UMW President Troy Paino and Rappahannock Community College President Shannon Kennedy signed a transfer partnership agreement this week at UMW’s Dahlgren Campus. Photos by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

“I’m in the right place” is a phrase Miles McCrimmon would like to hear from as many students as possible. Those were five key words in a text message McCrimmon, dean of dual enrollment and community outreach at Rappahannock Community College, received recently from his son Pablo.

For Pablo, expressing to his dad excitement about his major, that place is University of Mary Washington.

McCrimmon shared that text exchange on Tuesday at a Rappahannock Community College (RCC)/UMW Transfer Partnership Agreement event. The signing ceremony, which took place at Mary Washington’s Dahlgren campus, provides a seamless path for RCC students to enroll at UMW. In addition to describing his personal interest in such an agreement, McCrimmon stated the partnership is a sign of the “mutual respect” between the two schools.

He said he views it as an important way to produce more graduates, especially in the fields of health care, education and the social sciences.

UMW President Troy Paino echoed those sentiments by saying the agreement is “a testament to how these two institutions have developed a trusting relationship.” Educating all students is essential, he added, and the goal should be to remove barriers to access.

After their brief remarks, Paino joined RCC President Shannon Kennedy in officially signing off on the transfer agreement. Read more.