When senior Sofia Taylor earned a full-ride Alvey Scholarship to attend the University of Mary Washington, she penned the first of many letters and cards she exchanged with her donor, Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59.
“Irene often said that Mary Washington ‘opened worlds’ for her,” said Taylor, a psychology major and neuroscience and music minor. Because of Rodgers’ support, her own college experience comprised a semester abroad, singing with the UMW Choir, leadership roles in the psychology department and researching the minds of the world’s great composers. “She truly did that for me.”
Taylor sang the praises of her late benefactor – who left her alma mater a transformational $30 million estate gift for undergraduate scientific research and to create new Alvey Scholarships – at the 2024 Donor Appreciation Luncheon and Student Showcase on April 6. The annual event honored supporters who have established private scholarships and members of UMW’s Washington and Heritage societies, who have either given or pledged significant funds to Mary Washington.
Scholarship recipients displayed their academic pursuits and projects for attendees to peruse on the first floor of the Cedric Rucker University Center. Afterwards, guests gathered in the Chandler Ballroom for a spring-themed lunch and listened as President Troy Paino and student speakers expressed gratitude to donors for their gifts to the University.
“We always look forward to this occasion and for you to connect with our students who are the beneficiaries of your generosity,” Paino said, “so you can see, witness and experience what is happening here because of your investment.”
In a campus update, Paino thanked donors for helping UMW achieve its highest fundraising year to date, with $21.3 million in gifts and pledges made in Fiscal Year 2023. He also highlighted the recent success of Mary Wash Day, which raised a preliminary record-setting $828,677 on April 4. “To feel the support of the Mary Washington family from across the globe means so much.”
