Giving Stories

It All Adds Up

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Giving Day Match Increased Support for James Farmer Multicultural Center.

Three Mary Washington diplomas are centered on a wall behind a desk in Ashburn, Virginia. Jacob Sapp ’04, MBA ’08 and Kelly Sapp ’08 are proud of their connections to Mary Washington and Fredericksburg, and they remain engaged and supportive of university priorities.

For Mary Wash Giving Day held April 13, 2021, the couple matched gifts made to the James Farmer Multicultural Center (JFMC). The Sapp Match was dollar-for-dollar, up to $2,500, in support of underrepresented students and the JFMC’s diversity, inclusion, and social justice programs. The match was so well received, the couple increased the match to $5,000.

“Recent news events made Kelly and I more aware of social injustice, so we looked for ways to get involved and to set an example for our children and others,” says Jacob. “We discovered that programming offered through the James Farmer Multicultural Center supports success, while inspiring students to become leaders in their fields and to advocate for social justice.”

Jacob grew up in Fredericksburg and excelled in math. He completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration – and with a professional reference from Professor and Associate Dean Ken Machande – soon landed his first job for a federal contractor in Dahlgren.

He married Kelly in 2006 and began taking graduate courses toward a master’s degree in business administration. In a serendipitous twist, Jacob received his MBA diploma and Kelly received her diploma for a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at the same commencement ceremony in May 2008.

Today, Jacob is Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for ASRC Federal, a federal government aerospace and defense contractor. Twice, he has participated in career chats to offer advice and perspective to UMW students based on his 17 years of business experience. He also serves on the James Farmer Circle to help promote a fundraising initiative named in honor of UMW’s late Distinguished Professor of History and American Studies.

“Kelly and I have a lot of respect for Mary Washington,” says Jacob. “We feel this is one way we can help increase awareness and make things a little bit better.” The couple initially made a donation in 2020. Their matching gift added additional support for JFMC programming, while doubling the impact of gifts from other donors.

To learn more about the James Farmer Multicultural Center, visit students.umw.edu/multicultural.

 

 

Mapping Success

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Scholarships help student discover route to success.

English is her first major, but Beth Devine ’21 fell in love with the UMW geography department after taking an Intro to GIS course with Dr. Stephen Hanna and a Weather and Climate course with Dr. Jackie Gallagher. After seeing the passion and the tight-knit community within the Geography department, Beth declared Geography as a second major.

She was grateful for the help of three separate scholarships during her time at Mary Washington. Beth is the current recipient of the Geography Alumni Scholarship, and she previously received the Marguerite J. Helbush Scholarship in English, and the Susan J. Hanna Endowed Scholarship in English.

Outside the classroom, Beth has been awarded numerous opportunities to work in geography with professors and other students. In the summer of 2019, she assisted Dr. Marco Millones in editing and preparing labs for an introductory GIS course for Spanish speakers.

 In 2020, Beth had the opportunity to work on Dr. Hanna’s plantation research team, which visited presidential plantations and observed how these museums presented the lives of enslaved people who once lived there. Beth was also invited to join Dr. Hanna’s cartography practicum, where she and two other students created a campus accessibility map for UMW’s Office of Disability series of hiking trail maps for an official hiking guide of Hocking Hills, Ohio.

In addition to Geography and GIS, Beth also works as a department aide for the Geography department. Beth helped restructure the Geography Club, and she currently serves as its president. Last summer, Beth also served as a Cartography intern with the Federal Government.

After graduating from UMW, Beth plans to pursue a master’s in Geography, Cartography, or International Relations. “Geography has become a special part of my UMW experience, and I owe a lot of my success to the Department’s constant support.” says Beth.

Written by Darlene Mugisha ’21

2021 Donor Appreciation Celebration

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The annual Donor Appreciation Celebration was held virtually March 20, 2021, through ZOOM. More than 150 guests were in attendance, including endowment donors, members of the Washington and Heritage Societies, faculty representatives, scholarships recipients, and student ambassadors.

The virtual event was led by two UMW student scholarship recipients and featured remarks and updates from President Paino. The new custom video, “Because of You,” was shown for the first time, as well as a new virtual performance of our Alma Mater.  See the links below to watch segments from the event, as well as the two featured videos. (Note: Approximate running times for each segment are noted in parentheses.)

View remarks and special video presentations from the virtual celebration:

Welcome (2:46)
Rahi Taylor ’20 – Abbott International Study Scholarship
Samantha Shahinian ’20 – Albert R. Klein Memorial Scholarship and Fred R. Winer Research Scholarship
Donor Acknowledgement (4:55)
Lisa Jamison Bowling ’89 – Vice President for Advancement and University Relations

Importance of Philanthropy (7:38)
Troy D. Paino – President

Premiere of “Because of You“ (7:08)
Courtney Burrows B.A. ’17, M.Ed. ’18 – Ukrop Scholars Program and Mann College of Education Graduate Year Scholarship
Bailey Johnson ’21 – Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship and Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 and James D. Rodgers Student Research Fellowship II
Justin Daniels ’23 – Robert ’93 and Dodie ’95 Whitt Scholarship, Louis A. ’94 and Jill Marmo Partnership for the Future Scholarship, and Don and Kathleen Edwards Scholarship in Computer Science

Alma Mater (1:34)
UMW Chorus

 

For more information about the event or video links, please contact dharter@umw.edu

Giving Day Brings UMW ‘All Together’ on April 13

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There’s no time like spring at the University of Mary Washington, and there’s no day like Giving Day. Mary Wash Giving Day returns this year on April 13, and the University community near and far – alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends – is invited to join the celebration.

This year’s theme, #AllTogetherUMW, serves as a reminder of what can be accomplished when supporters join forces for a common purpose: to benefit students through funding for academic, athletic, arts, leadership, service, career and cultural programs. And this year’s goal — 3,000 gifts to areas across the University during the 24-hour online event — emphasizes each donor’s impact on the student experience.

Also known as “Mary Wash Day,” the initiative has grown exponentially since its 2017 inception, and with 2020’s event canceled amidst the growing pandemic, UMW’s Annual Giving team is pulling out all the stops this year. Dynamic leaderboards, matching funds and social media challenges will add to the excitement as the day’s progress is tracked live.

The University has benefited from strong private support for more than a century, and donors’ gifts have provided an essential boost throughout the past year. As student need grows and UMW adapts to a rapidly changing world, Giving Day gifts are more valuable than ever. On the Mary Wash Giving Day website, on April 13, donors will be able to provide direct financial assistance to students through the General Scholarship Fund or the Technology Assistance Fund, or support the University’s most pressing needs through the Fund for Mary Washington. Gifts will strengthen diversity and inclusion initiatives, and bolster campus preservation, student life, and other areas that define the UMW difference.

In addition to marking the calendar for April 13, the Mary Washington community is asked to help spread the word on social media by tagging their posts with #AllTogetherUMW and #MaryWashDay. In 2019, more than 300 Giving Day Ambassadors inspired more than 1,000 additional gifts by posting and sharing. Anyone can sign up as a Giving Day ambassador, and receive access to a custom dashboard and toolkit, at givingday.umw.edu.

Visit the FAQ page for more information about Mary Wash Giving Day.

Finding Stability

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Scholarships help UMW senior find balance.

Matt Smith ’21 is the proud recipient of three UMW scholarships: The Biology Departmental Scholarship, Celtic Art Scholarship, and the Stanley A. Owens Scholarship.

He also is a beekeeper and is currently conducting research with the biology department on pollinator foraging patterns in the Fredericksburg area. The purpose of his research is to see if human-designed landscapes are adequate replacements for natural landscapes or pollinator forage. Matt says this is important because many native pollinators have suffered population declines within the last two decades due to forage and habitat loss.

In addition to this scientific research, Matt maintains a 3.9 GPA while holding leadership roles in several clubs, including the Ecology Club, Boxing Club, and the UMW Eagle Bagpipe Band. Matt especially enjoys the creative outlet from participating in the Eagle Bagpipe Band with Professor Lauren McMillan. ”

“Bagpipes have provided a unique opportunity for me to grow outside of the academic sphere at UMW,” says Matt.

Privately funded UMW scholarships help make college more affordable and – together – they allow Matt the time to pursue his scientific and creative interests. Matt’s post-graduation plans include finding a job in geospatial analysis or in field biology, and working in the field for a few years before going to graduate school.

Written by Darlene Mugisha ’21