Olivia-Lena De Veaux, a senior international affairs and Spanish major at the University of Mary Washington, has embraced study abroad in college, spending a semester in Mexico and going on a faculty-led trip to Guatemala over spring break.
“It’s been exhilarating to expand my horizons in ways I couldn’t have imagined four years ago,” said Olivia-Lena, who earned the Gail Madden Shedlick ’78 Scholarship, which helped fund her summer internship working at a hotel in Prague. “It was my first experience navigating professional life in a foreign culture. I learned to translate my academic studies into real-world action – skills I’ll carry forward into my career.”
Olivia-Lena was one of several students who spoke at the Celebration of Giving, sharing how donor-funded scholarships and awards that support internships, study abroad, and undergraduate research have prepared them for Life After Mary Washington. With a theme of UMW pride and school spirit, the Nov. 13 event welcomed more than 200 guests to thank donors who contributed to the University’s success and celebrate its historic fundraising year and impressive college rankings.
The evening opened with the UMW Pep Band filling the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Chandler Ballroom with rousing renditions of fan favorites like the Mary Washington fight song, “Soar Eagle Nation, Soar.” Guests then heard from a lineup of speakers, beginning with Katie Turcotte, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement and executive director of the UMW Foundation.
She thanked supporters for contributing $37.8 million in gifts and pledges and helping UMW’s endowment surpass $100 million. She also highlighted several milestones, including Mary Wash Day exceeding $1 million in donations for the first time, and the Fund for Mary Washington receiving more than $1 million in unrestricted support. Donors funded 824 scholarships totaling $2.3 million for 553 students this year.
“Transformational impact isn’t about the size of the gift – it’s about purpose,” she said. “Every contribution, every volunteer hour, every act of support helps move this University forward.”
UMW President Troy Paino acknowledged the University’s strong showing in prominent college guides, including U.S. News & World Report and the Fiske Guide to Colleges. Yet, the most meaningful recognition to him, he said, was The Princeton Review ranking Mary Washington as #11 in the nation for “schools that make an impact.”
“Your gifts allow us to impact not only these individual students’ lives, but the communities in which they’ll live and serve,” President Paino said. “The rippling effect of the investments you make in Mary Washington is profound. And tonight is about helping you see that.”
Donors also heard from Kate Stoneman, a senior environmental science major who conducted fieldwork with their faculty mentor on a small island in the Potomac River that is disappearing due to rising sea levels. The research helped Kate secure a summer internship with Chesapeake Water Watch, a NASA-funded project that uses satellite remote sensing to monitor water quality and assess ecosystem health.
“I’m so grateful to my donors who helped fund my Shark Tooth Island research adventure,” said Kate, recipient of the Carrol Adair Gury ’68 Environmental Sciences Scholarship and the Mary Siegrist Hinz ’81 Leadership Award. “I would not be where I am today, with multiple conferences and internships under my belt, without your help.”
Blake Bauer, a senior historic preservation major who received the UMW Alumni and Friends Scholarship and Veronica S. Johnson ’89 Scholarship for Historic Preservation, reflected on the unexpected opportunities that donor support made possible. One memorable experience, he said, was engaging in archaeology research to locate Mary Washington’s gravesite.
“When I declared my major, I never could have imagined I’d be using ground-penetrating radar to search for the final resting place of our University’s namesake,” said Blake, who also interned with the National Park Service and the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library as a Bowley Scholar.
Video production courses at UMW led Blake to a summer position with a PBS affiliate, where he helped produce a documentary about the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in Southwest Virginia, which premiered last weekend. He currently serves as a Lively intern, another donor-supported project through University Communications, developing a video series on the history of campus buildings. He also earned the Barbara Alden International Scholarship to travel to Peru as part of a digital storytelling course next spring.
“Your support hasn’t just eased the financial burden of college; it has opened doors I didn’t know existed,” Blake said. “You’ve allowed me to explore, take risks, grow, and discover passions I never knew I had. You’ve invested not just in my education, but in my future and in the person I’m becoming.”
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.
View photos from the 2025 Celebration of Giving.
-Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04
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