First-year student Amanda Smith sat on the floor of her dorm room, unpacking a box while talking about her upcoming year. A native of Fredericksburg, she hadn’t traveled far with her family that morning, but her enthusiasm for her new ‘home’ was apparent.
“It was a no-brainer,” said Smith, who was looking for a school with a good education program. “After looking at other schools, knew I had to come here.”
Smith was among an estimated 1370 freshmen and transfer students who moved into their residence halls on the Fredericksburg campus, Wednesday, Aug. 24, in preparation for the start of the 2016-17 academic year at the University of Mary Washington. Classes started on Monday, Aug. 29.
The students comprise an expected 989 freshmen and approximately 27 percent of the class is ethnically diverse; 11 percent of the class is from out of state. The freshman class is made up of 35 percent male and 65 percent female.
“The students are why we are here and why we do our jobs,” said President Troy Paino, who spent the morning walking around the first-year residence halls with his wife, Kelly Paino. “When they come to campus on move-in days it reminds us all why we love what we do. They bring with them all the excitement and promise of what is possible.”
Sophomore Jacob Atkinson returned to UMW early this fall to greet new freshmen as a residence hall assistant (RA) in Westmoreland Hall.
“Your first year at college can be hard,” said Atkinson, who frequently helped other students in Mason Hall during his first year. “If I can be a good RA to these students, it will make their first year better.”
The expected 381 transfer students include traditional transfers, adult-degree completion and nursing students. Among those, 30 percent identify as ethnically diverse, 97 percent are residents of Virginia. Some 35 percent of the transfer students are male and 65 percent female.
Overall, the incoming new students represent 22 states including the District of Columbia, as well as 12 foreign countries.
