{"id":109350,"date":"2026-03-31T11:53:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/?p=109350"},"modified":"2026-03-31T11:53:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:53:26","slug":"at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/","title":{"rendered":"At UMW Scholarship Luncheon, Students Share Stories of Growth and Gratitude"},"content":{"rendered":"

University of Mary Washington junior Hannah Jadgchew has been able to do it all in college. She has worked on a research team with her faculty mentor, participated in a clinical internship, competed on UMW\u2019s varsity field hockey team, held leadership roles and even spearheaded an effort to donate 20,000 lbs. of food to local shelters.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy scholarships have given me the freedom to flourish and engage in everything Mary Washington has to offer,\u201d said Jadgchew, who came from San Diego to major in psychology and minor in neuroscience at UMW. She\u2019s preparing for a career in speech and occupational therapy, hoping to \u201cgive a voice to children in this world who weren’t necessarily born with one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jadgchew thanked the donors who established the Llewellyn Scholarship in Psychology, the Kenneth L. Steen Scholarship and the Civic Leadership and Community Engagement Scholarship that have supported her at Mary Washington over the past three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour investment doesn\u2019t just fund education,\u201d she said. \u201cIt transforms lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

That resounding message summed up the 2026 Scholarship Luncheon and Student Showcase on March 21. The annual event honors supporters who\u2019ve established and funded private scholarships and members of\u00a0UMW\u2019s Washington and Heritage Societies<\/a>\u00a0who have contributed or pledged significant gifts to the University.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/a>
Hannah Jadgchew ’27 with several of her donors, Mark Ingrao ’81 (left) and Deborah and James Llewellyn ’87 (right), who is the president of UMW’s Alumni Association Board of Directors. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Matthew Cabrera ’27 shares research with donor Carolyn Gore. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Mollie Moomaw ’26 and one of her donors, UMW Foundation Board of Trustees member Vicky Nichols Wilder ’80, who helped establish the Friends of Dance Scholarship, which Moomaw received. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Kassandra Williams ’26 shares computer science research with Jake Jacocks, who established the First-Generation Scholarship Endowment with wife Trenda Powell Jacocks ’82. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Fiona Stevens ’26 with donors Bill Williams and Patricia Poole, who established the Kendra Lynn Williams ’95 Scholarship, which Stevens received. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Rev. Trenda Powell Jacocks ’82 shares her Mary Washington story and how being the first in her family to attend college inspired her and husband Jake to create the First-Generation Scholarship Endowment. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Attendees learned about academic research and artistic pursuits showcased by scholarship recipients on the first floor of the Cedric Rucker University Center before enjoying a springtime luncheon. They then listened as students expressed their gratitude and heard from UMW President Troy Paino and longtime donor Rev. Trenda Powell Jacocks \u201982, who created the First-Generation Scholarship Endowment with her husband, Jake.<\/p>\n

First in her family to attend college, Jacocks earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in American studies at Mary Washington and a master\u2019s degree in theological studies in Northern Virginia, where she now serves as a pastor. She\u2019s currently pursuing a doctor of ministry degree, which she\u2019ll complete next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to model our journey for today\u2019s students \u2013 to give them the same launch into the world my family gave me,\u201d said Jacocks, who sponsored a challenge during Mary Wash Day<\/a>\u00a0on March 25-26. Quoting the late poet laureate Maya Angelou, she said, \u201cI have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paino thanked donors for their generosity over the past year, which saw a record-breaking $37.8 million in gifts and pledges<\/a>\u00a0from alumni and friends. Donors gave $3.57 million to support endowed and non-endowed scholarships in 2024-25. More than 824 scholarships and awards totaling $2.3 million \u2013 including 17 scholarships presented for the first time \u2013 were given to 553 students who received one or more scholarships.<\/p>\n

\"President <\/a>
President Troy Paino thanked donors for their generous gifts and celebrated the UMW men’s basketball team making it to the 2026 D-III national championships. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Donor Adam Fried with several recipients of the Curie Darwin Newton Scholarship. From left: Bryar Laine \u201928, Adam Fried, Travis Jimenez ’29, Justin Yoder ’29 and Caroline VanEpps \u201929. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div>
\"Table <\/a>
Guests enjoyed a delicious springtime luncheon by UMW Dining. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Dianne Madocks ’25, recipient of the Craig Family Scholarship, with her donor, Marty Abbott ’72, a member of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
UMW Foundation Board of Trustees member Lou Marmo ’94 and wife Jill Marmo chat with their scholarship recipient, Julia Hall-Pace ’27, who received the Louis A. ’94 and Jill Marmo Partnership for the Future Scholarship. Marmo was recently announced as UMW’s 2026 Commencement speaker. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Two <\/a>
1950 classmates Florence Overly Ridderhof (left) and Marcy Weatherly Morris reconnect at the 2026 Scholarship Luncheon and Student Showcase. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div>
\"Two <\/a>
UMW Foundation Board of Trustees member Donna Sheehan Gladis ’68 and husband Steve chat with Assistant Vice President for Gift Planning Emeritus Jan Clarke (center). Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

\u201cYour investments make such a difference in the lives of these students to be able to reach their true potential and make this world a better place,\u201d Paino said. \u201cI hope that being able to interact with some of the beneficiaries of your generosity today is meaningful to all of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Senior Savannah Sinor, an international affairs major and French and sustainability minor, shared how receiving the Paul and Judith Dresser Merit Scholarship all four years made it financially feasible to attend Mary Washington as an out-of-state student from North Carolina.<\/p>\n

Her awards helped her study abroad on a faculty-led trip to rural Guatemala, intern full time at the U.S. State Department, and present her undergraduate research paper at a national political science conference.<\/p>\n

Sinor, who also received the Elizabeth Baylor Neatrour \u201954 and Mary Ellen Stephenson Memorial, Marjorie Jean Frost \u201944 and Smith International Affairs scholarships, thanked her donors for \u201cbelieving in my potential and making my education and these life-changing experiences possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

William Goodman, a junior double majoring in history and Middle Eastern studies from Virginia Beach, shared how he had his own transformative experiential learning opportunities after earning the Dr. Hamlin A. Caldwell Scholarship in History and Dr. James Farmer Scholarship.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy scholarships unlocked worlds I couldn\u2019t have afforded otherwise,\u201d said Goodman, who spent a semester attending the American University in Cairo last fall, courtesy of the Constance Booth Logothetis \u201961 Study Abroad Scholarship. Not only did it support his academic studies, he said, but he was able to explore the country and expand his horizons.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe altruism shown by\u202fthose\u202fwho\u2019ve\u202festablished\u202fscholarships\u202fand\u202fdonated\u202fto\u202fMary Washington is truly admirable,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are helping the next generation\u202fsucceed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A <\/a>
William Goodman ’27 shares how receiving the Dr. Hamlin A. Caldwell Scholarship in History, Dr. James Farmer Scholarship and Constance Booth Logothetis ’61 Study Abroad Scholarship helped him thrive at Mary Washington and the American University in Cairo, where he studied last fall. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Deena Hodge ’27, recipient of the Fredericksburg Network Scholarship and other awards, with donor Mary Helen Dellinger ’90. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Savannah Sinor ’26 shares how earning the Paul and Judith Dresser Merit Scholarship, Elizabeth Baylor Neatrour \u201954 and Mary Ellen Stephenson Memorial Scholarship, Marjorie Jean Frost \u201944 Scholarship and Smith International Affairs Scholarship gave her the chance to go on a faculty-led trip to Guatemala, become a full-time intern at the U.S. State Department, and present her research at a national political science conference. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Adelaide Gill ’26, the recipient of the A. Ray Merchent Washington Scholarship, with her donors, Cindy Jones Merchent ’77 and Al Merchent. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Virginia Powell and Meredith Walburn ’27, recipient of the Virginia H. Powell UMW Philharmonic Orchestra Scholarship and other awards. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Music major Sean Henry ’26 leads guests in singing the Mary Washington Alma Mater. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div>
\"Two <\/a>
From left: Deb Stanley Leap ’72 with her recipient, Abigail Powers ’27, who earned the Debra Stanley Leap ’72 Scholarship in Biology, and Deb’s daughter, Amy Leap ’12. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Jake and Trenda Powell Jacocks ’82, who met on the Mary Washington campus when she was a student, and he was in the U.S. Army. They established the First-Generation Scholarship Endowment to support students like Trenda, who was first in her family to attend college. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Find\u00a0<\/em>scholarship opportunities<\/em><\/a>\u00a0that are available to UMW students.\u00a0<\/em>Learn more<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>about establishing scholarships and how private support makes a difference in the lives of UMW students who receive awards, research fellowships and internship grants. View\u00a0photos<\/a>\u00a0from the 2026 Scholarship Luncheon and Student Showcase.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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

University of Mary Washington junior Hannah Jadgchew has been able to do it all in college. She has worked on a research team with her faculty mentor, participated in a clinical internship, competed on UMW\u2019s varsity field hockey team, held leadership roles and even spearheaded an effort to donate 20,000 lbs. of food to local […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1236,"featured_media":109383,"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":[15650,15468,15515],"topics":[5144],"class_list":{"0":"post-109350","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-stories","8":"tag-2026-scholarship-luncheon-and-student-showcase","9":"tag-office-of-advancement-and-alumni-engagement","10":"tag-student-showcase-and-scholarship-luncheon","11":"topic-news","12":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAt UMW Scholarship Luncheon, Students Share Stories of Growth and Gratitude - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"At UMW Scholarship Luncheon, Students Share Stories of Growth and Gratitude\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"University of Mary Washington junior Hannah Jadgchew has been able to do it all in college. She has worked on a research team with her faculty mentor, participated in a clinical internship, competed on UMW\u2019s varsity field hockey team, held leadership roles and even spearheaded an effort to donate 20,000 lbs. of food to local […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UniversityofMaryWashington\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T15:53:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/NewRelease_Alum_March26.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"413\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jill Laiacona\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UMaryWash\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UMaryWash\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jill Laiacona\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jill Laiacona\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/81cd90fbc8c9a45401477e39ce19ef4b\"},\"headline\":\"At UMW Scholarship Luncheon, Students Share Stories of Growth and Gratitude\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-31T15:53:26+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/\"},\"wordCount\":798,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/NewRelease_Alum_March26.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"2026 Scholarship Luncheon and Student Showcase\",\"Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement\",\"Student Showcase and Scholarship Luncheon\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Top Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/\",\"name\":\"At UMW Scholarship Luncheon, Students Share Stories of Growth and Gratitude - 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