The newest Eagles have landed at the University of Mary Washington, as May 1 marked the annual college decision day.
For the incoming cohort in fall 2023, UMW has named two Washington Scholars and three Alvey Scholars, offering full scholarships to these exceptional students. In addition to earning the scholarships, which are renewable for four years of undergraduate studies with GPA and residential requirements, the students are admitted to the Honors Program and have access to funding for experiential learning opportunities such as study abroad and undergraduate research. Applicants are automatically considered for UMW scholarship opportunities, including these top awards, which are equal to full tuition, fees, room and board.
The Washington Scholarship is available for Virginia residents, with priority to those who apply for admission to UMW by Nov. 15. UMW’s Alvey Scholars program recognizes out-of-state students, again with priority by Nov. 15. Several Alvey Scholarships focus on STEM majors, with generous support from Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59, who has funded 12 Alvey Scholarships during her lifetime and through a transformational estate gift, leaving $30 million to the University of Mary Washington to fund scholars in science, technology, engineering and math through scholarships and undergraduate research.
Many are finalists or semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship competition, valedictorians and salutatorians, and show promise for providing service and leadership to the University community through extracurricular activities.
Meet the 2023 Washington and Alvey Scholars at UMW:
Emily Hart hails from Caroline County, Virginia, and will graduate from Caroline High School. She also attended the Commonwealth Governor’s School (CGS) at the King George site and will graduate from Rappahannock Community College with an associate degree. She’s starred in theatre productions and is a member of Beta, the National Honor Society and Destination Imagination. Already experienced in research, she completed a two-year project on the impacts of forensic DNA analysis on the criminal justice system, specifically the accuracy of criminal convictions. She volunteers with Caroline’s Promise and Cindy’s Closet. At Mary Washington, Hart plans to study chemistry and data science.
“From the moment I stepped on campus, I knew that I could see myself living there for four years,” Hart said. “What I am most excited about with this amazing opportunity is that it gives me the ability to explore a wide variety of interesting topics. I am able to expand my knowledge outside of my major, which is something that has always been very important to me.”
Katelyn Hua is from The Woodlands, Texas, and is a senior at The Woodlands High School. She is varsity captain of The Woodlands Girls Lacrosse team, president of The Woodlands Wildflower Club, and a volunteer for It Takes a Village Lacrosse. She also founded and is president of the school’s Gender Equality Research and Correlation Club. Her academic focus has been on STEM subjects and business classes, and she plans to major in international business at UMW. She is also the recipient of an ExxonMobil Teagle Scholarship.
“The intimacy of the campus is my favorite aspect,” Hua said. “The most exciting part of this scholarship for me is the ability to travel abroad for two semesters. I am excited to travel abroad because of my love for travel and am hoping to go to New Zealand!”
Marina Klein is from Shreveport, Louisiana, and attends C.E. Byrd High School. She is a member of the Club Swim Team and YMCA of Northwest Louisiana Swim Team (YNWL Bolts) and is a C.E. Byrd Top Jacket, representing the school and helping freshmen during their first year in high school. In addition, she serves as a Louisiana Athlete Leadership Committee/Team Representative for YNWL, meeting regularly to discuss new ideas to improve Louisiana swimming. She plans to continue swimming at UMW and major in chemistry.
“The team and coaching staff had a very welcoming environment that I loved,” Klein said of the opportunity to meet with women’s swimming in the fall. “When I toured the school, I was captivated by the chemistry and environmental science programs. I chose the University of Mary Washington based on the good STEM programs, proximity to Washington, D.C., for potential for selective internships, and the strong swim team. With this scholarship opportunity, I am looking forward to being able to fully commit myself to my studies at UMW.”
Sydney Elyse Kuck attends the Science and Math Academy program at Aberdeen High School in Aberdeen, Maryland. An AP Scholar who has made the honor roll from ninth through 12th grade, she is a member of the Variety Club, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Rho Kappa Honor Society, National Science Honor Society and National Society for High School Scholars. She has earned the Bronze, Silver and Gold awards for Girl Scouts, and she is an ambassador of Girl Scout Troop 2814, earning the Distinguished Women’s Shadow Girl for Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. She holds a second-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do and is a junior instructor at Impact Martial Arts, where she’s been a student for 12 years. She also works in grounds maintenance at Churchville Golf and as a head lifeguard at Chesapeake Swim Club. She has worked as head tech, production manager, anchor and camera of Aberdeen High School’s morning announcements.
Kuck’s senior year capstone project is a comparison of qPCR and ddPCR using SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid primers and probes, and she intends to major in biochemistry as a member of the Honors Program at Mary Washington.
“I wanted to come to Mary Washington after seeing the beautiful nature and small campus the University had. However, I knew I truly would be at home at Mary Washington after interacting with numerous faculty and students who were incredibly kind and helpful both in person and virtually,” Kuck said.
Adam McAninley joins UMW from Nansemond-Suffolk Academy (NSA) in Suffolk, Virginia. An accomplished musician, he earned fourth-chair trombone for all-district band (10th and 11th grades) and is drum major of marching band (11th and 12th grades) and jazz band section leader (seventh to 12th grades). He is the school’s recipient of the University of Virginia Jefferson Book Award and a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. McAninley founded the NSA Recycling Club, working with the Suffolk Clean Community Commission to help organize participation in citywide garbage cleanups and recycling drives, and leads the NSA Political Awareness Club. He plans to pursue political science and pre-law at Mary Washington.
“I am excited about the University’s perfect location right between the state and national capital and intend to seek out internships with local, state or federal politicians. I was excited to hear how other students at Mary Washington have been able to secure these internships while still remaining involved with student life on campus. I think Mary Washington is the perfect size that will allow me to thrive and know my professors on a personal level,” McAninley said.
For more information on UMW Scholarships, visit the UMW Admissions website. Applications open for the incoming fall 2024 cohort on Aug. 1, 2023, with priority consideration for scholarships for applications received by Nov. 15.
As we welcome our newest Washington and Alvey Scholars, we also are recognizing our graduating scholars. Get a glimpse of their adventures on the UMW College of Arts and Sciences YouTube, thanks to videographer and communication and digital studies major Nick Onorato ’23.
