Scholarships Help Dancer, Biology Major, Take Steps Toward Commencement

Senior Madeline Brunt began studying ballet at age 5, but by the time she enrolled at the University of Mary Washington, the pandemic had put her passion on pause. A year later, once restrictions were easing up, she discovered UMW’s Performing Arts Company and auditioned on a whim.

“It’s a strange combination,” Brunt said of her biological sciences major and her art form, which both involve performing a sequence of steps to achieve a successful result. “Biology exercises my logical thinking, while dance allows for creative expression.”

Senior Madeline Brunt poses in her graduation gown in front of the Jepson Science Center. Scholarships helped Brunt, who majored in biological sciences and minored in ethics, engage in undergraduate research, study abroad in the Galápagos Islands and serve as president of UMW’s Performing Arts Company. Photo courtesy of Madeline Brunt.

Brunt received an undergraduate research grant to present her findings on mytonic dystrophy type 1 at the annual meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists this spring. Photo courtesy of Madeline Brunt.

Brunt (left) performs ‘Le Corsaire: Pas de Trois Des Odalisques’ with Sarah Blanks ’24 in the Performing Arts Company’s small show in spring 2024. Photo by Kait Piston.

Brunt received the Sally Brannan Hurt ’92 Study Abroad Scholarship in Biology, which gave her the opportunity to travel to the Galápagos Islands to study the flora and fauna of one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Here, she poses for a photo with a Galápagos tortoise at an ecological reserve, El Chato Ranch, on the island of Isabela. Photo courtesy of Madeline Brunt.

Brunt (center) with her mother, Amy Acker ’94, and sister Meredith after the Performing Arts Company’s big show this spring. The twins were diagnosed with hearing loss in the first grade, which inspired Brunt’s decision to study genetics at Mary Washington. Photo courtesy of Madeline Brunt.

Brunt (third from the left) performs ‘Better in the Morning,’ a piece choreographed by Elianna Bowman ’23, with the Performing Arts Company in the big show in spring 2024. Photo by Maryn Newman.

Dance – especially her role as president of the Performing Arts Company – also gives Brunt a respite from her rigorous research into genetics, an area that hits close to home due to hearing loss she and twin sister Meredith were diagnosed with as children. Earning private scholarships has meant that Brunt, who graduates on Saturday, has been able to enhance her academics with extracurriculars and experiential learning opportunities that will prepare her for life after Mary Washington.

“When I’ve told my sister about my studies, she’s blown away that I’m doing this level of research here,” said Brunt, who grew up in Gainesville, Virginia. Her parents, Amy Acker ’94 and Andrew Brunt ’96, are both alumni. “I really enjoyed having a one-on-one relationship with my professors, which you don’t always get at larger universities.”

Read more about Madeline Brunt at Giving.umw.edu.