Yesterday, family, friends, and faculty gathered on campus to celebrate 55 Virginia Wesleyan students who qualified for graduation at the end of this semester as well as those who reached the milestone in August of this year. Both undergraduate and masters-level students are among the mid-year degree candidates. Adding to the special day was the new venue for this year's ceremony. Held for the first time in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, the ceremony took place in the Joan and Macon Brock Theatre with a reception that followed in the Eleanor and Henry Watts Grand Lobby and Gallery. Dean of the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities Dr. Travis Malone, recipient of the 2019 Samuel Nelson Gray Distinguished Teaching Award, offered words of wisdom and reflections in his address to the group. Alisa Crider, Class of 2010 and recipient of the 2018 Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award, gave remarks on behalf of the Alumni Council and welcomed these accomplished Marlins to the ranks of alumni.
To these graduating students: congratulations and remember that as alumni, you are always part of Virginia Wesleyan. We look forward to learning about your many achievements and the exceptional ways you will make a positive impact on the world.
Read highlights from the ceremony, enjoy the photo gallery, and view the video here.
# # #
Last week, we celebrated members of the Clarke Heritage Society at our annual luncheon. Annie and I had the pleasure of welcoming to campus Alice Clarke for whom the society is named along with her late husband Lambuth, president of Virginia Wesleyan from 1966 to 1992. The Clarkes planted many of the seeds of Wesleyan's future success. We remain grateful to Alice for her continued support of our institution and to the Clarkes for their inspiring legacy. Many of our supporters attended the luncheon, including Jim Bergdoll, Vice President Emeritus, and Henry Light, member of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and strong supporter of the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program (VTAG). We thank all of our Clarke Heritage Society members for their commitment to the University in a very important way. Learn more and view the photo gallery here.
# # #
We had a wonderful time celebrating all who supported "The Future is Here" 2019 Faculty/Staff Campaign. Special thanks to Kelly Cordova (Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations) and our campaign ambassadors who were recognized at the thank you reception--Elaine Aird '96, Heather Campbell '04, April Christman '14, Brandon Elliott '03, Randy Lott, Dr. Bryson Mortensen, Jason Seward '05, and Dr. Michelle Vachris.
I am delighted to report that our full-time faculty and staff members demonstrated their confidence in the future of Virginia Wesleyan with results showing 73% of the campus participating in this month-long campaign, exceeding our participation goal. This year's campaign raised over $42,000 for various priorities across the University. A noteworthy achievement from the campaign is that we had 100% participation from our alumni working full-time on campus. We can be grateful to have such an engaged community of alumni, faculty and staff supporting the University through their gifts of time, talent, and treasure. View the photo gallery here.
ET CETERA
Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program
Each October, Virginia Wesleyan students, parents, and alumni join others across the Commonwealth in the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program (VTAG) advocacy campaign. VTAG supports educational opportunities for nearly 23,000 Virginia residents and their families, including more than 800 Virginia Wesleyan students. While currently at $3,400 per resident, the amount varies annually. The campaign generates awareness of, and appreciation for, the grant program by writing elected officials, including Governor Ralph Northam, requesting their continued support. VWU's participation has always been exceptional in terms of the rate of support from our community. This year, Virginia Wesleyan's role is second only to a larger institution enrolling over 100,000 students. The campaign consists of letters, emails, post cards, and an annual visit to the Capitol to visit with elected officials, which also teaches our students a valuable lesson about the power of civic engagement. Special thanks to the staff in Student Affairs who coordinate this effort each year.
In case you missed it, I discuss this topic in my monthly column in The Virginian-Pilot. To learn more, read "Affordability continues to be a focus for colleges" here.
"Viewpoint: Virginia needs to up TAG funding to level education access"
On a related note, Washington Business Journal recently published a nicely done op-ed by Marymount University President Irma Becerra. You can read it here.
CICV Graph of the Month
Each month, Robert Lambeth, President of the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV), shares a statistical graph. I thought you'd find this one interesting, and you can view the graph here.
VWU Students Awarded Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarships
Three Virginia Wesleyan students have been awarded a Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship to study abroad during the spring semester. Congratulations to the following students:
- Kayleen Meinen (Earth & Environmental Science) will be studying in Los Angeles de Atenas, Costa Rica.
- Asha Richards (International Studies & Political Science) will be studying in Accra, Ghana.
- Brianna Sandy (Political Science) will be studying in Rabat, Morocco.
Overseen by the Institute of International Education, a division of the U.S. State Department, the highly-selective Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program awards grants to students to study or intern abroad. Each student will receive a $4,000 scholarship.
Special thanks to Mandy Reinig, Director of the Study Away Program, who mentored these students through the application process.
