With their Mary Wash blue regalia, caps decked out just for the day and smiles shared with family and friends, nearly 1,000 graduates traversed Campus Walk this morning for the University of Mary Washington’s 115th Commencement.
Followed by the faculty who’d guided them through the past four years, the Board of Visitors, President Troy D. Paino and the Eagle Pipe Band, the members of the Class of 2026 made their way to Ball Circle, where the three-hour ceremony unfolded. The chilly air warmed throughout the morning as family, friends and supporters cheered for the graduates’ hard work, perseverance and commitment to earning a degree with the power to enlighten their careers and their lives.
“The classes weren’t easy; it was challenging,” said Aidan Ramirez, an economics major from Stafford, Virginia, who chose Mary Washington for its small class sizes and opportunities to receive individual attention from professors.
People are also reading…
Ryder Ward felt the warmth right away when someone from UMW Admissions remembered an essay she’d submitted with her application. That, she said, made her feel seen. A communication and digital studies major from Ashburn, Virginia, Ward plans to apply to grad school and possibly become a professor. “I loved Mary Washington when I toured it,” she said. “I feel like I’ve made so many friends.”
Psychology major Payton Jones of Roanoke, Virginia, shared a similar sentiment, saying she’d bonded not just with students but also faculty members. “I definitely think grateful is the word for it,” she said, adding that UMW’s location three hours from home wasn’t too far away.
Not so for marketing major Joseph Bevan, who came from the United Kingdom to play rugby at Mary Washington. Even 4,000 miles away, though, he said, he found a community feel. “I fell in love with the place; it was just the right fit,” Bevan said, wrapping an arm around teammate Yann Aubert, a business administration major who hails from France.
UMW awarded 490 Bachelor of Science degrees, 305 Bachelor of Arts degrees, 48 Bachelor of Liberal Studies degrees, 40 Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees and 37 Bachelor of Science in Education degrees. It also awarded four Master of Geospatial Analysis degrees, 42 Master of Business Administration degrees and 27 Master of Education degrees.
Among the graduates were 17 members of the original cohort of the Impact Program, an experiential learning program for first-year students focused on service and community engagement. Two students graduated with Eagle talon feet as they crossed the stage, revealing their work as Sammy D. Eagle, the mascot. Numerous students earned University Honors, department honors or graduated with distinction. Eight were recognized with the Colgate W. Darden Jr. Award for the highest cumulative grade-point average.
“You are surrounded today by people who are so proud of you,” University of Mary Washington President Troy Paino told the soon-to-be grads.
Much work during their time in college went into preparing them for a successful career in a 21st-century economy, he said. “But it’s also important that you succeed in life, can engage across difference and have the wherewithal to contribute to the communities we share. In other words, our purpose is not just about individual pursuits, it’s about our collective pursuit as a nation. It’s about preparing the next generation of citizen-leaders.”
America is a “250-year-old radical experiment” founded on freedom, tolerance and minority rights to ensure everyone follows the same rules and enjoys the same basic rights, Paino told the crowd, citing ethics instilled in students through UMW’s Honor Code and ASPIRE community values. “Your Mary Washington education is about keeping this experiment alive.”
From the singing of the national anthem to the symbolic turning of tassels, the ceremony was filled with plenty of pomp and circumstance, with the grand marshal carrying the official academic mace, the rich sound of bagpipes and a rendition of the alma mater. A dynamic display of streamers and confetti rounded out the event, sending a congratulatory message into the air.
UMW Board of Visitors Rector Lee Murray ’04 addressed the members of the Class of 2026, lauding their success in the classroom and contributions to the Fredericksburg area.
“UMW is more than brick buildings and columns. UMW is more than GPAs and late-night cram sessions,” he told them. “This is a community that will help support you the rest of your life.”
Keynote speaker Lou Marmo ’94 continued the theme of connection, reflecting on his own graduation more than 30 years ago. As a top executive officer for multiple organizations throughout his professional life, Marmo has stepped in during pivotal moments that required adaptability and resolute leadership. To that point, he offered the grads three pillars of personal and professional success – conscientiousness, responsiveness and decisiveness.
“At Mary Washington, you weren’t just a number in a lecture hall; you were held accountable in small classrooms where your voice and your preparation mattered,” he said. “Take that rigor with you. Be the person who is thorough, who has integrity and who cares about the quality of their work even when no one is watching.”
He urged them also to stay engaged with their alma mater. “Life has a way of getting busy. Careers, moves and new responsibilities will try to pull you apart. Don’t let them,” he said. “These are the people who are your ‘home base.’”
University of Mary Washington Alumni Association President James Llewellyn ’87 echoed the sentiment, welcoming the Class of 2026 to an alumni family of more than 46,000. “As you go forth as Mary Washington alumni,” he said, “be determined, be flexible, be bold and be kind.”
Class Council President Maria Torres, a first-generation student who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, shared snippets from her childhood, her family’s heritage and her parents’ perseverance in seeing her through college. “I’m beyond grateful for the sacrifices they’ve made for me to be receiving this degree today,” Torres said.
Recounting her volunteer hours and service learning experiences throughout college, she urged her classmates to continue contributing to the greater good and asking how they can help, while remembering why.
“The point isn’t what I did; it’s about who I did it for,” said Torres. “I did it for the people around me, and for the people who got me here. And I believe UMW gave every one of us at least one moment like that, where we saw beyond our work to see how it impacts others. Because UMW has a way of finding where you’re needed and putting you there: whether that was a sport, a stage, a lab, or a professor who believed in you before you believed in yourself. At the end of the day, none of us were doing it just for ourselves.”
