When senior Sofia Taylor earned a full-ride Alvey Scholarship to attend the University of Mary Washington, she penned the first of many letters and cards she exchanged with her donor, Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59.
“Irene often said that Mary Washington ‘opened worlds’ for her,” said Sofia, a psychology major and neuroscience and music minor. Because of private support, Sofia’s own college experience comprised a semester abroad, singing with the UMW Choir, leadership roles in the psychology department, and researching the minds of the world’s great composers. “She truly did that for me.”
Sofia sang the praises of her late benefactor – who left her alma mater a transformational $30 million estate gift for undergraduate scientific research and to create new Alvey Scholarships – at the 2024 Donor Appreciation Luncheon and Student Showcase on April 6. The annual event honored supporters who have established private scholarships and members of UMW’s Washington and Heritage societies, who have either given or pledged significant funds to Mary Washington.
Scholarship recipients displayed their academic pursuits and projects for attendees to peruse on the first floor of the Cedric Rucker University Center. Afterwards, guests gathered in the Chandler Ballroom for a spring-themed lunch and listened as President Troy Paino and student speakers expressed gratitude to donors for their gifts to the University.
“We always look forward to this occasion and for you to connect with our students who are the beneficiaries of your generosity,” Paino said, “so you can see, witness, and experience what is happening here because of your investment.”
In a campus update, Paino thanked donors for helping UMW achieve its highest fundraising year to date, with $21.3 million in gifts and pledges made in Fiscal Year 2023. He also highlighted the recent success of Mary Wash Day, which raised a preliminary record-setting $828,677 on April 4. “To feel the support of the Mary Washington family from across the globe means so much.”
Senior Brooke Prevedel, who came to UMW from Colorado, said that private support helped her pursue a double major in classical archaeology and historic preservation, as well as a GIS certificate, which necessitated staying a fifth year at Mary Washington.
Receiving scholarships helped ease financial pressure and gave her the chance to engage in high-impact learning experiences, she said. For example, she contributed her cartographic skills to create printed maps for the local Civil Rights Trail and a Fredericksburg Area Museum exhibit, collaborating on both projects with Professor of Geography Steve Hanna.
“I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities at UMW,” Brooke said. “Because of them, I’m graduating into a world where even more opportunities await me, already as an established professional in my fields.”
Shahir Mohsenyan, a graduate student in UMW’s College of Education, shared how as a child of immigrants, he wasn’t always accepted by his peers. Yet, his favorite teachers made him feel as though he mattered and inspired his decision to become an educator.
He thanked his donors for giving him the chance to ensure that all students feel welcome in his classroom.
“Your investment in education extends far beyond the confines of this University,” Shahir said. “It is a gift that keeps on giving, shaping the future, one student at a time.”
Find scholarship opportunities that are available to UMW students. 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 and a video from the 2024 Donor Appreciation Luncheon and Student Showcase.
Sofia Taylor ’24 is the recipient of the Justin and Helen Piscopo Alvey Scholarship.
Shahir Mohsenyan M.Ed. ’24 is the recipient of the Alice Warren Twiddy 1915 Scholarship, Graduate Education Endowed Scholarship, Hattie M. Strong Foundation Scholarship and the UMW Alumni and Friends Scholarship.
Brooke Prevedel ’24 is the recipient of the Ardiena Ann Tromley Scholarship in Archaeology, Dovetail Cultural Resource Group Scholarship for Historic Preservation, John D. Mac Isaac Scholarship in Classics, Laura V. Sumner Memorial Scholarship in Classics and the National Latin Exam Scholarship.
– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04
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