Edna Gooch Trudeau ’59 and Danielle DeSimone ’14 graduated 55 years apart. Yet, each returned to the University of Mary Washington’s Reunion Weekend for the same reason.
“I’ve kept in touch with friends I met here 69 years ago,” said Edna, tearing up as she recalled classmates she has lost over the years. But her face brightened as Ann Brooks Coutsoubinas ’59 arrived. Edna added, “I absolutely loved my time at Mary Washington.”
Danielle expressed the same sentiment after reuniting with friends she met on her first night in college. “It’s so wild that it has been a decade since we graduated. We can’t wait to relive everything.”
Over 600 graduates and guests gathered for 2024’s Reunion Weekend, held May 30 through June 2. Some came with canes and walkers, while others were there with strollers in tow. Yet, everyone was excited to reconnect with the campus and each other and rediscover all the things they loved about UMW.
Kate Barbuto Charette ’04 showed her daughter around Virginia Hall. Susan Willis Tomaiko ’84 remembered the fun times she had in the Lee Hall Underground. Lorenza Amico ’79 wanted to see old friends and make new ones. And Gloria Shelton Gibson and Lin Hawkins Brannon, both 1969 graduates, stayed in their former residence, Ball Hall, which housed dozens of alumni during the weekend.
The four-day celebration featured parties and picnics, faculty lectures, campus tours, family festivities, a fun run and walk across campus, class photos, arts and culture, trolleys to downtown Fredericksburg and Carl’s for ice cream, and more. Alumni visited the academic departments where they learned, the residence halls where they lived, and the favorite haunts where they made meaningful memories at Mary Washington.
“It’s fun to come back to an environment where you began as kids and left as adults,” said Jennifer Henley ’04, whose class was the last before Mary Washington became a university. The name and the campus may have changed, she said, “but the vibe is still the same.”
That’s what drew Sean Mahoney ’94 as a student. “I visited my cousin, also an alum, when I was in high school and was amazed at how welcoming the campus is,” said Sean, whose son is a rising junior at UMW. “Several people stopped to give me directions, including Bill Crawley.” Sean planned to see the distinguished professor emeritus speak about his “Fifty Years on the Heights,” a popular Alumni College session.
Living on Long Island for the last few decades, Andrea Schwalm Stolz ’89 said she missed her alma mater, so she joined the Reunion Committee. “I wanted to reconnect with my classmates and this place.”
Iris Harrell ’69 made the 3,000-mile journey from California because of the impact Mary Washington made on her life and career. She spoke about her admiration for President Troy Paino – who gave a university update before the Alumni Awards ceremony on Saturday – as well as his predecessor, Rick Hurley. “They are both such incredible leaders.”
Laurie Root Carter ’74 and husband Bob reminisced about getting married under the Brompton Oak the year after she graduated. She and her class celebrated their entrance into the 1908 Society, which honors alumni who graduated 50 years ago or more.
This year’s event celebrated classes ending in 4 and 9, but all were welcome to participate throughout the weekend.
Catching a trolley to the Mary Washington House, Bev Turney Rawlings ’73 looked forward to learning more about the University’s namesake. She reflected on her own years pursuing a bachelor’s degree in American studies while being a mother.
“It was hard for me to participate as a student,” said Bev, who began attending events offered by UMW’s Office of Alumni Engagement last year, including processing with the 1908 Society at Commencement in May. “Being here has made me feel like I belong.”
More photos from Reunion Weekend 2024 will be uploaded to the UMW Alumni SmugMug in the coming weeks. Learn about upcoming Alumni Engagement events.
– Article by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04
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