Scholarships, Sense of Community Add Up for UMW Math and Stats Major

The distance between the University of Mary Washington and the small town in Uganda where Aloysious Kabonge grew up is over 7,000 miles.

Adjusting to life as an international student that far away in a new country had its challenges, the UMW senior said. “But I’ve formed strong bonds and built a supportive community that has truly made Mary Washington feel like home.”

Aloysious shared those sentiments and other highlights of his journey from Africa to America at UMW’s Celebration of Giving in November 2024. There, he expressed gratitude toward the donors who established the scholarships that have shaped his college experience and given him the chance to give back to the campus community.

“Your kindness, generosity, and support have changed my life profoundly,” said Aloysious, the recipient of the Mary Ann Dorsey, Thomas Howard and Elizabeth Merchent Tardy, and UMW Alumni and Friends scholarships.

During his remarks, Aloysious offered up a morsel of his life back in Kiwatule, outside Uganda’s capital of Kampala. “One of my favorite memories from home is sitting with elders in a circle, sharing stories in Luganda – our local language – and eating Luwombo, a dish of meat or vegetables [steamed inside banana leaves], along with juicy mangoes, fresh roasted corn, and tea with local spices.”

Aloysious attended seminary school as a young teen but decided on a different path due to his country’s human rights struggles. He applied to numerous schools abroad through Education USA and picked Mary Washington because of the private scholarships he was offered and the support he received from UMW’s Center for International Education, which helped him navigate moving overseas.

Aloysious poses for a photo with his parents at the airport before coming to the United States to attend Mary Washington. Photo courtesy of Aloysious Kabonge.

A photo of Aloysious (front row, far right) and his fellow Student Alumni Ambassadors at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center. K Pearlman Photography.

Aloysious (third from right), a member of UMW’s African Student Union, participates in the ‘Colors of Africa’ event put on by the James Farmer Multicultural Center at Mary Washington each spring. Photo courtesy of Aloysious Kabonge.

Aloysious (third from right) poses for a photo with his Department of Mathematics faculty mentors, Professors Melody Denhere and Leo Lee, and classmates after the Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 Summer Science Institute Symposium in July 2024. Photo courtesy of Aloysious Kabonge.

At UMW, he’s majoring in applied mathematics and statistics and minoring in data science. He collaborated with Professor of Mathematics Melody Denhere for a comparative study exploring ethnic and racial demographic trends over the last few decades, which he presented at the Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 Summer Science Institute.

“It was an invaluable experience that sharpened my skills in data collection, analysis, and visualization,” said Aloysious, who aspires to work in the technology, finance, or healthcare industries or pursue a graduate degree in data science or computational statistics.

In April, he shared his work at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Richmond, presented a group study titled “Artificial Intelligence for Emergency Alerting Systems and Reliability” at UMW’s 20th annual Research and Creativity Day,  and won second place – and $2,000 – in the College of Business’s Eagle Egg Pitch Competition. The judges praised his entrepreneurial idea for Proof Mode, a time-stamped PDF system meant to assure professors that assignments were completed without AI assistance.

He also appreciates the liberal arts and sciences education he’s found at Mary Washington. Higher education is more specialized in Uganda, he said, “but at UMW, I’ve been able to explore courses outside my major, such as post-colonial literature, which has broadened my perspective.”

Outside the classroom, Aloysious has thrown himself into campus life, serving as a Student Alumni Ambassador (SAA), connecting with students and alumni alike at Homecoming, Reunion Weekend, and presidential events.  He’s also been an orientation leader, resident assistant, and front desk associate and built homes for unhoused citizens as part of alternative service break trips through UMW’s Center for Community Engagement.

His commitment to the UMW community earned him the Alex Naden Award at UMW’s 2026 Eagle Awards for exuding the exceptional character, spirit, and personality of the award’s late namesake, a former UMW student who passed away in 2003.

Aloysious regaled the audience with stories about the cultural differences and social norms he has observed between his homeland of Uganda and the United States. K Pearlman Photography.

Aloysious, who received the Thomas Howard and Elizabeth Merchent Tardy Scholarship, among others, chats with his donor, Al Merchent, during a Scholarship Luncheon. K Pearlman Photography.

Aloysious received the Alex Naden Award at the 2026 Eagle Awards, earning an ovation from Dean of Students Melissa Jones and his fellow students. K Perlman Photography.

Aloysious and a classmate celebrate a decade of UMW’s Colors of Africa event, hosted by the James Farmer Multicultural Center. Photo courtesy of Aloysious Kabonge.

Speaking of home, he’s gotten a taste of it through participating in the James Farmer Multicultural Center’s Colors of Africa and African Student Union. “I’ve cooked and shared meals with friends from Nigeria, Mali, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan,” he said. “We often listen to music and play games together from our home countries.”

Assistant Director of Annual Giving Cadiann Treviño Pinto ’22, who oversees both the SAA program and the Eagle Engagement Center, has worked with Kabonge since he was a first-year student.

“Aloysious has always been a warm presence to be around,” she said. “At every event or activity, he radiates so much joy and excitement that you can’t help but smile when you talk to him.”

He feels the same when interacting with the alumni and friends who continue to support Mary Washington and its students.

“I’m here today, pursuing my dreams, because of you,” Aloysious told his donors at the Celebration of Giving. “You have given me opportunities that I could have only imagined, and for that, I’m deeply grateful.”

Learn more about establishing scholarships and how private support makes a difference in the lives of UMW students who receive scholarships, research fellowships, and internship grants.

This article was written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04.