As Sofia Taylor ’24 took the Weatherly Wing stage for her senior vocal recital at the University of Mary Washington in March, she knew it was a full circle moment.
“When I first arrived on campus four years ago, we couldn’t sing for a live audience,” said Taylor, who helped dedicate the space when it opened in Seacobeck Hall. “So, this was truly gratifying for me.”
Gearing up for a Ball Circle moment, Taylor will perform for her largest audience yet at UMW’s 113th Commencement on May 11. After earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology, she’ll conclude the ceremony by leading over a thousand of her fellow Class of 2024 graduates in Mary Washington’s Alma Mater, “High on Marye’s Hilltop.” Penned by Jean Crotty Machonis ’47 and Irene Taylor Robinson ’47, the beloved tune is sung at UMW milestones like Eagle Gathering and Commencement.
“It’s the perfect finale for my four years at Mary Washington,” said Taylor, a psychology major and music and neuroscience minor. Her college experience comprised a semester in Europe, performing in choral recitals and a UMW Theatre production, and research into the minds of the world’s great composers, which she presented last week at Mary Washington’s annual Research and Creativity Symposium. She was also recently named a semifinalist for the prestigious Fulbright Award.
Taylor summed up these experiences at this spring’s Scholarship Luncheon and Student Showcase. Serving as emcee, she sang the Alma Mater – and the praises of her late donor, Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59, who left the University a transformational $30 million estate gift, the largest in its history, when she passed away in 2022.
“I was so grateful that Irene gave me the chance to attend UMW and pursue all my academic interests, without the burden of having to pay for college,” Taylor said. A Michigan native, she received the Justin and Helen Piscopo Alvey Scholarship, providing full tuition, fees, and room and board for out-of-state students for up to four years of undergraduate study.
