master’s level programs and opportunities for adult and nontraditional learners and announced a special half-day conference May 15 focusing on changing economic times. Listen to the episode.

UMW Career and Internship Fair Matches Students, Employers

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Hundreds of students and 45 local and regional employers attended the University of Mary Washington’s recent Carer and Internship Fair. The bi-annual event is designed to match companies with open positions to students qualified to fill them. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Hundreds of students and 45 local and regional employers attended the University of Mary Washington’s recent Carer and Internship Fair. The bi-annual event is designed to match companies with open positions to students qualified to fill them. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Armed with a recently revamped résumé and knowledge collected from coursework, University of Mary Washington junior Abigail Fuller made the rounds at UMW’s 2025 Career and Internship Fair.

“My dream is to work in a museum someday, ideally in my favorite place in the world, Washington, D.C.,” Fuller, a history major with a minor in museum studies, wrote in an introductory blog post for one of her classes.

Along with hundreds of fellow UMW students, she came one step closer to fulfilling her professional goals by attending this month’s fair, which featured 45 organizations from industries as varied as education, health care and finance. Fanned out across the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Chandler Ballroom, they drew potential employees to information tables with candy, snacks and colorful tchotchkes, like highlighters, bookmarks and pens. But the four-hour biannual fair, hosted by the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), has a serious side, aiming to match companies with open positions to students looking to fill them.

“Hands-on events like these are so critical to students, particularly UMW students who are passionate, driven and seek those interpersonal relationships that will set them up for success,” said CCPD Student Experience Manager Emily Burke ’15. “I’m so encouraged to see them interact with a diverse range of employers who actively want to hire students and alumni from Mary Washington.” Read more.

Spring 2025 Career & Internship Fair, Mar. 13

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The Career and Internship Fair scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 11 has been postponed to Thursday, March 13. The professional portraits as part of the day on Feb. 11 have also been moved to March 13.

The Career & Internship Fair will be held in the Chandler Ballroom of the Cedric Rucker University Center. This biannual event attracts local and regional employers who will be searching to fill full-time and internship positions.

The Center for Career & Professional Development welcomes alumni and students from the University of Mary Washington, as well as students from regional community colleges.

We hope you will join us for our Career & Internship Fair! Employers can regsiter here on Handshake.

Please contact the Center for Career and Professional Development at ccpd@umw.edu if you have any questions. Follow us on Instagram for information and resources @umw_ccpd.

Linda Catullo Named Associate Director of Employer Engagement

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Associate Director of Employer Engagement Linda Catullo

Associate Director of Employer Engagement Linda Catullo

Linda Catullo, Ph.D., is the new associate director of employer engagement in the UMW Center for Career and Professional Development. Catullo is a seasoned and dedicated professional with a strong commitment to leadership, community engagement and education. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University.

Catullo started her career in student affairs and is excited to bring her expertise to the Center for Career and Professional Development in a role that is responsible for connecting and engaging employers with students and faculty. She has contributed to multiple departments at the University of Mary Washington, including University Advancement, Events and Conferencing and the Center for Prevention and Education.

Prior to joining the Center for Career and Professional Development, Catullo served as the project director for the Office on Violence Against Women grant at UMW’s Center for Prevention and Education. She has also been a successful realtor in Fredericksburg for over eight years.

“We are so thrilled to have Linda in this role. It is a perfect fit, and I know that our students and employers will have a more cohesive experience as a result of her strategic approach to engagement,” said Associate Provost for Career and Workforce Kimberly Young. “Linda has the right mix of experience in higher education, business development and community engagement to proactively connect employers who are looking to hire our graduates.”

With her extensive background in advancement and fundraising at both UMW and Fredericksburg Academy, coupled with her experience in real estate, Catullo has built strong relationships within the regional community. She plans to leverage these connections to further engage regional stakeholders to create valuable opportunities for students to gain real-world experience, expand their professional networks and enhance their career prospects.

“I am excited to work with students and to help them build meaningful connections with employers and alumni. I believe in taking a proactive approach to employer relations, and I’m focused on expanding opportunities for students through strategic networking, alumni engagement and strong collaboration with faculty and employers,” said Catullo. “Strengthening these connections will provide students with the knowledge, experience and relationships they need to transition to Life After Mary Washington.”

Catullo thrives on building and nurturing relationships, managing large-scale projects and driving meaningful change within communities. She is enthusiastic about joining the Career and Professional Development team and supporting students as they transition to Life After Mary Washington.

Connections Steer Geography Grad Toward New Tech Job

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In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, 2020 grad James Fendley secured a job – a month before earning his degree – at a D.C.-based data analytics firm owned by Jonathan Steenberg ’14.

In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, 2020 grad James Fendley secured a job – a month before earning his degree – at a D.C.-based data analytics firm owned by Jonathan Steenberg ’14.

For his first virtual interview, James Fendley paired a freshly pressed shirt and tie with basketball shorts and asked his family for an hour of quiet. But the best preparation came from UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD).

Throughout his final semester, the 2020 University of Mary Washington graduate scheduled regular phone calls with the Center’s career counselors, who are charged with guiding students and recent grads toward employment, even during COVID-19.

“With each appointment, my résumé improved,” Fendley said. “Seeing my progress kept me motivated and helped me stay on track.”

His perseverance paid off. A month before he earned his degree, Fendley secured a job at a D.C.-based data analytics firm owned by 2014 alum Jonathan Steenberg. They’re two in a long line of UMW geography majors hired right out of college, thanks to solid programs, strong connections between faculty and students, and an active alumni network. Often landing employment in D.C.’s tech corridor, graduates of the program are the highest paid in the nation for the field, according to College Factual, which also recently ranked Mary Washington’s geography department No. 1 in the Southeast. Read more.

UMW Goes Global as Peace Corps Top Producer

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Teenage boys can be a handful, no matter which country or culture they come from.

Amal Hajjami (front row, far right), who graduated from UMW in 2019, is among the dozen Mary Washington alumni currently serving in the Peace Corps. The University was just named a Peace Corps Top Producer.

Amal Hajjami (front row, far right), who graduated from UMW in 2019, is among the dozen Mary Washington alumni currently serving in the Peace Corps. The University was just named a Peace Corps Top Producer.

Amal Hajjami learned that fact within her first few weeks of Peace Corps training in Morocco, when the 2019 alumna encountered a young man who refused to participate or follow the rules – when he even bothered to show up – but she wouldn’t give up on him.

“During training, we’re taught that we shouldn’t push these individuals away,” she said, “but instead, give them leadership responsibilities.” Soon the teen was stepping up and helping out. “He showed me that once you start encouraging people, the outcome will change.”

Hajjami is among a dozen Mary Washington graduates serving worldwide in the Peace Corps, to which the University of Mary Washington has once again been named a top contributor. UMW jumped to number seven – up from 15th last year – among small schools on the 2020 Top Volunteer-Producing Schools list, released this morning.

Securing this prestigious ranking is a longstanding tradition for the University, which has earned a spot on the list since 2005. For 12 consecutive years, UMW has been included among the top 25 colleges and universities with fewer than 5,000 students. A total of 270 alumni have joined the Peace Corps since its 1961 inception.

“Mary Washington’s culture of service keeps fueling students’ interest in continuing their commitment to populations served by the Peace Corps,” said José A. Sainz, director of UMW’s Center for International Education (CIE). “It pushes their boundaries and offers many opportunities for them to become better global citizens.” Read more.

Upcoming Career & Professional Development Events

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A message from the Center for Career & Professional Development. 

The second half of October is a busy time for career related events. There is something for every student happening over the next two weeks, not the least of which is the Job and Internship Fair on Thursday, October 24.

The Career Center would greatly appreciate your help encouraging students to attend the fair and all events. Thank you for all your help and support.

October Career Events

  • FRIDAY (10/18): Department of Defense Information Session: Session to provide information about available special employment programs (via roughly 100 positions) and how to connect with opportunities. With Q&A. Pre-registration is required.
  • 10/21: Resume Walk In Day: Come by the Career Center any time between 9am-3pm for a 15 minute resume review session! Work with our great staff, Peer Career Consultants and a guest employer to bring your resume to the next level. Perfect time to prepare for our upcoming Job & Internship Fair on Thursday, October 24!
  • 10/21: Mutual of Omaha Lunch & Learn: Representatives from Mutual of Omaha will provide information and answer any questions about the organization. Lunch provided! Registration required. Register for your chance to network with this great organization! — Only 3 students currently registered for this GREAT chance to learn about opportunities in business administration, finance, insurance, accounting and much more from a great organization. NOT just for Business students too.
  • 10/22: From Here to Career: A Job Fair Prep Event: Representatives from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, GEICO, and other employers and alumni will help students prepare for the fair (resumes, introductions, choosing appropriate dress, and more). Students who visit each table at this event will be allowed into the fair one hour early.
  • 10/23: Resume Walk In Day: Come by the Career Center any time between 9am-3pm for a 15 minute resume review session! Work with our great staff, Peer Career Consultants and a guest employer to bring your resume to the next level. Perfect time to prepare for our upcoming Job & Internship Fair on Thursday, October 24!
  • 10/24: Job & Internship Fair: Over 50 employers are registered (some listed below) for the chance to meet our students. In many cases, they are looking forward to meeting First Years as much as Seniors. This is a good chance for all students to meet employers and learn new things
    • AnaVation
    • AXA Advisors
    • CACI
    • CIA
    • DC Internships
    • CloseUp Foundation
    • FEMA
    • GEICO
    • NCIS
    • New England Center for Children
    • Peace Corps
    • Target
    • Tech Wizards
    • Thriveworks
    • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
    • Wegmans
    • 37 MORE!
  • 10/24: CIA Information Session: Representatives will be discussing opportunities within the CIA. Q&A. Pre-registration is required.
  • 10/25: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond On-Campus Interviews: The FED is hiring! Students can apply for their internship or full-time positions via Handshake and register for a time slot to interview with a recruiter.

 

As always, students can stop by the Career Center (UC 206) Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for resume reviews and other quick career questions with our Peer Career Consultants.

If you have questions about any of these events or need help registering, contact the Career Center at 540-654-5646 or email me or ccpd@umw.edu.