Giving Stories

When Paddy Link ’72 arrived at Mary Washington, she discovered a passion for public service. She joined Student Government, served as her residence hall president junior year, and found that a liberal arts and sciences education—rooted in her art history major—would prepare her for a future she hadn’t yet imagined.

Paddy Link ’72, who earned a bachelor’s degree in art history at Mary Washington and had a successful career as a public servant on Capitol Hill, is sponsoring a challenge to support the College of Arts and Sciences General Fund.

Paddy Link from the 1971 Battlefield Yearbook. Photo courtesy of UMW Special Collections and University Archives.

“In college, I learned to work with people whose beliefs, values, and political leanings didn’t necessarily mirror my own,” said Paddy, who began a career on Capitol Hill after graduation. She worked for members of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and helped staff congressional committees focused on science, commerce, transportation, and appropriations. “But we worked together for the good of our institution.”

That spirit guides her giving today. A dedicated supporter of her alma mater, Paddy is encouraging alumni, friends, families, faculty, staff, and students to contribute to the University of Mary Washington’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and ensure its mission endures. She has pledged to match all gifts made on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, to UMW’s College of Arts and Sciences General Fund, up to $5,000—continuing her commitment to the liberal arts foundation that shaped her career.

One week until Giving Tuesday, when the Mary Washington community can #MakeItPossibleUMW by supporting students, faculty, and programs through their generous gifts to the College of Arts and Sciences and other areas across the University on Dec. 2, 2025.

Alanah Cleare ’25, who earned a degree in marketing from UMW in May; junior Owen Wheeler; and senior Chloe Adler review recently captured footage for a project aimed at assessing the usefulness of AI in filmmaking. The trio conducted research under the guidance of Assistant Professor of Communication and Digital Studies J.D. Swerzenski in UMW’s Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Summer Institute. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Senior conservation biology major Autumn Pembelton studied insect communication this summer as part of Mary Washington’s Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 Summer Science Institute. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

UMW Theatre performing ‘Godspell’ in fall 2025. From left: Giannii Marshall ’26, Caroline Rous ’28, Jonah Hilbert ’28, and Jeffrey Cobb Jr. ’29. Photo by Geoff Greene.

With 40 diverse majors, CAS fosters critical thinking, leadership, and innovation to prepare students for Life After Mary Washington. The CAS General Fund helps faculty and staff create meaningful learning opportunities and sustain a dynamic academic environment. Gifts support:

• Planning and piloting programming for a new humanities center—a vibrant hub reimagining the liberal arts for the 21st century through innovative courses, internships, and community-engaged events.
  • Guest speakers and cultural programming that bring students, faculty, and the community together for academic pursuits.
  • Upgrades to critical classroom, laboratory, and studio equipment.
  • Collaborative campus-community partnerships that build networks and career-advancing experiences.

“Developing a broad background in the arts and sciences is a great launching pad in any field,” Paddy said. She especially valued her own coursework with the late Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English Donald Glover and the late Professor of Art History Mathew Herban—training she considered essential to her career.

After retiring from federal service, she worked as a lobbyist, primarily for the aerospace, high tech, and telecommunications industries. She said those experiences only reinforced her belief in the power of a well-rounded education.

“Throughout my life, I’ve met brilliant physicians and scientists who struggled to clearly communicate their work,” she said. “Strong writing and critical thinking skills matter everywhere. A truly good education blends the humanities with the sciences—each strengthens the other.”

Several other alums are stepping up to sponsor challenges and matches for CAS:

An anonymous donor will match all gifts to the Irene Piscopo Rodgers School of Science General Fund, up to $10,000—doubling support for STEM students. This fund bolsters the School’s ability to respond to unexpected needs that enhance learning, especially the hands-on faculty mentorship made possible through Irene Piscopo Rodgers’ transformative endowment for student research.

If 50 gifts are made to the School of the Arts General Fund, Elizabeth Bray Saunders Morris ’64 will give $8,000 to support the arts at Mary Washington. Her challenge will fuel high-impact teaching and learning—in studios, classrooms, labs, and in the field—and help establish the School of the Arts as a destination for future students eager to learn from exceptional faculty.

Looking to support other areas?

Judith Saul Kraft ’75 will match each gift made to the College of Education, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000. Gifts to COE will support resources and programs to prepare future educators as they embark on their teaching careers in the Fredericksburg area and in other communities.

Members of the College of Business Executive Advisory Board will match gifts to the College of Business, up to $6,000. Donations to COB will help fuel high-impact learning experiences such as undergraduate research partnerships, access to industry-standard technology, professional development and career readiness preparation, entrepreneurship and innovation funding, and more.

On Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, donors can #MakeItPossibleUMW for students and programs. Visit the Giving Tuesday site to see other areas you can support and how the impact of your gift can go further.

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.

Olivia-Lena, before speaking at the Celebration of Giving last fall, posing for a photo with Student Alumni Ambassador Cameron Gittings ’27. K Pearlman Photography.

The UMW Pep Band and Pep Dance with its leader, Matt Case, adjunct professor of percussion and music technology (front, second from left), pose for a photo in the Cedric Rucker University Center before performing at the Celebration of Giving. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

The 2025 Celebration of Giving was held in the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Chandler Ballroom. Lights illuminated the center’s College Avenue entrance. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

The UMW Pep Dance group performed with the Pep Band. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

The UMW Pep Band played rousing renditions of Mary Washington’s fight song, Kool & The Gang’s ‘Celebration,’ and other hits during the 2025 Celebration of Giving. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Tables were adorned with lanterns featuring UMW’s impressive national rankings. Guests enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by UMW Dining. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

President Troy Paino, who hosted the event with wife Kelly, thanked donors for the meaningful impact they’ve made on the lives and future careers of UMW students. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

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.”

Janet Hedrick ’73, a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and UMW Reference and Humanities Librarian Emeritus Jack Bales attend the 2025 Celebration of Giving. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Curry Roberts and Irene Cimino Roberts ’86, a member of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees, share a laugh with Kelly Paino. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Ginny Tapscott Clendenin ’09 and Dan Clendenin ’07, a member of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Kate Stoneman ’26, a senior environmental science major who had an internship with the Chesapeake Water Watch, served as a student speaker at the Celebration of Giving. Here, they pose with their parents, Jamie Simpson ’97 and Phil Stoneman ’94. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Sarah Gildersleeve Strassheim ’01 (left), a member of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees, and Angela Mills ’01. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Xavier Richardson (left), a member of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees, and John Loughran. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

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.”

From left to right: Mary Turner Boyd ’67, Meganne Lemon ’11, and Gloria Shelton Gibson ’69. Meganne serves on UMW’s Alumni Association Board of Directors. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Marcy Weatherly Morris ’50 and UMW Director of Gift Processing and Records Management Lee Ann Reaser ’98. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Linda Coker (left) and Kelly Paino, wife of UMW President Troy Paino. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

UMW Chief of Staff Emeritus Marty Wilder ’80 (left) and Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Life Emeritus Cedric Rucker ’81. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Matthew Baker ’11, a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and Brooke Kelly. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

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.

Blake thanks his donors for his scholarships at the Celebration of Giving in fall 2025. K Pearlman Photography.

From left: Jennifer Orr ’95, Colette Strawn Johnson ’97, Sean Lynch ’95, Justyn LeFebvre, Brendan Kelly ’95, and Courtneay Henson Kelly ’96. Colette and Brendan serve on UMW’s Alumni Association Board of Directors. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Assistant Director of Annual Giving Cadi Treviño Pinto ’22 (center) with Student Alumni Ambassadors (from left) Maggie Alt ’28, Sophia Heinbach ’27, Sydney Hawes ’28, Ryan D’Angelo ’26, Jay Hooker ’26, and Elaina Dongieux ’27, who helped staff the event. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Brittany McBride Doughty ’18 and Theo Doughty ’17. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Olivia-Lena was among the student speakers who shared their stories at the 2025 Celebration of Giving. K Pearlman Photography.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History William Crawley and Trenda Powell Jacocks ’82. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Kate Stoneman ’26, a senior environmental science major, speaks about the internship they completed at UMW, which was funded by scholarships established by donors. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

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 

University of Mary Washington senior Carly Radgowski closes her eyes and pictures her friend’s rooftop in Paris, with French music playing softly as the Eiffel Tower begins to sparkle.

“In that moment, I felt such a sense of relief and gratitude,” she said, “that I could be in this beautiful place with this wonderful group of friends.”

Carly had always imagined studying abroad in France, where her mother once lived, and even attended a French immersion school for several years near her home in Vienna, Virginia. But it wasn’t until she received private donor support at UMW that her dream began to take shape — and she discovered a career path combining her French and conservation biology majors.

That path is especially fitting during International Education Week, Nov. 17–21, which provides an opportunity for colleges and universities to celebrate the value of cultural exchange through campus events. UMW’s Center for International Education (CIE) holds its own weeklong celebration in early October, with an Education Abroad Fair, student panels, and a Global Café co-sponsored by UMW Dining. The University sends between 250 and 300 students abroad each year through more than 120 approved programs in 35 locations.

For Carly, earning the Elizabeth Baylor Neatrour ’54 and Mary Ellen Stephenson Memorial Scholarship in French and the Carlos and Carol Muldoon Martel ’68 Scholarship for International Studies made studying in both Paris and Provence possible.

“Living and learning in France was suddenly just as affordable as attending Mary Washington,” said Carly, who took courses in French cinema, philosophy, and grammar while exploring Europe in her free time. She visited castles in the Loire Valley, strolled the streets of Strasbourg, and trekked to Dublin and Madrid with her father and aunt.

She also took a tandem language course abroad, speaking French with classmates who practiced English with her. “It helped me develop conversational skills and connect with students from different cultures,” she said.

Carly (right) and Hannah Anacko ’26 in El Retiro Park in Madrid. Both students, who are co-presidents of UMW’s French Language and Culture Club, studied abroad in France during their time at Mary Washington. Photo courtesy of Carly Radgowski.

Carly (right) and Brianna Kenealy ’25 attended a production of ‘I puritani’ at the Opéra Bastille during their study abroad in Paris. Photo courtesy of Carly Radgowski.

Carly and a friend she met through the MICEFA program visited Nyhavn, a historic 17th-century harbor in Copenhagen, Denmark. MICEFA (Mission Interuniversitaire de Coordination des Echanges Franco-Américains) is a nonprofit that brings together 18 French universities with over 65 partners in North America. Photo courtesy of Carly Radgowski.

Carly with a friend from the MICEFA program in Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. Photo courtesy of Carly Radgowski.

That experience has been invaluable to her work in CIE, where she serves as international student liaison, helping more than 100 degree-seeking students from other countries — as well as those visiting for a semester or a year — navigate life at Mary Washington.

“There is so much more to being a UMW student outside of academics,” said Sarah Moran, CIE’s assistant director, who earned a Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant last spring to help cover the cost of passports for students new to studying abroad. “Carly is warm and friendly, and she understands the need for connection when a student is far from home.”

At Mary Washington, Professors Leonard Koos, Brooke diLauro, and Scott Powers have sharpened her language skills and deepened her passion for French. Their encouragement also inspired her to become co-president of the French Language and Culture Club, organizing movie nights, picnics, and crêpe-making events.

Across campus, Professors Alan Griffith, April Wynn and Andrew Dolby have provided similar support for her conservation biology major. Carly has worked in the herbarium and recorded plant data in the Jepson Science Center, and conducted research on bird species living on the Rappahannock River.

“Dr. Dolby and I explored turbidity and how it affected great blue herons and ospreys,” said Carly, who hopes to study in Francophone West Africa before attending graduate school in France, where she’ll continue her focus on conservation. “There’s a strong emphasis on sustainability in Paris, from recycling to greener transportation.”

Whether she chooses to focus on the environment or pursue other passions, she feels ready, thanks in part to UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development, which she first visited as a sophomore.

“I’m profoundly grateful to everyone who has helped me in college,” Carly said. “I’m prepared for my next steps, whether they’re here or on the other side of the globe.”

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