Giving Stories

Scholarships Strike the Right Note for UMW Music Major

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University of Mary Washington senior Mima Manton decided at a young age that she was going to study music. Many members of her family were choral singers, her uncle played trombone, her sister learned flute and cello, and like her mother, Mima took up piano, flute, and bassoon.

Senior Mima Manton, who hails from England, is thankful for the scholarships she received at the University of Mary Washington, where she is a music major and performs in numerous ensembles, including the UMW Philharmonic and the University's new pep band. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Senior Mima Manton, who hails from England, is thankful for the scholarships she received at the University of Mary Washington, where she is a music major and performs in numerous ensembles, including the UMW Philharmonic and the University’s new pep band. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

When it came time to go to college, Mima wasn’t sure where she wanted to go, but she did feel ready to spread her wings and fly far from home.

“I always knew I wanted to study internationally,” said Mima, who hails from the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield in England. A family friend helped her research American schools that offered music scholarships, which led her to UMW. “I loved the size of Mary Washington, and after a Zoom meeting with all the music professors, I knew it was the right place for me.”

Mima has since hit all the high notes, majoring in music and joining a slew of ensembles, including the UMW Philharmonic and woodwind chamber trio Aquila Venti. She can often be found at UMW Eagles basketball and volleyball games, serving as assistant director and lead singer with the University’s new pep band. She’s also a member of Mortar Board and the Student Alumni Ambassadors (SAA), welcoming alumni, donors, and friends to events put on by UMW’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement.

“I’m so grateful for the chance to connect with the supporters who invest in our education,” she said at UMW’s Celebration of Giving in November. The recipient of the Henry and Grace Spicer and James E. Baker University Community Orchestra scholarships, she said, “I cannot stress enough that without these awards, I wouldn’t be standing in front of you today.”

Growing up outside of Birmingham, a city halfway between London and Liverpool, Mima took lessons through a music program for schoolchildren.

“I wanted to play clarinet, but I was still missing my two adult front teeth, so I chose flute instead,” said Mima, who later picked up the bassoon. “It’s a less common instrument, which gives me more opportunities to play.”

These opportunities include performing with the UMW Philharmonic, where she serves as principal bassoonist. She earned second place at this year’s UMW Concerto Competition, performing Franz Berwald’s Konzertstück for Bassoon and Orchestra, which she played at the Celebration of Giving with Department of Music Chair and Professor Brooks Kuykendall on piano accompaniment.

“The range of Mima’s abilities is staggering,” Dr. Kuykendall said. “She does it all and at a very high level. She will leave us with a void when she graduates — but that will give a number of students the opportunity to step in to her various shoes.”

Mima, who received the Henry and Grace Spicer and James E. Baker University Community Orchestra scholarships, expressed gratitude to her donors at the Celebration of Giving in November 2024. “I cannot stress enough that without these awards, I wouldn’t be standing in front of you today.” Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Mima performing on the bassoon at the Celebration of Giving in November 2024. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Mima has explored both the performance and production side of music at Mary Washington, taking courses in music history, theory, and sound and audio recording. In addition to enhancing her gifts as a musician and singer, they’ve helped her make and produce her own music for Spotify, showcasing a range of influences like Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Jessie J, and Dua Lipa.

“My musical experiences have developed in ways I could have never imagined,” said Mima, who is thankful for the friendships she’s made through the pep band and other campus activities.

After she graduates, she aspires to work in a recording studio or performance venue. She also recently took the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, an exam that can provide licensure for her to privately teach bassoon and flute. “It took years of preparation, but I wanted to do it for my own personal accomplishment.”

Mima performing with the UMW Pep Band in front of Lee Hall on Election Day. Her performances and recordings on Spotify showcase a wide range of influences like Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Jessie J, and Dua Lipa. Photo courtesy of Mima Manton.
A photo of Aloysious (front row, far right) and his fellow Student Alumni Ambassadors at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center. K Pearlman Photography.

Whatever trajectory her talent takes, one thing’s for sure – serving as an SAA has shown her that she can come home to Mary Washington whenever she wants.

“Seeing alumni who’ve been in my shoes, gone out into the world, and still come back to support their alma mater has been truly inspiring,” Mima said. “Even though I’ll miss it, I hope to do the same. UMW will always hold a special place in my heart.”

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.

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

Blazing a Trail: Scholarships Help UMW Chemistry Major Find His Purpose

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Sean McGavin’s college journey has taken him along diverse and far-reaching paths – hiking the Appalachian Trail, traversing the wilds of Montana, and crossing the ocean to the Galápagos Islands. But the UMW senior knows his path wouldn’t have been possible without the University of Mary Washington.

“I want to make the world a better place,” Sean said. While majoring in chemistry, he has served as a wildland firefighter and plans to use his science background to develop more environmentally safe ways of extinguishing the flames. “I didn’t know my purpose before coming to Mary Washington, but I found it here.”

Sean shared his story at UMW’s Celebration of Giving in November, when he told a room full of donors – including his own benefactor – how the Sally Brannan Hurt ’92 Study Abroad Scholarship gave him the chance to visit one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Numerous students have witnessed the flora and fauna found on the tiny archipelago off the coast of Ecuador because of Sally’s generosity to her alma mater.

Sean McGavin ’25 and his donor, Sally Brannan Hurt ’92, pose for a photo at the Celebration of Giving in November 2024. The Sally Brannan Hurt ’92 Study Abroad Scholarship has enabled Sean and dozens of other UMW students to study abroad in the Galápagos Islands. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
At the Celebration of Giving in November, Sean, a chemistry major, shared his journey from hiking the Appalachian Trail to fighting fires in Montana to studying in the Galápagos Islands. He expressed gratitude for the private scholarship support he received to attend the University of Mary Washington and engage in study abroad. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

“Getting to experience a global ecological treasure like the Galápagos Islands inspires students like nothing else,” said Professor of Biological Sciences Andrew Dolby, who conducts the faculty-led trip for students and guided the UMW Alumni on the Road excursion that influenced Sally to establish her scholarship. “She opens up the world for students who would not be able to travel internationally without her support.”

That’s true for Sean, who didn’t feel ready for college after graduating from high school in Alexandria, Virginia. Instead, he spent part of a gap year hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, while he figured out his next steps. “It made me realize how much I wanted a life and a job where I could work with birds above my head and bugs crawling across my boot.”

After his 2,200-mile trek, Sean applied to Mary Washington, calling it “close enough to home, but far enough away to spread my wings.”

He decided to major in chemistry after a course with adjunct instructor Caleb Strepka and appreciated the support he found from faculty members like Sarah Smith ’12, Leanna Giancarlo, and Davis Oldham. “They taught me how to be expressive and creative in how I tackled problems, even in the lab.”

Outside of class, he joined UMW’s Ultimate Frisbee team, bonding with one of the captains, a former wildland firefighter. Sean has spent the last three summers doing just that in Montana, learning all he can to protect the trees, plants, and wildlife that dwell there.

“I realized that it was a career path where I could help people and take care of forests, which have given me such a sense of peace in my life,” said Sean, citing fires that have wiped out acres in Hawaii and Greece, and most recently, Southern California. “Wildland firefighting requires a deep understanding of ecological systems and diverse environments.”

A photo of Sean hiking to the top of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, which has some of the most unpredictable weather in the world. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.
Sean in the Shenandoah Mountains in Virginia during his hike of the Appalachian Trail. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.
A picture of a fire in Montana that Sean’s crew was tasked with controlling during nighttime operations. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.
Sean participating in a controlled burn in Montana in the summer of 2022. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.
The volcanic crater that Sean hiked during the Galápagos Islands trip. He said the information he gained about the islands’ preservation efforts has been critical to his understanding of wildland firefighting. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.
In the Galápagos Islands, Sean observed wildlife he had been fascinated by since he was a child, including marine iguanas. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.

He gained that from the Galápagos trip, where he planted trees and observed the giant tortoises and the marine iguanas that had fascinated him since childhood.

But even more important was learning about the islands’ preservation efforts.

“The chemicals currently being used to combat fires can often suffocate birds and animals and raise heavy metal levels in fish,” Sean said. After graduating from Mary Washington, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry so he can develop a wildlife-safe fire retardant that can be used in many different environments.

“The chemistry department, the Frisbee team, and the opportunities that Sally has provided have made me who I am and have given me the support to achieve my dreams of saving the forests that gave me so much joy as a child,” Sean said. “This wouldn’t have been possible for me without her scholarship, and I’ll never forget that.”

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.

Read more about the next UMW Alumni on the Road trip to the Galápagos Islands now booking for June 2025. 

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

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

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

A student in a dimly lit room, dressed in a suit, standing at a podium and speaking into a microphone.
Aloysious Kabonge, who hails from Uganda, received the UMW Alumni and Friends Scholarship and several other awards to attend Mary Washington, where he’s become an integral member of the campus community. K Pearlman Photography.

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.

Scholarships Provide a Palette of Study Abroad Opportunities for UMW Art History Major

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Growing up on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., Hayley Madden often took the metro to visit her favorite museums, especially the National Gallery of Art.

Just a few years later, she found herself in another National Gallery – this time as part of a University of Mary Washington faculty-led trip to London – where she presented her original research on French painter Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s “Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat.”

Senior Hayley Madden, an art history major at the University of Mary Washington, has studied abroad in both England and France because of the private support she has received from UMW donors. Here, she poses with a painting by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, ‘Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat,’ which she presented her research on at London’s National Gallery of Art. Photo courtesy of Hayley Madden.
Hayley takes a moment to ponder paintings at the Louvre in Paris. Photo courtesy of Hayley Madden.

“That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll never forget,” said Hayley, a senior art history major from Alexandria, Virginia, who came to UMW because of its emphasis on international education. “I’ve always had a desire to see the world and view both travel and art history as an outlet to escape from reality into the realm of adventure.”

Hayley has had her share of adventures since coming to Mary Washington, studying abroad twice and globetrotting across Europe to see some of the world’s most famous works of art. Now, she serves as a peer advisor and an international student liaison in UMW’s Center for International Education, helping fellow students with their own study abroad experiences.

Hayley was among the UMW student speakers who shared their study abroad stories at the 2024 Celebration of Giving in November. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Hayley was among the UMW student speakers who shared their study abroad stories at the 2024 Celebration of Giving in November. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

At UMW’s Celebration of Giving in November, she shared that private donor support was essential in helping her obtain these opportunities.

“My awards have helped me realize my dream of earning an art history degree while connecting me to these generous benefactors, some of whom have shared my passion for art,” said Hayley, who earned the Talon Award and the Nina G. Bushnell, Emil R. Schnellock, and J. Binford Walford scholarships.

A member of the UMW Honors program, Hayley has engaged in challenging liberal arts and sciences coursework across the University. But her favorite classes have been those within the Department of Art and Art History, she said, taught by Professors Julia DeLancey, Joseph Dreiss, and Suzie Kim. “They’ve played an essential role in my journey of self-discovery and pursuit of an education and a career in art history.”

Professor DeLancey praised Hayley’s commitment in the classroom and as president of UMW’s Art History Club. “Hayley is hard-working and engaged with both the material and others in class,” she said. “Her passion for travel – and how it can illuminate, expand, and strengthen her work as an art historian – has been really exciting to see.”

Hayley also cited as an influence Professor Emerita Marjorie Och, who took her and her classmates on a spring break trip to London in 2022, which inspired Madden to study abroad in Paris the following fall.

There, she attended I’Institute Catholique de Paris through the MICEFA program, living with an artist named Madame Sadi. “She was trained in opera and oil painting and displayed her work all around her tiny apartment above a café,” said Hayley, who spent her time outside of class exploring Montmartre, sharing baguettes with friends, and visiting museums.

She also traveled to eight other countries, seeing 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art in Amsterdam, the works of Marc Chagall in Venice, triptychs by Rubens in Antwerp, and Fauvist works at the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland.

Hayley visited Monet’s garden at Giverny during her study abroad in France. Photo courtesy of Hayley Madden.
Hayley poses for a photo while visiting the Eiffel Tower. Photo courtesy of Hayley Madden.
Hayley visited nine countries when she studied abroad in Paris, taking in sites such as the Palais du Luxembourg. Photo courtesy of Hayley Madden.
Hayley visited Piccadilly Circus during her faculty-trip to London with Professor Emerita of Art History Marjorie Och. Photo courtesy of Hayley Madden.

While in Paris, Hayley also began research on 18th-century English artist William Hogarth and his involvement in the creation of the British Royal Academy, which she has turned into an independent study project that she hopes to continue in graduate school. This spring, she plans to apply to the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

“I’m so grateful to everyone who believed in my potential, especially those who provided scholarships so I could have these life-changing experiences,” Hayley said. “My donors have made my Mary Washington education possible while nurturing my dream from a simple sketch into a vibrant masterpiece.”

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.

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

PBS Series Shows UMW Alum Taking High School Team to National Civics Competition

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Before Sam Ulmschneider ’06 attended the University of Mary Washington, he put his political prowess to the test in the nation’s premier civics competition for high school students.

Sam Ulmschneider '06 (seen here with his students at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia), who majored in history and philosophy at UMW, has led his students at Maggie L. Walker Governor's School in Richmond to several national championships in the We the People civics competition. Last year's event was chronicled in a PBS documentary series. Photo courtesy of Sam Ulmschneider.
Sam Ulmschneider ’06 (seen here with his students at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia), who majored in history and philosophy at UMW, has led his students at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School in Richmond to several national championships in the We the People civics competition. Last year’s event was chronicled in a PBS documentary series. Photo courtesy of Sam Ulmschneider.

In We the People, “we were asked to consider complex questions of public policy and political theory,” said Sam, who participated with his classmates in simulated congressional hearings before a panel of judges during the competition. “That experience is the reason I was motivated to study history and philosophy at Mary Washington.”

Today, Sam teaches those subjects and more at his alma mater, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School in Richmond, where he has coached the school’s team to state championships and led it to three of its five national wins. While preparing for last year’s event, his class was spotlighted in Citizen Nation, a four-part PBS documentary series that followed teens and their teachers as they vied to secure a spot among the top 10 schools in the country – and win it all.

“I took We the People when it was a fairly young course,” Sam said. His teacher, Phil Sorrentino, “challenged us to think critically and argue our own views with a great deal of passion and engagement.”

The class primed him for the challenging coursework he found at UMW, where he read Plato’s Republic in a first-year seminar with Professor Emeritus of Philosophy David Ambuel, who he said had a “powerful impact” on his decision to major in the subject.

Sam said that Professor of History Susan Fernsebner inspired him to consider pursuing a Ph.D. “In her classes, we were reading popular novels and cultural and anthropological theory, which demonstrated how you could integrate other fields of study into history. That seemed new and enthralling to me as an undergraduate.”

After graduation, Sam planned to go into academia, earning a master’s degree in history from Virginia Commonwealth University. Yet, in 2011, he returned to Maggie L. Walker, which serves academically gifted students with an emphasis on government and international studies. He earned the James Madison Fellowship in 2020, a $24,000 award that helped him obtain a second master’s degree in American government and history from Ohio’s Ashland University.

Sam currently teaches Advanced Placement courses, American popular culture, and political philosophy, as well as his favorite, We the People, which is part of a comprehensive curriculum developed by the Center for Civic Education in 1987. Under his guidance, students hone skills in oral argument and rhetorical writing and engage in legal, political, and philosophical research to prepare for state and national competitions.

“Of all the classes I teach, it’s the one that alumni have told me is the most valuable, even years and decades later,” said Sam, whose students have gone to prestigious law schools such as Harvard and Columbia and embarked on careers in public policy and serving political campaigns.

Sam’s students spend much of the year engaging in deep legal, political, and philosophical research as well as rhetorical writing and oral argument in preparation for the We the People state and national finals. Photo courtesy of Sam Ulmschneider.
Sam (left) and his students visited Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Photo courtesy of Sam Ulmschneider.
Sam (with microphone) and several of his students participated in a panel discussion prior to the screening of ‘Citizen Nation,’ a documentary about the We the People competition that aired on PBS last fall. Photo courtesy of Sam Ulmschneider.

And a few have ended up at Mary Washington, including junior Ben Dickinson, who is grateful for Sam’s mentorship. “We the People prepared me academically to major in political science and bolstered my love for constitutional studies,” said Ben, who is taking U.S. Constitutional Reform this semester, a course taught by UMW Professor of Political Science Steve Farnsworth.

Sam said that the PBS series captured the energy and spirit that makes the class and competition such a meaningful experience for high school students. He recently joined a screening and panel discussion with the director, his students, and State Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, a fellow teacher and the father of one of his students, whose Richmond-area team also competed in the finals.

“It paints a strikingly patriotic portrait of America, watching the genuine level of civic engagement and mutual sympathy these students have for each other while working through these challenging questions we’re all struggling with as a society,” Sam said. “If you find yourself becoming cynical about young people, this series will remind you that the kids are alright.”

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