Center for International Education

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

February 11, 2025 Leave a Comment

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

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. Photo by Karen Pearlman. — 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. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Adjusting to life as an international student that far away in a new country had its challenges, the UMW junior 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. 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.

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 recently 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 last July.

“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.

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.

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. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Mima (back row, right) and other members of the Student Alumni Ambassadors (SAA) pose for a photo outside the Jepson Alumni Executive Center. Mima serves as vice president of social media and marketing for the SAA program. Photo courtesy of Karen Pearlman.

Aloysious, who received the Thomas Howard and Elizabeth Merchent Tardy Scholarship, among others, chats during last year’s Scholarship Luncheon with his donor, Al Merchent. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Speaking of home, he’s gotten a taste of it through UMW’s 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.

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

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

January 29, 2025 Leave a Comment

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.

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

UMW’s Celebration of Giving Generates Global Connections

November 25, 2024 Leave a Comment

University of Mary Washington senior Hayley Madden had an unforgettable experience while visiting England’s National Gallery on a faculty-led trip. An art history major, she presented her own research to her professor and classmates on French painter Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s “Self Portrait with a Straw Hat.”

“I’m so grateful to everyone who believed in my potential,” Hayley said. The recipient of the Emil R. Schnellock Scholarship and other awards, she’s now applying to graduate art history programs in London. “You’ve made my Mary Washington education possible while helping to nurture my dream from a simple sketch into a vibrant masterpiece.”

Hayley was among the student speakers who shared their stories at the 2024 Celebration of Giving. An art history major, Hayley studied abroad in England and France and now serves as a peer advisor in UMW’s Center for International Education. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement Katie Turcotte quoted late chef and globetrotting TV host Anthony Bourdain as she welcomed donors to the 2024 Celebration of Giving, held in the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Chandler Ballroom. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

President Troy Paino and wife Kelly (right), who were the evening’s hosts, and other guests listen to UMW student speakers talk about their international education experiences at Mary Washington. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

With a study abroad theme, tables were decorated with globes, suitcases, and postcards from far-flung locales across the globe. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Keeping with the international education theme, ‘Eagle Airlines’ screens outside Chandler Ballroom announced flight arrival and departure times. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Hayley shared her story – including how she explored museums in nine countries while spending a semester in France and now helps her fellow students plan their own excursions as a Center for International Education peer advisor – at the Celebration of Giving on Nov. 21. Held in the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Chandler Ballroom, this year’s event honored 200-plus donors who listened as students and administrators thanked them for supporting the University’s renowned study abroad program and the international students who live and learn at UMW.

“These pillars of the Mary Washington experience cultivate global perspectives and foster meaningful cross-cultural connections, yet can also be costly for our students,” Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement Katie Turcotte said. “Your gifts help strengthen UMW’s reputation as a hub for international education and student success.”

She thanked supporters for prioritizing UMW in their philanthropic giving during the past fiscal year, with $14.5 million in gifts and pledges raised from 5,146 donors. She also shared 2024 highlights, including the Beyond the Classroom Endowment, which supports student experiential learning like study abroad, surpassing its $1 million goal this fall.

“We’re grateful not only for your investment, but also your example to our students,” UMW President Troy Paino said. Noting UMW’s distinction as top producer of Peace Corps volunteers and Fulbright scholars, he said that curiosity, open-mindedness, humility, and a desire to learn about other cultures are critically important in today’s world. “These are traits that we hope to develop in young people so they can be successful and make a difference.”

Suitcases, globes, and postcards decorated the tables while the Eiffel Tower and a Japanese temple illuminated the walls of Chandler Ballroom. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

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. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Sean McGavin ’25, one of the student speakers, with his donor, Sally Brannan Hurt ’92. Sally established the Sally Brannan Hurt ’92 Study Abroad Scholarship, which has funded faculty-led trips to the Galápagos Islands for dozens of students, including Sean. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Renee Allen Kuntz ’85 and husband Scott enjoy the evening’s festivities. Renee recently made a pledge that pushed the Beyond the Classroom Endowment, which funds study abroad and other high-impact learning opportunities for students, past the $1 million mark in gifts and pledges. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Guests enjoyed a sweet internationally-themed treat of gelato with a cookie and a cannoli. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Junior Aloysious Kabonge, a mathematics and statistics major and data science minor from Uganda, spoke about how the Thomas Howard and Elizabeth Merchent Tardy Scholarship and other awards have helped him earn a broad liberal arts education while embracing campus life.

At UMW, he serves as a Student Alumni Ambassador, resident assistant, and orientation leader. He participated in an alternative service break and joined the African Student Union, which has helped him connect with other international students.

“Your kindness, generosity, and support have changed my life profoundly,” he told his donors. “I’m here today, pursuing my dreams, because of you. You’ve given me opportunities that I could have only imagined, and for that, I’m deeply grateful.”

Sean McGavin ’25 points out photos from his college journey on a slideshow presentation. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Marcy Weatherly Morris ’50 reconnects with Dan Steen ’84 and Anne Thompson Steen ’83. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Janet Hedrick ’73, who has gone on several Mary Washington Alumni on the Road trips to destinations across the globe, enjoys dinner with University Librarian Emeritus Jack Bales. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Lisa Patillo Miller ’96 and the Hon. Kerwin Miller Sr. ’95 enjoy the cocktail hour at the 2024 Celebration of Giving, while a Center for International Education student slideshow plays in the background. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

From left: Dr. Terrie Young Crawley ’77, Al Merchent, Cindy Jones Merchent ’77, and Rita Morgan Stone ’52 pose for a photo during the cocktail hour. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Senior Sean McGavin shared his own college journey, beginning with hiking all 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail during a gap year. At Mary Washington, he discovered a passion for chemistry that was vital to his desire to preserve forests and began working as a wildland firefighter during the summers.

Earning the Sally Brannan Hurt ’92 Study Abroad Scholarship helped Sean go on a faculty-led trip the Galápagos Islands, where he planted trees and learned how other countries address ecological problems. The knowledge he gained abroad influenced his decision to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry so he can develop environmentally safe retardants to fight fires.

“I didn’t know my purpose before I came to Mary Washington, but I found it here,” said Sean as he thanked Hurt. “Going to the Galápagos … was an opportunity that wouldn’t have been possible for me without Sally’s scholarship and is one that I’ll never forget.”

Senior Mima Manton, who hails from England, said the James E. Baker Community Orchestra Scholarship and other awards supported her in studying music abroad while performing in many university ensembles, including leading the Pep Band.

“My musical experiences have developed in ways that I could have never imagined,” said Mima, who performed a piece on bassoon with Music Chair and Professor Brooks Kuykendall on piano. “I cannot stress enough that without my scholarships, I wouldn’t be standing in front of you today.”

Mima Manton ’25, a music major from England, performed a piece on bassoon to close out the evening. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Kaylah Lightfoot ’25 poses for a picture with Lucy Lutterbie ’70 during the cocktail hour. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Jane Jackson Woerner ’69 (left) and Karen Kilgore Ralston ’69 reconnect at the Celebration of Giving. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Linda Lemanski Blakemore ’84 and Associate Professor Emeritus of History Porter Blakemore enjoy the evening together. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

President Troy Paino gives final remarks to end the evening. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

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 2024 Celebration of Giving.

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

Beyond the Classroom Endowment Brings the World to UMW Students

November 7, 2023 Leave a Comment

University of Mary Washington senior Nathaniel Huff ’24 attended 19 professional theatre performances in the span of three weeks – more than most patrons see in a year – on the UMW Theatre in London trip last summer.

A theatre major, Nathaniel grew up in a small town with limited access to his chosen field. He said that going abroad exposed him and his classmates to a wide variety of plays and musicals, including several world premieres.

“There is no doubt that the productions I witnessed are influencing my work and giving me ideas on how to engage with the creative process,” said Nathaniel, who is currently directing a play he discovered at England’s National Theatre for his senior project.

UMW senior Nathaniel Huff received the Beyond the Classroom Education Abroad Scholarship to go on the UMW Theatre in London trip last summer. Alumna Mary T. Bradley MacPherson ’71 has sponsored a challenge, which will unlock $10,000 for study abroad if 200 gifts are made to Beyond the Classroom in the month of November. Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Huff.

Nathaniel (back row, third from right) saw 19 productions during the three-week trip, including the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘Hamnet’ (a fictional account of Shakespeare’s son) in Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo courtesy of UMW Theatre.

Nathaniel’s participation in the six-credit course, which also took students to the Globe Theatre and other Shakespearean sites, was made possible by UMW’s Beyond the Classroom Endowment (BtC). The initiative, founded three years ago, supports experiential learning such as study abroad, undergraduate research, internships, and travel to academic conferences. Now, the Beyond the Classroom Education Abroad Scholarship, first awarded last year, has given students like Nathaniel the funding to study overseas.

“BtC was started to provide access to those learning experiences that make such a critical difference in the education and lives of our students,” said College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Keith Mellinger. According to UMW’s Center for International Education, one in three students study abroad while attending Mary Washington. “These opportunities set our students apart from others in a very crowded and highly competitive work environment,” Dean Mellinger said.

Generous donors have raised more than $600,000 for the initiative, which is already being used by UMW students. The long-term goal, Dean Mellinger said, is creating a $1 million endowed fund, which will generate tens of thousands of dollars for students each year.

Mary T. Bradley MacPherson '71 (right) with President of Slovakia Zuzana Čaputová. Photo courtesy of Mary T. Bradley MacPherson '71. — Mary T. Bradley MacPherson ’71 (right) with President of Slovakia Zuzana Čaputová. Photo courtesy of Mary T. Bradley MacPherson ’71.

Mary T. Bradley MacPherson ’71 has sponsored a challenge, which will unlock $10,000 for study abroad if 200 gifts are made to Beyond the Classroom in the month of November. The timing coincides with International Education Week, Nov. 13-17. Donations made on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, will also count toward the total.

“It’s enriching to see how other cultures live and to be exposed to different perspectives,” said Mary, who majored in American Studies at Mary Washington. Her liberal arts education prepared her for a career promoting organizational capacity building, educational exchange, and entrepreneurship, which brought her to 45 countries across the globe. Since 2010, she led the Slovak-American Foundation, strengthening business partnerships between the two countries, until the nonprofit ceased this year after reaching its final goals.

Mary T. Bradley MacPherson, as a junior at Mary Washington, in the Battlefield Yearbook. Photo courtesy of UMW Special Collections and University Archives.

A longtime CAS Advisory Board member, Mary has supported BtC since its inception and said she hopes her challenge will inspire her fellow alumni to give. “A small amount of money goes a long way in helping students have life-changing experiences.”

That’s true of sophomore Grace Gower ’26, a historic preservation major who went to France last summer for a course taught by UMW Professor of Historic Preservation Andréa Livi Smith and offered through the MICEFA consortium of French universities.

A Paris native, Dr. Smith led Grace and her classmates through the urban and architectural history of the City of Lights, touring museums, cathedrals, city parks, catacombs and world-famous sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, which Grace captured through photography.

“The Beyond the Classroom Endowment helped pay my tuition fees for the course when my family was in a bit of a rough patch,” said Grace, who plans to pursue a career in historic preservation and urban planning. “I’m very grateful that it relieved some of the costs so I could take advantage of this unique opportunity.”

UMW sophomore Grace Gower (fifth from left) received the Beyond the Classroom Education Abroad Scholarship, which enabled her to go on a faculty-led UMW in France trip to study historic preservation in Paris. Here, she and her classmates visit the gravesite of Eliza Monroe Hay, daughter of President James Monroe. Hay was born in Fredericksburg and died in Paris. Photo courtesy of UMW Professor of Historic Preservation Andréa Livi Smith.

Grace’s photo of the Musee d’Orsay, an art museum in Paris housed in a former train station. Photo by Grace Gower.

Grace’s photo of the Cité de l’Architecture, an architecture museum in Paris. Photo by Grace Gower.

Learn more about Beyond the Classroom or make your gift. For information, please contact Jeremy Vaughn ’08 in the Office of University Advancement at jvaughn@umw.edu or 540-654-2063. Visit UMW’s Center for International Education to learn more about study abroad opportunities at Mary Washington.

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

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