{"id":107790,"date":"2025-11-19T09:18:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T14:18:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/?p=107790"},"modified":"2025-11-19T16:07:43","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T21:07:43","slug":"school-spirit-and-donor-impact-take-center-stage-at-umws-celebration-of-giving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2025\/11\/19\/school-spirit-and-donor-impact-take-center-stage-at-umws-celebration-of-giving\/","title":{"rendered":"School Spirit and Donor Impact Take Center Stage at UMW\u2019s Celebration of Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been exhilarating to expand my horizons in ways I couldn\u2019t have imagined four years ago,\u201d said De Veaux, who earned the Gail Madden Shedlick \u201978 Scholarship, which helped fund her summer internship working at a hotel in Prague. \u201cIt was my first experience navigating professional life in a foreign culture. I learned to translate my academic studies into real-world action \u2013 skills I\u2019ll carry forward into my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

De Veaux 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<\/a>. 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\u2019s success and celebrate its historic fundraising year and impressive college rankings.<\/p>\n

\"Two <\/a>
Olivia-Lena De Veaux ’26 (right), one of several student speakers at the Celebration of Giving, and Student Alumni Ambassador Cameron Gittings ’27. With a theme of UMW pride and school spirit, the annual event welcomed more than 200 guests to thank donors who contributed to the University\u2019s success and celebrate its historic fundraising year and impressive college rankings. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
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. <\/div> <\/div>
\"University <\/a>
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. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Members <\/a>
The UMW Pep Dance performed with the Pep Band. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Several <\/a>
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. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Table <\/a>
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. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"President <\/a>
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. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

The evening opened with the UMW Pep Band filling the Cedric Rucker University Center\u2019s Chandler Ballroom with rousing renditions of fan favorites like the Mary Washington fight song, \u201cSoar, Eagle Nation, Soar.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

Turcotte thanked supporters for contributing $37.8 million in gifts and pledges<\/a> and helping UMW\u2019s endowment surpass $100 million. She also highlighted several milestones, including Mary Wash Day<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cTransformational impact isn\u2019t about the size of the gift \u2013 it\u2019s about purpose,\u201d Turcotte said. \u201cEvery contribution, every volunteer hour, every act of support helps move this University forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A <\/a>
Janet Hedrick ’73, a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and UMW Reference and Humanities Librarian Emeritus Jack Bales. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Guests <\/a>
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. <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Ginny Tapscott Clendenin ’09 and Dan Clendenin ’07, a member of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
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. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Two <\/a>
Sarah Gildersleeve Strassheim ’01 (left), a member of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees, and Angela Mills ’01. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Two <\/a>
Xavier Richardson (left), a member of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees, and John Loughran. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

UMW President Troy Paino acknowledged the University\u2019s strong showing in prominent college guides<\/a>, including U.S. News & World Report<\/a> and the Fiske Guide to Colleges<\/a>. Yet, the most meaningful recognition to him, he said, was The Princeton Review<\/a> ranking Mary Washington as #11 in the nation for \u201cschools that make an impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour gifts allow us to impact not only these individual students\u2019 lives, but the communities in which they\u2019ll live and serve,\u201d Paino said. \u201cThe rippling effect of the investments you make in Mary Washington is profound. And tonight is about helping you see that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Three <\/a>
From left to right: Mary Turner Boyd ’67, Meganne Lemon ’11 and Gloria Shelton Gibson ’69. Lemon serves on UMW’s Alumni Association Board of Directors. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Marcy Weatherly Morris ’50 and UMW Director of Gift Processing and Records Management Lee Ann Reaser ’98. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Linda Coker (left) and Kelly Paino, wife of UMW President Troy Paino. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Chief <\/a>
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. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Matthew Baker ’11, a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and Brooke Kelly. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

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 Stoneman 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so grateful to my donors who helped fund my Shark Tooth Island research adventure,\u201d said Stoneman, recipient of the Carrol Adair Gury \u201968 Environmental Sciences Scholarship and the Mary Siegrist Hinz \u201981 Leadership Award. \u201cI would not be where I am today, with multiple conferences and internships under my belt, without your help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake Bauer, a senior historic preservation major who received the UMW Alumni and Friends Scholarship and Veronica\u00a0S. Johnson \u201989 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\u2019s gravesite.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I declared my major, I never could have imagined I\u2019d be using ground-penetrating radar to search for the final resting place of our University\u2019s namesake,\u201d said Bauer, who also interned with the National Park Service and the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library as a Bowley Scholar.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/a>
Blake Bauer ’26, a senior historic preservation major, tells the audience about the multiple internships he’s completed at Mary Washington, as well as his undergraduate research. He and his faculty mentor aimed to locate the final resting place of the University’s namesake. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
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. <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Assistant Director of Annual Giving Cadi Trevi\u00f1o Pinto \u201922 (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. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Brittany McBride Doughty ’18 and Theo Doughty ’17. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Olivia-Lena De Veaux ’26, an international affairs and Spanish major who engaged in two study abroad experiences and an internship abroad at UMW, was among the student speakers who shared their stories at the 2025 Celebration of Giving. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Distinguished <\/a>
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History William Crawley and Trenda Powell Jacocks ’82. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
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. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Video production courses at UMW led Bauer 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour support hasn\u2019t just eased the financial burden of college; it has opened doors I didn\u2019t know existed,\u201d Bauer said. \u201cYou\u2019ve allowed me to explore, take risks, grow and discover passions I never knew I had. You\u2019ve invested not just in my education, but in my future and in the person I\u2019m becoming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>about establishing scholarships and how private support makes a difference in the lives of UMW students who receive scholarships, research fellowships and internship grants.<\/em><\/p>\n

View photos<\/em><\/strong><\/a> <\/b>from the 2025 Celebration of Giving.<\/em><\/p>\n

This story originally ran on Giving.umw.edu<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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. \u201cIt\u2019s been exhilarating to expand my horizons in ways I couldn\u2019t have imagined four years ago,\u201d said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1236,"featured_media":107842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[704],"tags":[15480,15481,15468,902],"topics":[5144],"class_list":{"0":"post-107790","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-stories","8":"tag-celebration-of-giving","9":"tag-kturcott","10":"tag-office-of-advancement-and-alumni-engagement","11":"tag-tpaino","12":"topic-news","13":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSchool 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