Ethan Wilbur had already put up a periodic table and set out a collection of books – Great Expectations, Beowulf, Dante’s Inferno – by the time his Virginia Hall roommate arrived.
The two – Wilbur, who hopes to earn a degree in chemistry, and Mateo Pinover, who’s considering theatre – are among more than 1,000 new students, including first-years and transfers, the University of Mary Washington is welcoming this fall. Of the more than 700 of them who’ll live on campus, many converged on campus this week for Move-In Day. The new Eagles, who hail from 22 states and nine foreign countries, rolled onto Double Drive in cars brimming with bedsheets and blankets, mini fridges and mesh laundry baskets, storage bins and string lights. They also brought along parents, siblings and friends, all filled with emotion.
The two-hour drive from home in Pasadena, Maryland, left Marlene Chamberlin teary-eyed as son Nathan Krueger – the third child she’s seen off to college – prepared to move into his room in Randolph Hall. But he reassured her: “When I stepped onto campus it just felt like home,” said Krueger, who received a warm greeting from his UMW Lacrosse teammates. He joins 150 new student-athletes.
Across campus, Move-In Day volunteers darted about, carrying cartons and crates for their new fellow Eagles. Mary Washington President Troy Paino and wife Kelly popped into residence halls, greeting students and wishing them well. And overstuffed carts filled with college essentials, from granola bars to golf clubs, whirled through the halls.
Alexandra Fisher of Loudoun County brought a piano. (Well, it’s a keyboard, but its 88 weighted keys make it seem real.) Fisher, who’s counting on UMW’s proximity to Washington, D.C., to pump up her studies in political science, was considerate enough to also bring headphones … and a feline-shaped pillow replica of her cat, Jack, to remind her of home.
Randolph roommates Victoria Orozco and Jasmin Cuttier of Arlington, best friends since sixth grade, spruced up their rooms with Lego orchids and piles of plump pillows. Victoria plans to major in biology or biomedical sciences, while Jasmine wants to study business and complete the pre-vet track. Both said they were drawn to Mary Washington for its small size and how that facilitates a tightknit community and one-on-one work with professors.
UMW Swim Team member Bryar Laine had moved in early as one of 87 new students in the Honors Program. From Bealeton, Virginia, she’d lined up a windowsill full of succulent plants in her sunny Virginia Hall room and was still settling in. A scholarship recipient – 100% of first-year full-time Mary Washington students have received some form of financial aid and scholarships in recent years – she’s signed up for the research-intensive Phage Hunters course this semester and hopes to major in chemistry.
Meanwhile, on Virginia Hall’s second floor, roommates Kelvin Gyamfi and Mauricio Penado got to work setting things up, including a photo of Mauricio’s mom strategically placed near his computer monitor. The two, friends from Woodbridge and members of the UMW E-sports team, chatted with peers while their parents exchanged phone numbers outside their room.
The mix of emotions on Move-In Day, and all the hustle and bustle that goes along with it, reflects the Mary Washington magic that goes on year-round, said Dean of Students Melissa Jones.
“I love watching the new students step into what is really one of the most transformational educational experiences,” she said. “This is my favorite day of the year.”
