Giving Stories

Come #TogetherUMW for Sixth Annual Mary Wash Giving Day, April 4

March 7, 2023 Leave a Comment

What matters to you at the University of Mary Washington? Perhaps it’s giving students the chance to conduct real-world research alongside faculty mentors. Or supporting their desire to study abroad and immerse themselves in other cultures. Maybe you wish to help them make a difference through service and leadership.

The University of Mary Washington will hold its sixth annual Mary Wash Giving Day on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.

The entire UMW community will have the opportunity to give to the areas where their passions lie when the University holds its sixth annual Mary Wash Giving Day on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. This 24-hour fundraising celebration – which has a theme of #TogetherUMW – shows what we can accomplish when we unite to support current and future students, and academic, arts, athletics, leadership, service, career, and cultural programs at Mary Washington.

Last year’s event exceeded previous years’ records for most dollars raised, said Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14. She also encourages gifts of any amount, noting how they can add up and urging everyone who loves Mary Washington – alumni, students, faculty, staff, families, and friends – to pitch in with a gift to help UMW reach its goal of 2,600 gifts and 400 first-time donors in 2023.

“The University has benefited from strong private support for more than a century,” she said. “Together, we’re ensuring that students for generations to come can continue to have access to an outstanding public liberal arts and sciences education, filled with impactful learning experiences.”

Every gift made on Giving Day, regardless of size, has the potential of doubling and even tripling its impact, thanks to challenges and matches sponsored by generous donors. Alumni can engage in friendly competition through class and decade challenges and can earn bragging rights through a Devil-Goat themed contest, an extension of UMW’s annual Devil-Goat Day tradition.

Dynamic online leaderboards will help participants track progress in real time, building momentum and excitement throughout the day. The Cedric Rucker University Center at the heart of campus will transform into a Mary Wash Giving Day headquarters, with games, prizes, food, and fun for students.

UMW students Chloe Jones, Sarah Hybl, and Fiona Archer spread mulch for Tree Fredericksburg during last fall’s Into the Streets event. More than 70 students participated in an array of community service projects during the event, coordinated by UMW’s COAR. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

UMW students Jessica Oberlies (left) and Jazmine Montecino return from a hike to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe last summer during a ‘UMW in Spain’ study abroad trip. The experience is one of Mary Washington’s three longest-running faculty-led study abroad programs offered through the Center for International Education. #MaryWashDay #TogetherUMW

Student researchers Carolyn Willmore and Talia Tanner seine fish (a method of fishing that employs a net) for banded killfish near a Virginia power plant. They worked with Assistant Director of Earth and Environmental Sciences Tyler Frankel. #MaryWashDay #TogetherUMW

Matthew Monaghan, Alex Anthes Rojas, Cameron Hovey and Ben Lechtman collaborate on a tabletop puppet production. #MaryWashDay #TogetherUMW

UMW soccer player Diego Guzman shows the crowd some love during the NCAA semifinals late last year. Mary Wash Giving Day gifts support the success of UMW athletes, artists, scholars and so much more. #MaryWashDay #TogetherUMW

Donations can be made directly on the Giving Day website to support the General Scholarship Fund and the Technology Assistance Fund, as well as the unrestricted Fund for Mary Washington, which addresses the University’s most pressing needs. Gifts can also help UMW expand its diversity and inclusion initiatives and bolster campus preservation and other areas that enhance the quality of life on the Mary Washington campus.

In addition, members of the UMW community are invited to serve as Giving Day Ambassadors to inspire others to contribute. Anyone can sign up at givingday.umw.edu to receive access to a customized dashboard and toolkit.

Meanwhile, the Alumni Association encourages alums to request a UMW pet bandana through an online form and to post pictures of dapper dogs and chic cats – not to mention turtles, parrots, lizards, guinea pigs, and other animal friends – with the tag #MaryWashDay and #UMW Alumni.

More information about Mary Wash Giving Day can be found on the FAQ Page. To sponsor a challenge or match, please contact Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14 at sorlando@umw.edu or (540) 654-1361.

– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

Launch Award Gives Seniors a Boost in Service and Next Steps

December 15, 2022 Leave a Comment

Brianna Reaves ’22 said it was humbling to receive the Grace Mann Launch Award at the University of Mary Washington’s annual Eagle Awards ceremony in the spring of 2022.

“To be considered selfless, committed, and honorable like Grace Mann was a lot to take in,” Brianna said. “She planned to change the world.”

After Grace’s death in 2015, her parents, Thomas and Melissa Mann, worked with the University to establish an endowment to honor their daughter’s memory and support Mary Washington seniors on the verge of “launching into the world.” Like Grace, each of the seven recipients who have received the award spent their college years building coalitions, empowering their peers, and encouraging the UMW community to live up to its ideals. They’re now carrying on Grace’s legacy by continuing to work for peace and justice just as she planned to do.

“Grace grew up discussing social justice issues around the dinner table, in school, and at our synagogue,” Melissa Mann said. “In Judaism, there’s a common phrase, Tikkun Olam, that means ‘repair the world.’ Grace gravitated toward that idea from the start.”

At UMW, Grace majored in American studies and minored in practical ethics. She became a campus leader, joining People for the Rights of Individuals of Sexual Minorities (PRISM), Feminists United, and the Student Government Association Senate. She advocated tirelessly for the rights of women, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and underrepresented citizens, and for protecting the environment. And she aspired to become a lawyer to help survivors of sexual assault.

Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Life Emeritus Cedric Rucker presented Brianna Reaves '22 with the Grace Mann Launch Award at the annual Eagle Awards ceremony last spring. Photo by Kayla Zegada. — Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Life Emeritus Cedric Rucker presented Brianna Reaves ’22 with the Grace Mann Launch Award at the annual Eagle Awards ceremony last spring. Photo by Kayla Zegada.

“I met Grace on her first day at Mary Washington and her commitment to social justice was already so apparent,” said Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Life Emeritus Cedric Rucker.

For the past seven years, he has chaired the award committee to select each year’s recipient, a responsibility has been passed on to Dean of Students Melissa Jones after his retirement earlier this year. Award nominations open in the spring semester and are due in early March.

“For us, it’s about giving these students financial support so they can pursue their own passions,” said Melissa Mann, who attends the Eagle Awards each year to meet and congratulate the recipients. Winners have their own goals, Dean Rucker said, “but each recognizes they are inheriting Grace’s commitments.”

The award first went to Megan Blosser ’16, who shared Grace’s interest in survivor advocacy, volunteering at Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault while she was a UMW student.

“It was such an honor to be the inaugural Grace Mann Launch Award recipient,” Megan said. She put the funds toward books and other necessities while earning a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and now works in the justice system. “I feel that it’s a proactive way of addressing violence because many offenders have experienced trauma in their own lives. I want to help break that cycle.”

Brittany Greene ’17 served as a sexual assault peer educator at UMW. Now a registered nurse at an OBGYN clinic, she advocates on behalf of women and LGBTQ+ patients, helping them feel empowered in making their own medical decisions. And she is particularly passionate about improving Black maternal care.

“It’s important that my patients know they can trust me,” said Brittany, who used the award’s funds to pay nursing school tuition at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she graduated with honors in 2020. “Every day I hope I’m making Grace proud.”

After graduation, Ahad Shahid ’18 took a job with the nonprofit New Virginia Majority, cultivating a multiracial movement focused on civic engagement, issues advocacy, and community organizing. But traveling to college campuses around the state took a toll on his car, so the award’s funds helped him put a down payment on a new one.

Now Ahad works at the Wilderness Society, creating digital campaigns to make public lands more accessible, equitable, and approachable for all, especially marginalized communities.

“Grace was a persistent and brave fighter who advocated for those in need that have been systemically wronged,” he said. “We should all be more like Grace. I’m striving to honor her legacy.”

Coming out during high school was a milestone for Erin Shaw ’19. At Mary Washington, they aspired to make the campus more inclusive through serving in prominent roles with PRISM, Safe Zone, and the Multicultural Leadership Council.

Employed by the Human Rights Campaign, Erin is now focused on encouraging corporations to adopt LGBTQ+ supportive policies. “I want to honor Grace’s legacy by doing whatever I can to make forward progress,” they said.

Born in Tanzania, Nehemia Abel ’20 and his family settled in the Fredericksburg region in 2008. He later worked with UMW’s Center for Economic Development to start UBUMWE, using the Grace Mann Launch Award funds to support his community organization’s work unifying and empowering Burundians as they pursue higher education and careers. “Receiving the award reminded me that I’m following in Grace’s footsteps,” he said.

After graduating from UMW, he earned the Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship, which covered the cost of his master’s degree in global human development at Georgetown University. Studying refugee and humanitarian assistance, he plans to join the USAID foreign service.

“Being even tangentially related to Grace’s legacy remains the proudest moment of my life,” said Jessica Lynch ’21, who relied on the award’s funds during her AmeriCorps position with New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia. “I even brought the award in to show my colleagues and tell them about Grace and her impact on me.”

A historic preservation and American studies major, Jessica now serves as a museum technician for the park, creating social media campaigns highlighting artifacts to teach visitors about the history of women and African Americans living in Appalachia, whose stories are often untold.

Growing up, Brianna Reaves ’22 had a “big and boisterous voice” that she used to speak out against racial injustice. At Mary Washington, she helped found and lead UMW’s NAACP chapter, was a member of JFMC’s inaugural Farmers Fellows program, and served as a peer mentor for underrepresented students. She also made history as the first Black female Student Government Association president at the University.

Now that she has graduated from UMW, Brianna intends to use her experiences and the award’s funds to launch Black Girl at a PWI, a nonprofit to provide emotional, financial, and social support to Black students, especially women, at predominantly white institutions. She’s also beginning graduate programs in international peace and conflict resolution, as well as theological studies, at American University and Wesley Theological Seminary, respectively.

“I am not deserving of the award simply because I lead well – Grace was deserving of a full life so she could live out her purpose,” Brianna wrote on social media last spring. “I plan to honor her legacy by walking in my purpose as a change agent for social justice in the face of oppression.”

To make a gift to the Grace Mann Launch Award or for information on endowments at the University of Mary Washington, please contact the Office of University Advancement at advance@umw.edu or 540-654-1024.

-Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

Celebration of Giving Spotlights the Power of Philanthropy

December 14, 2022 Leave a Comment

Lily Silva ’22 recently helped a student one-on-one with a lesson on Ancient Greece and Sparta. The young teacher, who earned a bachelor’s from the University of Mary Washington, said she felt gratified when the teen began to draw connections between battles for territory fought by early civilizations and his own experiences in the inner city.

“My students are funny, intelligent, and have bright futures ahead of them, but they don’t have many people that believe in them,” said Lily, who is now pursuing a master’s degree in secondary social studies through UMW’s College of Education while teaching in Richmond City Public Schools. “I want to be that for them. And because of the Ukrop Scholars Program, I can.”

At the 2022 Celebration of Giving, graduate student Lily Silva shared how her Ukrop scholarship gave her the chance to pursue a master’s degree in education while teaching in Richmond City Public Schools. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

UMW Symfonics sang carols in the Jepson Alumni Executive Center courtyard as guests arrived. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

UMW Symfonics sang carols in the Jepson Alumni Executive Center courtyard as guests arrived to the 2022 Celebration of Giving. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

Celebration of Giving guests enjoyed festive cocktails and a served dinner, followed by cocoa, coffee, and desserts after the program. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

Lily was among the Mary Washington students who spoke at the University’s 2022 Celebration of Giving, held for the first time in three years, on Dec. 8. Hosted by President Troy Paino and wife Kelly, guests reveled at festive cocktails and enjoyed a served dinner and caroling by the UMW Symfonics. But the real showstopper came when students shared personal stories illustrating the impact of private support on their Mary Washington experience.

“You make a profound difference in the lives of our students, faculty, and staff through your support and collective efforts,” Vice President for Advancement Katie Turcotte told the 100-plus donors in attendance. Last year Mary Washington awarded a total of $2.2 million in scholarships to students, she said, with $1.6 million of that coming from endowments. “So, on behalf of the University, thank you. Were it not for you, we wouldn’t be celebrating together tonight.”

President Paino, who introduced each of the student speakers, said that through their generosity to UMW, donors teach students about the value of philanthropy and service.

“At Mary Washington, it’s in our DNA to produce students who care deeply about making the world a better place,” he said. “They use their talents, developing them as they go, and give to others, much like all of you.”

“You embody the spirit of Mary Washington,” President Troy Paino said of the 100-plus donors who attended the 2022 Celebration of Giving. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

From left: John Anstey ’93, Vice President for Advancement Katie Turcotte, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger, and Curry Roberts at the 2022 Celebration of Giving. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

Merrilyn Sawyer Dodson ’68 and son Chris attend the 2022 Celebration of Giving. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

From left to right: Donna Sheehan Gladis '68 and Steve Gladis, Ambassador Frances Cook '67, and Marty Abbott '72 at the 2022 Celebration of Giving. Photo by Tom

From left: Donna Sheehan Gladis ’68 and Steve Gladis, Ambassador Frances Cook ’67, and Marty Abbott ’72 at the 2022 Celebration of Giving. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

Sarah Gildersleeve Strassheim ’01 and Rob Strassheim ’96 at the 2022 Celebration of Giving. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

Senior theatre major Oscar León ’23 said receiving the June Davis McCormack ’49 Scholarship and other awards allowed him to stay in college an extra year so he could have more chances to perform onstage.

“These scholarships have afforded me opportunities and helped me follow my dreams,” said Oscar, who recently starred in UMW Theatre’s production of The Rocky Horror Show and interned at Wolf Trap last summer. Minoring in arts administration and musical theatre, he aspires to work at an arts organization in the greater D.C. area.

Hollis Cobb ’23, a senior English major, spoke about how he is putting philanthropy into practice. Several years ago, he turned a 1989 ambulance into Bookmobile Fredericksburg. UMW’s Center for Community Engagement, Community Outreach and Resources (COAR), and Center for Economic Development helped him launch the nonprofit library-on-wheels, which distributes free books at schools, community events, farmers’ markets, and on campus.

“What I created might have been done on my own,” said Hollis, who hopes to work in the nonprofit sector while continuing to run the Bookmobile. “But I was equipped and supported every step of the way by the UMW community.”

Senior Oscar León explains how the June Davis McCormack ’49 Scholarship gave him the opportunity to stay at Mary Washington an extra year so he could perform in UMW Theatre productions. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

Senior Jane Kisselev said her Washington Scholarship freed her up so she could pursue activities and study abroad in Paris. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

Senior Hollis Cobb explained how the UMW community supported his nonprofit library-on-wheels, Bookmobile Fredericksburg. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

That sentiment was echoed by Jane Kisselev, a senior international business major, who explained how her Washington Scholarship – which provides full tuition, room, and board – enabled her to study the fashion business in Paris. She’ll continue that research for her senior capstone on the secondhand clothing market before joining Fannie Mae’s climate impact team after graduation.

Summing up her gratitude, Jane said: “None of these opportunities would have been possible without the UMW community and donors like you.”

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 2022 Celebration of Giving.

– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

Alumna’s Gift Creates Collaboration Space for Aspiring Teachers

December 9, 2022 Leave a Comment

When Helen Chiles Mason ’50 graduated from Mary Washington, she immediately set out on a cross-country road trip, landing a teaching job when she arrived in California.

Helen's children (from left) Ann, Lee, Ben, and Mary Margaret visited the University of Mary Washington on Nov. 21 to dedicate the Mason Team Room in honor of their late parents. — Helen’s children (from left) Ann, Lee, Ben, and Mary Margaret visited the University of Mary Washington on Nov. 21 to dedicate the Mason Team Room in honor of their late parents.

Helen, who earned a degree in dramatic arts, spent her years passing along a love of learning to her elementary school students and her four children. So, when she passed away on Thanksgiving Day in 2021, Helen found her way back to her alma mater in the form of a generous unrestricted gift to the University of Mary Washington, which put the funds toward a collaboration space for aspiring educators.

Nearly a year later, the University dedicated the Mason Team Room – named for Helen and her late husband, Judge Leslie Mason Jr. – on Nov. 21, 2022, in the newly renovated Seacobeck Hall, now home to the College of Education (COE) and the Office of Disability Resources. The couple’s four children and a grandson traveled across the commonwealth, the country, and the globe to attend the ceremony and see Helen’s wishes carried out.

Helen Chiles Mason's photo from The Battlefield yearbook in 1950. Photo courtesy of Special Collections and Archives. — Helen Chiles Mason’s photo from The Battlefield yearbook in 1950. Photo courtesy of Special Collections and Archives.

“Our education students are … eager to have spaces like this where they can collaborate, engage in discussions, and share ideas,” COE Dean Pete Kelly said. Prior to the ceremony, he gave the family a private tour of Seacobeck Hall, including the Mason Team Room, already being utilized by students.

Having access to spaces like this where education students can work as teams, Dean Kelly said, means that “when they graduate, they are well-equipped to meet the needs of future generations of students.”

Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning Jan Clarke read the Board of Visitors’ resolution and explained at the dedication how naming gifts can help teach the UMW community about the value of philanthropy. “Many of the beautiful places we enjoy on campus are because of private support from generous donors like Helen, who want to help the University move forward.”

Jan also thanked the Mason family for traveling such long distances – some came from California and even Vietnam – to visit Mary Washington and celebrate their mother and grandmother’s life. “Especially her time on this campus that shaped her during her formative years,” he said.

The Mason Team Room will be used as a collaboration space for students in the College of Education.

Helen’s grandson, Ben; daughters Mary Margaret, Lee, and Ann; and son Ben pose for a photo in Seacobeck’s Dome Room after dedicating the Mason Team Room in honor of their parents.

Ben Mason, Helen’s son, expressed gratitude on behalf of his family to the University for finding such a fitting way to pay tribute to his late parents.

“Education was so important to both of them,” he said. “Mom liked teamwork and for people to gather together, so we appreciated that you did this for her, for us, and for Mary Washington.”

For information on naming gifts at the University of Mary Washington, please contact the Office of University Advancement at advance@umw.edu or 540-654-1024.

– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

Weatherly Wing Dedication Hits High Note for Devoted Alums

December 7, 2022 Leave a Comment

Marceline “Marcy” Weatherly Morris ’50 remembers how her parents saved and sacrificed, taking out loans so she could pursue a music degree at Mary Washington.

“They just knew it was important for their only child to have an education,” said Marcy, who also fell in love with a young sailor in college, Elmer Morris Jr. ’50, who came to his mother’s alma mater on the GI Bill. At her parents’ request, Marcy waited until after graduation to marry her beloved “Juney,” so that her maiden name, Weatherly, would be on her diploma.

Elmer “Juney” Morris Jr. ’50 and Marceline “Marcy” Weatherly Morris ’50 fell in love while they were students at Mary Washington. Lifelong supporters of their alma mater, the couple gave a generous gift to name the Weatherly Wing in Seacobeck Hall after Marcy’s late parents, William Rupert and Lavon Gardner Weatherly. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

Marcy and Juney (right) with Marcy’s parents, William Rupert and Lavon Gardner Weatherly, in the 1950s. Photo courtesy of Marcy Weatherly Morris.

That surname will now live on at the University of Mary Washington, with a significant gift from the Morrises to name the Weatherly Wing in the newly renovated Seacobeck Hall for Marcy’s late parents, William Rupert and Lavon Gardner Weatherly. The alums returned to their alma mater on Nov. 17 to dedicate the 150-seat multipurpose auditorium, which is being used for lectures, recitals, and other special events. They, along with family and friends, faculty, staff, administrators, and members of the Board of Visitors (BOV) and Foundation Board, listened as a series of speakers honored their contributions to the University.

“One of the greatest joys I’ve had as president here is getting to know dedicated alums such as you,” said President Troy Paino, praising the couple for their lifelong commitment and service to Mary Washington, which has educated five generations of the Morris family. “You embody so much of what we try to impart onto our students.”

The president also thanked them for their continued support of UMW, including establishing the Marceline Weatherly Morris Musical Theatre Scholarship and funding the renovation of the Morris Stage at Heslep Amphitheatre, where Marcy was crowned May Queen her senior year. “Your generous gifts help our students learn, grow, and pursue their interests and passions, just as the two of you did while you were here at Mary Washington.”

The Morrises were visibly moved throughout the dedication ceremony. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

Junior Sofia Taylor thanked the Morrises for the Weatherly Wing on behalf of the student body. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

The Morrises and their family and friends, members of the Board of Visitors and Foundation Board, UMW faculty and staff, and others listen as President Paino shared the Morrises’ story. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

BOV Rector Devon Williams Cushman ’93 read the BOV’s resolution and spoke about her shared connection to Marcy and Juney as Mary Washington alums, calling them an “inspiration” for the UMW community.

Pete Kelly, dean of the College of Education, now housed in Seacobeck Hall, told the couple that students and faculty are already learning and performing in the Weatherly Wing. “I know that generations to come will enjoy it.”

Expressing her gratitude on behalf of the student body, junior Sofia Taylor ’24 sang the opening of an aria from The Tales of Hoffmann, which she performed in the space earlier this year. Aquila Venti, a student chamber music trio, also played, showcasing the room’s incredible acoustics.

“The Weatherly Wing is the perfect place for music,” said Sofia, a full-ride Alvey Scholarship recipient who is majoring in psychology and minoring in music and neuroscience. “I’m sure if this space was a part of the Mary Washington campus in 1950, Mrs. Morris would have enjoyed performing here as a student.”

Marcy Morris spoke of how her parents took out loans to pay her tuition to Mary Washington. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

Board of Visitors Rector Devon Williams Cushman ’93, President Troy Paino, and College of Education Dean Pete Kelly all spoke at the dedication, offering their congratulations and thanks to the Morrises. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

The Morrises, who come from a five-generation legacy family, attended the dedication with their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, many of whom attended Mary Washington. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

At last, Marcy took the mic, sharing her appreciation to the University for giving her and Juney the opportunity to pay tribute to her parents and the Weatherly name.

“We love Mary Washington, we love our family, and we love each other, and that’s pretty good after 72 years of marriage,” she said. “Thank you for being here and for letting us be a part of this special place.”

For information on naming gifts at the University of Mary Washington, please contact the Office of University Advancement at advance@umw.edu or 540-654-1024.

– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

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