cover story--first class
This year's freshmEn not only
are the first to enter the University of Mary Washington,
but also will be the first to graduate
in the institution's second century.
Story by Marjolijn Bijlefeld
Photos by Doug Buerlein
The Centennial Class arrived on campus August 18 – all 886 of
them. In cars and vans, packed to overflowing, they brought with them
mementos from the past and hopes for the future. The day itself represented
a turning point in these young people’s lives, as well as for
the institution itself. In addition to graduating in the year Mary
Washington turns 100, they are the first students to matriculate at
University of Mary Washington.
These new students make a strong statement about the reputation of
the University. “This is a great class,” said Martin A.
Wilder Jr., vice president for enrollment at the University. “Not
only are they academically talented, they represent a wide geographic
diversity, a multitude of talents, interests and experiences that
will contribute to the campus.”
Statistics back him up. The average high school grade-point average
for the entering students was 3.64, slightly above that of their classmates
a year ahead of them. Forty-three percent were ranked in the top tenth
of their graduating classes. Their mean combined SAT score was 1230,
seven points higher than that of the year before. More than one-fourth
of them attained Honors Admission status.
The freshman class is 65 percent female and 35 percent male. Two-thirds
of them are Virginia residents and those remaining represent more
than 30 states and several foreign countries. University of Mary Washington
TODAY met with six members of the class of 2008. Their stories paint
a picture of the richness and diversity of the University of Mary
Washington student body.
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prescription for the future: Victoria Crawley From the time she was toddling around with her toy doctor’s
kit, Victoria Crawley, 18, knew she wanted to
be a pediatrician. She’s not about to lose her focus now. Now into her science-heavy course load, Victoria is thankful for the three years of biology she took as part of her International Baccalaureate program at Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge, Va. She had worried initially that students would be expected to know the course material – a sink-or-swim approach. Her first day relieved her of that fear. “Professors offered help after class, they gave us their e-mails and said we could set up appointments.” Victoria is the first person in her extended family to go directly to college from high school. Following her announcement that she was enrolling at Mary Washington, cards and letters arrived with checks and cash totaling more than $3,000. Clearly, her family has great expectations of her – but none are higher than she has for herself. |
| transatlantic connection: Jason Istvan Jason Istvan was one of only 40 seniors in his high school in Dublin, Ireland. He knew he wanted a smaller school rather than a large university when he returned to the United States for college. Jason’s father is an executive with Coca-Cola Co. in Atlanta, but was on assignment in Ireland. His family returned to Georgia when Jason arrived at Mary Washington. In addition to an intimate feel, the college he attended needed to have solid sports and music programs, Jason said. He was the national silver medalist in javelin and shot put and he and his younger brother trained with the Irish Olympic team several times each week. This fall, Jason played rugby at UMW; in the spring, he’ll be on the track and field team. Music is also very important to him. He was first chair viola in the Dublin Youth Symphony Orchestra. Jason visited the campus late last winter, spending a night here with a member of the track team. He began to see himself as part of the Mary Washington community. The fact that the school is not far from his grandparents’ home in Fort Washington, Md., was a bonus. The experience of attending high school in Ireland was exciting, but led to some logistical problems, too. For example, Jason had to make arrangements through the U.S. Embassy to take his SATs because the tests aren’t available there. |
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home away from home: Yolianna Alfaro Before she left Panama, Yolianna Alfaro savored the fresh fruit – papayas and pineapples – she knew would be in short supply here. While she looks forward to home-cooked Panamian dinners over winter break, she has been pleasantly surprised by the variety of healthy sandwich and salad offerings here. That idea that American food is less healthful is one of the stereotypes that has come unraveled in the first few months. Yolianna made her choice to attend University of Mary Washington sight unseen. A small photo in a brochure caught her eye and she liked what she saw on the Internet. She was looking for a school that was near – but not in – a major U.S. city. The fact that she had friends in Washington, D.C. helped. “First, I thought I would go to Washington a lot, but when I was there for fall break, I felt like I couldn’t wait to come ‘home’ to my own room and my own bed.” Yolianna plans to major in some aspect of business, probably either human resources or marketing. She is delighted with the small classes and the attentiveness of the professors. “Even my 8 a.m. macro economics class is fun,” she said. |
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First Impressions Count – One Decade Later: Robert Lynn Robert Lynn of Warrenton, Va., first visited the Mary Washington campus when he was in elementary school. He accompanied his mother, who was taking education classes at the time. “I’m always fascinated by the history of the school – that it’s the only public college named after a woman. I like to see the little pieces of evidence that it used to be a women’s school – like the mural in Dodd. He had not originally planned to apply to the former woman’s college. However, once his mother suggested it, the idea grew on him. “I wanted a gorgeous campus. I love the city of Fredericksburg.” Plus, Robert said, “several of my teachers at Liberty High School were graduates and they all had great things to say about the school. I have yet to meet someone who went here who didn’t have a wonderful experience.” When it came down to the wire, Robert was deciding between UMW and Washington & Lee. “Mary Washington had the more relaxed atmosphere. I saw myself in the students I met. The faculty at other places seemed more distant.” Robert’s twin brother, incidentally, chose Washington & Lee, following in the footsteps of their father and older sister. A recipient of the prestigious Washington Scholar award, Robert was eligible for nearly a free ride at Mary Washington. “That sweetened the deal,” he conceded. Even so, at his parents’ urging, he put campus setting over cash in making his decision. “I pushed the scholarship from my mind and still chose Mary Washington.” |
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Coming “Home” for College: Zach Barrett Zach Barrett, 20, was exploring an antique shop last summer in Fredericksburg when he came upon someone’s 1940s diploma from Mary Washington College. He bought it, knowing his own diploma would say University of Mary Washington. While the move to university status was not a deciding factor for him – “I would have come here anyway” – he does appreciate the switch. “It shows progress. I like the idea of an evolving school.” Zach graduated from The Lawrenceville School, a boarding school in New Jersey once known as a feeder school for Princeton and featured in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise. His family moved to Marshall, Va., five years ago and Zach was delighted to find a school with an excellent reputation so close to his family’s home. “It’s hilarious that I’m coming home for college. It’s the exact opposite of what everyone else does.” Being at Mary Washington is just what he wanted, though. His family has been able to come watch some of his rugby games – a luxury beyond reach when he was at Lawrenceville. Walking along on a rainy day in September, Zach said, “Even in the rain, the campus is beautiful.” While Zach has been living away at school for three years already, there are plenty of differences between boarding school and college. “There’s a lot more freedom here. At boarding school, you can’t leave the school. Here, there are restaurants and friend’s houses.” He finds the mobility refreshing, allowing him and other students to focus on studying rather than the feeling of being trapped. Zach is looking toward a career in law. “This is a good place to establish myself and pursue different interests.” |
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Out of Iowa: Danielle Mackey Danielle Mackey, 19, of Cumming, Iowa, had been warned: Easterners aren’t as friendly as people in her native Midwest. One visit to the Mary Washington campus and city of Fredericksburg busted that myth, though. “We went to dinner and people came up to me to ask if I was going to Mary Washington. You can walk up to anyone here,” she said. She first heard of Mary Washington from a recruiter. “On paper, it looked perfect,” she said. She made two trips here – once with her mother and once with her father – and both of them thought it was a good fit for her, too. When she learned she could take horseback riding – “my stress relief” – as a gym class, the decision was nailed. She misses her national show horse Gandy Dancer nearly as much as she misses her parents and two younger brothers. Danielle isn’t sure where her career path will take her. She’s interested in the liberal arts – English, international affairs, global literature. In addition, she has plunged into a variety of activities, from joining the Legislative Action Committee and the Equestrian Club to tutoring local children at Hope House and volunteering at the Spay and Neuter Clinic. Danielle also is feeding off the enthusiasm of others. “Everyone is so excited about learning. The classroom atmosphere is entirely different from high school.” She said the significance of being in the centennial class will become more apparent when this class starts its senior year. But it’s not unfamiliar terrain. After all, Danielle and her college classmates were the millennium class when they finished 8th grade in 2000. |
| STudents Top 4 Reasons for Choosing UMW The six students profiled each had profoundly
personal reasons for selecting UMW as their college of choice.
But each cited the following as a factor:
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