A pair of entrepreneurs and a longtime educator will be the featured speakers at the University of Mary Washington’s 2018 commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 11, and Saturday, May 12.
Deputy Superintendent for Fredericksburg City Public Schools Marci Catlett will speak at the graduate ceremony Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall. Downtown Fredericksburg business owners and UMW alumni Robert Davis and Abbas Haider will deliver the undergraduate address Saturday at 9 a.m. on Ball Circle. Both ceremonies will take place on the Fredericksburg Campus.
Marci Catlett
Catlett, who holds an Ed.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech, has worked in the Fredericksburg school system for 36 years, serving in roles such as administrative assistant, director of instruction, and assistant superintendent for instruction and personnel. She also has served as an adjunct professor at UMW and Shenandoah University.
She is active in the Fredericksburg community, having volunteered with myriad agencies such as the Fredericksburg Area Youth Development Foundation Sunshine Ballpark, the Fredericksburg region’s Boys & Girls Club, Fredericksburg Festival of the Arts, Fredericksburg Food Bank and the University of Mary Washington’s James Farmer Scholars program.
Among the many honors Catlett has received are the 2018 Hugh Mercer Elementary School African American Community Award, the 2017 Women Education Leaders in Virginia Spirit Award, the 2017 Patricia Lacey Metzger Distinguished Achievement Award, the 2015 Women in Worship Ministries Excellence Award and a Fredericksburg Regional Boys & Girls Club Outstanding Service Award.
Robert Davis and Abbas Haider
Davis and Haider rose to the top of more than 15,000 nominations from across the country to make last November’s prestigious Forbes “30 Under 30” list of successful young business leaders. Their company, Aspetto – Haider is president and CEO; Davis is COO – sells bulletproof suits and professional attire, and other high-end men’s clothing.
The life-saving apparel line has generated millions of dollars in revenue, serving the U.S. armed forces, government contractors, NFL players, reality TV stars and other high-profile clients, and has been recognized by such publications as Esquire and Newsweek.
Davis and Haider, both business administration majors who graduated from UMW in 2012, began creating Aspetto when they teamed up in an international business strategy class at Mary Washington. Their assignment: Invent a product that would be viable in foreign markets.
The Class of 2012 graduates keep shining every where.
Congratulations!