Anne Reynolds

�鶹��Ƶ Now: Power the Possible

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Driving community spirit: Kathy McKay's impact on George �鶹��Ƶ

Katarina Benson — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:44:25 +0000

Driving community spirit: Kathy McKay's impact on George �鶹��Ƶ Katarina Benson Tue, 12/16/2025 - 07:44

Kathleen (Kathy) McKay has deep ties to Fairfax, Virginia, her hometown. Her parents, James "Smilin’ Jim" and Ruth Averill McKay, were pioneers in the Fairfax business community; her father opened Jim McKay Chevrolet in 1956, becoming one of the first car dealers in the area.

As student athlete at Woodson High School, she grew up near �鶹��Ƶ's burgeoning Fairfax Campus. “I played field hockey, I played softball, and I was a swimmer,” she said.

McKay with �鶹��Ƶ basketball players on the K. McKay Court. Photo provided by �鶹��Ƶ Athletics

Much of that swim experience took place at a neighborhood club, where her own daughters still hold records from the 1990s. After graduating from James Madison University, she returned to Fairfax.

McKay is now the president of Jim McKay Chevrolet, a sponsor for many student activities and sports at George �鶹��Ƶ, and Intercollegiate Athletics has been at the heart of her personal connection with the university. Since the mid-1990s, she’s been an avid Patriots fan, attending many men's and women's basketball games, including the ones out of town, often with her daughters and now her grandchildren.

“I’ve always been a sports person,” McKay said. “I love college athletics; it’s the excitement. This is something that the athletes really, really want to do, and so few make it [to this level].”

She also appreciates the role college sports plays in bringing a community together. “It’s everything. No matter what your preference is, we offer every sport to allow a fan to be involved.”

McKay's support extends far beyond the sidelines. She has been a generous donor to George �鶹��Ƶ for nearly 20 years, serving as a member of the Patriot Club Advisory Board and in the Green Coat Society, which recognizes generous, multi-year donors.

In 2017, she made a leadership gift to the university's basketball fundraising campaign, resulting in the naming of the K. McKay Court at the Recreation Athletic Complex (RAC). Her philanthropy has included substantial gifts—in conjunction with the family-linked Richard W. Averill Foundation and Jim McKay Chevrolet—to a variety of George �鶹��Ƶ’s teams, including a pledge that touched all 22 sports teams during an annual �鶹��Ƶ Vision Day.

She has also made gifts to the College of Visual and Performing Arts' scholarship benefit ARTS by George! and to the Green Machine ensembles.

“Kathy McKay embodies the spirit of George �鶹��Ƶ and the Northern Virginia community,” said Marvin Lewis, assistant vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics. “Her loyalty and generosity have touched every corner of our program—from cheering courtside to investing in opportunities that enrich the student-athlete experience. Kathy’s passion, rooted in family and community, reflects the very best of what it means to be a Patriot, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have her in our corner.”

McKay and President Washington. Photo provided by �鶹��Ƶ Athletics

McKay carries on a family tradition of philanthropy and community service—George �鶹��Ƶ’s Jim McKay Natatorium in the Aquatic and Fitness Center on the Fairfax Campus, a regional resource that includes a 50-meter Olympic-sized competition pool, bears the name of her father. She is continuing that tradition and is encouraging a culture of connected philanthropy through her own children: her daughter, April, and son-in-law, Matt, are also active supporters of George �鶹��Ƶ Athletics.

McKay has been there for some of basketball’s biggest moments.

She remembers being warmly welcomed by the men’s basketball team, including then-coach Jim Larrañaga and his wife, Liz, when she traveled with the team to the ESPN Events Invitational Thanksgiving tournament in Orlando, Florida, in 2007. She also attended Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) Tournaments at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, including “during COVID, in March 2020, [when] we got sent home after winning our first game.”

McKay was also in the front rows at the Robins Center in Richmond when the men’s basketball team defeated the University of Richmond to claim the 2025 A-10 regular season title, the team’s first. That same season saw Patriots Head Coach Tony Skinn, whom McKay had known since his undergraduate days, named A1-0 Coach of the Year.

“Tony was my pick from day one when we were searching for a coach,” she said.

With a grandson in tow, McKay traveled in March 2025 with the women’s basketball team to Richmond for the A-10 Women's Basketball Championship, where George �鶹��Ƶ defeated St. Joseph’s to claim the title for the first time.

“I couldn’t not go, and they win this thing—because I really thought they could,” she said.

She also joined the women’s team for the España 2025 cultural and athletic expedition, where the Patriots played international opponents in Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona. With her on the trip was her eldest granddaughter, who has been attending games with McKay since she was six months old.

“Riley and I had a time together that neither one of us will ever forget!” she said.

She plans to enjoy as many games and team activities as she can fit on her calendar. “I love it!” she said. “I’m always looking at the schedule to see who’s playing what.”

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Gift from Charles Schwab Foundation Will Help Develop Next Generation in Certified Financial Planning

Katelynn C Hipolito — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 13:34:26 +0000

Gift from Charles Schwab Foundation Will Help Develop Next Generation in Certified Financial Planning Katelynn C Hipolito Mon, 08/04/2025 - 09:34

�鶹��Ƶ has announced a generous multi-year commitment from Schwab Advisor Services in partnership with the Charles Schwab Foundation to grow and strengthen George �鶹��Ƶ’s Financial Planning and Wealth Management Program (FPWM) and to position it to meet the region’s strong demand for certified financial planners.

“Our partnership with Schwab Advisory Services is an extraordinary benefit for our students,” said Ajay Vinzé, dean of the Costello College of Business. “Charles Schwab’s engagement with the college has given our students valuable insights into the personal finance industry, and this grant will help to attract and retain world class talent to lead the program and bring it to the next level.”

Costello’s FPWM program was launched in 2019 in response to a growing need for financial planners and wealth managers, particularly in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region. The Charles Schwab grant will allow the college to strengthen its ability to meet this demand by establishing a dedicated faculty member with certified financial planning (CFP) experience to lead operations within FPWM, teach key courses, and to deepen relationships within the CFP industry.

“Charles Schwab is an enthusiastic partner to business education institutions, including the Costello College of Business,” said Jon Beatty, head of Schwab Advisor Services. “Costello students include those with backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in the financial planning and wealth management profession, and we share the college’s vision of developing these students into qualified professionals who will be able to serve the diverse clients in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.”

The Costello FPWM program benefits from its association with the college’s Financial Planning and Wealth Management Advisory Board, comprising George �鶹��Ƶ and Costello alumni, business professionals, individual supporters, faculty, and NextGen Board members who link students with industry veterans. The board has developed the program in consultation with more than a dozen registered investment advisor (RIA) and financial planning firms in the Northern Virginia region. FPWM students graduate from George �鶹��Ƶ with a bachelor of science degree in business, with a concentration in financial planning and wealth management.

“Our objective is to create the next generation of financial planning professionals,” said David Johnson, chair of the Financial Planning and Wealth Management Advisory Board.

“With cross-pollination from Costello’s finance and accounting academic disciplines, our graduates will possess the technical skills, soft skills, and ethical grounding that will launch them into successful careers.”

In This Story

Ajay Vinzé, PhD

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Costello College of Business News

�鶹��Ƶ Vision Day 2025 noted for record support from the George �鶹��Ƶ community

ckearney — Wed, 28 May 2025 18:18:12 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ Vision Day 2025 noted for record support from the George �鶹��Ƶ community ckearney Wed, 05/28/2025 - 14:18

Each year, �鶹��Ƶ Nation unites for 24 hours to support the mission and vision of �鶹��Ƶ. �鶹��Ƶ Vision Day 2025 encouraged donors to support what means the most to them. They came forward in record numbers—with record-breaking results.

More than 1,900 donors participated in this year’s �鶹��Ƶ Vision Day, breaking last year’s record and raising $1.38 million.

By the Numbers

1,924 donors

322 new donors

43.5% alumni donors

26.1% community partner donors

17.5% faculty/staff donors

$1.38 million raised

207 funds supported

"It’s a wonderful showing from our community of alumni, faculty, staff, families, and friends, and I could not be more proud of that support,” said Trishana E. Bowden, president of the �鶹��Ƶ Foundation and George �鶹��Ƶ’s vice president for advancement and alumni relations.

Donors made more than 2,300 gifts during the 24-hour period from noon April 3 to noon April 4, supporting 207 distinct funds across the university. These included campus-wide programs like the Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative, the Center for Community Mental Health, and the Patriot Pantry—programs that strongly impact the experience of hundreds of George �鶹��Ƶ students as well as members of our local community.

Several of George �鶹��Ƶ’s individual units saw exceptional support throughout the day, spurred by challenge gifts and matching opportunities that allowed individual gifts to work to create more meaningful impact. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Public Health, and the Honors College were among the areas that benefited from the enthusiastic generosity of donors.

Zofia Burr, dean of the Honors College, was very pleased with the generosity of donors to the college. “The Honors College walks in step with the important mission of �鶹��Ƶ: to offer exceptional access to an exceptional education,” she said. “Our students are leaders—in academics and everywhere on campus. We are proud of our program that brings such highly motivated students to the university community, and it means a great deal to know that our alumni recognize the value of the Honors College education and experience.”

The �鶹��Ƶ Nation of alumni, now 250,000 strong, was responsible for the bulk of the gifts made on �鶹��Ƶ Vision Day. “The generosity of our alumni community is particularly inspirational,” said Bowden. “They give to George �鶹��Ƶ in so many ways, through their time, talents, and in this case, their treasure. They are a living tribute to what this university experience means, and what it means to be a Patriot.”

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�鶹��Ƶ Vision Day: one day, extraordinary impact

Katarina Benson — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:09:59 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ Vision Day: one day, extraordinary impact Katarina Benson Thu, 03/27/2025 - 11:09

Once a year, every corner of �鶹��Ƶ unites for a 24-hour period, �鶹��Ƶ Vision Day, coming together with the singular goal of moving George �鶹��Ƶ forward.

“We have the entire community in mind,” said Zavin Smith, BA ’00, MA ’03, assistant vice president for annual and constituent giving and strategic initiatives, “both for their generosity and for the recipients of that generosity. It is truly an opportunity for everyone in the �鶹��Ƶ Nation, whether alumni, staff, faculty, parents, or steadfast friends, to support whatever it is they love at the university.”

�鶹��Ƶ Vision Day kicks off at noon on April 3 and continues for 24 hours. Across George �鶹��Ƶ’s campuses, units have organized structured challenges, matching opportunities from generous donors and leadership, and specific initiatives—and they have been letting their constituents know about those opportunities. The Schar School of Policy and Government and the College of Public Health, for example, are noting their Student Emergency Assistance Funds, and the College of Visual and Performing Arts is highlighting several initiatives. The College of Science offers opportunities around the goal of supporting scientific innovation. Each unit encourages donors to join matching challenges and support the areas at George �鶹��Ƶ that resonate with them.

Smith emphasized that what matters most is the community nature of �鶹��Ƶ Vision Day. “George �鶹��Ƶ has a host of initiatives that support students, research, and programs. Everyone in the �鶹��Ƶ Nation has been touched by one or more of them, and every donor can help them grow.” A complete listing of all �鶹��Ƶ giving opportunities is available through masonvisionday.gmu.edu.

“�鶹��Ƶ Vision Day is a yearly reminder of the impact we can make when the entire community comes together,” said Smith. “It truly is the power of YOU.”

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Advancement launches new awards to recognize faculty and staff giving

Katarina Benson — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 19:10:28 +0000

Advancement launches new awards to recognize faculty and staff giving Katarina Benson Fri, 03/14/2025 - 15:10

�鶹��Ƶ’s staff and faculty bring their generosity to their work each day, and many go a step farther by contributing to George �鶹��Ƶ through financial giving. Each year, the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations holds a celebration of faculty and staff generosity and commitment, and this year debuted two awards highlighting a faculty member and a staff member who embody the many ways in which the George �鶹��Ƶ community gives to its students and programs.

Kim Eby and Philip Wilkerson with their awards. Photo by Ayman Rashid/Office of University Branding

“George �鶹��Ƶ’s success streams directly from the many ways that our faculty and staff give of themselves,” said Trishana E. Bowden, vice president of advancement and alumni relations and president of the �鶹��Ƶ Foundation. “We are incredibly fortunate to benefit from this culture of philanthropy, and we created the Luminary Award and the Spirit of Giving Award to let us tell the stories of individuals whose giving serves as an inspiration to us all.”

The Luminary Award honors faculty donors whose philanthropy and advocacy serve as a shining example for the George �鶹��Ƶ community, she said. These faculty members go beyond their professional roles to champion George �鶹��Ƶ students and programs, inspiring students, colleagues, and the broader university community to engage in meaningful giving through their leadership, advocacy, and their own commitment to giving.

The inaugural Luminary Award was given to Kim Eby, vice provost for faculty affairs and development.

“Kim truly embodies the ethos of the arts at George �鶹��Ƶ,” said Rick Davis, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, as he presented the award. “For years, Kim has served as the co-chair of the Dance Fête, our annual celebration of dance and philanthropy. Through her leadership, this event has grown in both impact and visibility, ensuring that our dance students have the resources, mentorship, and opportunities they need to excel.

“Kim’s support of George �鶹��Ƶ students extends across and beyond the arts, from dance to music, from undergraduate research to supporting student food and housing insecurity issues. She has given not only her resources but also her time, energy, and leadership to ensure that the students continue to thrive at George �鶹��Ƶ.”

Eby appreciated that the award reflected the length and breadth of her service to the university. “It is an honor to be recognized with the inaugural Luminary Award, particularly since George �鶹��Ƶ has been my professional home for nearly 30 years,” she said. “The knowledge that I am part of making a difference for our students brings me a sense of purpose and gives hope. I know that together we can have a tremendous impact on our community.”

Bowden also announced a Spirit of Giving Award to recognize staff members who embody the university’s philanthropic spirit and actively contribute to the university through charitable giving, service, and engagement. Their deep commitment to supporting George �鶹��Ƶ’s mission, whether by donating, leading fundraising efforts, or encouraging a culture of giving within their departments, exemplifies selflessness and generosity, strengthening the George �鶹��Ƶ community and inspiring others to give back.

The first Spirit of Giving Award was given to Philip Wilkerson III, MEd ’23, an employer engagement consultant with the Office of Career Services, and was presented by Lewis Forrest II, associate dean of University Life.

“Philip's charitable giving supports initiatives benefiting student success, including the College of Education and Human Development Dean’s Excellence Fund, University Life Student Emergency Assistance Fund, the Black Scholars Endowment, and the Career Readiness Fund,” said Forrest. Moreover, he said, Wilkerson "literally knows everyone on campus. His light and energy make it easy for others to be inspired to give their time, talents, or gifts to George �鶹��Ƶ.”

Forrest described a particular effort of Wilkerson’s that has made a positive impact: “The Pats for Patriots initiative enables members of our community to send kind messages to colleagues. These are easy ways to show someone you see them, and it costs nothing,” said Forrest. “This is what Phil does, he gives of himself so that others can benefit. Because of his leadership, more than 2,000 George �鶹��Ƶ Patriots have submitted recognition to colleagues and friends. This is what it means to give in a variety of ways.”

Wilkerson said that George �鶹��Ƶ was the place where he found his life’s work in helping others. "This award made me feel seen, heard, and valued as someone who contributes to �鶹��Ƶ through my day-to-day efforts. That means the world to me because George �鶹��Ƶ has given me so much—a community, a career, and a profound sense of purpose and belonging,” he said. “I’m honored to be recognized in this way, and I will continue to do the work that helps the next generation of students feel empowered, just as George �鶹��Ƶ has empowered me. It’s about sustaining the thriving community that has given us so much.”

That thriving community, said Bowden, is “a reflection of care, dedication, and belief in our students, our mission, and our future that makes an impact far beyond the classroom or office. Our faculty and staff offer an extraordinary commitment to the university, and it is an honor to highlight their service—and to thank them.”

In This Story

Rick Davis

Kim Eby, PhD

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Victor and Diane Hoskins make a gift to fuel the future of George �鶹��Ƶ students—and Northern Virginia

ckearney — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:41:37 +0000

Victor and Diane Hoskins make a gift to fuel the future of George �鶹��Ƶ students—and Northern Virginia ckearney Wed, 12/18/2024 - 10:41

“I don't think there's another university in the state of Virginia or in the region that offers opportunity the way that that George �鶹��Ƶ does,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. With his deep involvement in the business of Northern Virginia, Hoskins’s impression is informed by experience. As a member of �鶹��Ƶ’s President’s Innovation Advisory Council (PIAC), he sees the important role that George �鶹��Ƶ plays in helping the region grow.

Victor and Diane Hoskins. Photo provided

Victor and his wife, Diane Hoskins, are actively contributing to George �鶹��Ƶ’s work to spur the innovative expansion of opportunity in Northern Virginia. In honor of their generous gift of $50,000, a conference space in the �鶹��Ƶ Enterprise Suite will bear their name.

"Victor Hoskins has been a champion for the Fuse project and its impact on the region since its inception during the time when he led Arlington Economic Development,” said Liza Wilson Durant, associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement. “His early insights were invaluable as we developed the vision for a building that would bring together a diversity of thought and expertise and accelerate innovation through collisions between industry, government, and academia. We are thrilled that Victor and Diane have chosen this additional personal support for the project."

Hoskins is positive about the opportunities presented by Fuse, a 345,000+-square-foot building that will serve as a hub for research, learning, and entrepreneurship. “It’s an innovation center,” he said. “It could really capitalize by connecting directly to these companies that want research, that are looking for innovation, that are trying to get out of their own box.”

Paula Sorrell, George �鶹��Ƶ’s associate vice president of innovation and economic development, enthusiastically agreed. “As an R-1 university with a reputation for creativity and innovation, we take very seriously our partnerships with the business community and with our local private and public organizations. Fuse is a stage set for the interplay of ideas that will advance the success of these partners. Victor is a brilliant guy and a fantastic partner for �鶹��Ƶ in economic development, and I’m so excited that it’s his named conference room we will use every day.”

Hoskins’s career is an illustration of moving businesses forward. He has held executive leadership ranks in the public and private sectors, working in real estate finance, housing development, economic development, international business investment, strategic planning, and team management. When he was deputy mayor, planning and development, for the District of Columbia—a position he held from 2011-14—his team transformed Washington, D.C., with projects such as CityCenterDC, the Wharf, and Union Market.

Fuse at �鶹��Ƶ Square. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Serving as the director of economic development for Arlington County, Virginia, from 2015 to 2019, Hoskins led the team that brought the second headquarters of Amazon to the region; a massive economic development deal that will generate $4 billion in investment and create more than 100,000 jobs.

In Fairfax County, his leadership has attracted or retained the headquarters of Hilton, Volkswagen of America, StarKist, Amentum, and the Aerospace Corporation, and major operations of Microsoft, AWS, Google, Meta, Blue Origin, and Qualtrics.

PIAC is a group of industry, community, and government leaders who offer leadership, vision, and guidance regarding George �鶹��Ƶ’s Arlington Innovation Initiative. As a member, Hoskins sees George �鶹��Ƶ as integral to helping to connect skilled, educated workers with all of the industries making their homes in Northern Virginia.

“The talent supply that George �鶹��Ƶ provides for the region is pretty amazing. Something like 70% of the students who finish at George �鶹��Ƶ stay in the region, and that means that you’re our university,” he said. “Any investment in George �鶹��Ƶ is actually an investment in the state economy and an investment in the private as well as the public sector.”

Fuse, Hoskins said, is a way to integrate students and research with industry. “To me, it is the university’s opportunity to bring together the ideas of the private sector with deep research to solve problems,” he said. “Very few companies have R&D programs that are strong enough to do that kind of work individually.”

Even beyond Fuse, Hoskins believes in George �鶹��Ƶ’s commitment to first-generation students. “Diane and I were in the first generation in our families to attend a university,” he said. “In addition, we were blessed to be able to earn master’s degrees. Without the support of scholarships, research fellowships, and internships, we would not have been able to attend our universities.”

Diane Hoskins, the global co-chair of architecture and design firm Gensler, is a registered architect who has been covered by the Washington Post Magazine, Fortune, and other news sources as one of the most influential and powerful women in business.

The couple’s parents were catalysts for their educational aspirations, and the Hoskins’ support for educational opportunities is driven by their desire to honor them. “Our parents focused on education as the path to a successful career and the way to achieve the American dream,” Hoskins said. “Unfortunately, they weren’t able to go to college, but it’s something they wanted for all their kids.”

Moreover, Hoskins appreciates George �鶹��Ƶ’s emphasis on inclusivity. “The diversity of the school is amazing, and that diversity is attractive to me.” At George �鶹��Ƶ, he added, “it’s really access to anybody who is interested in education.”

The Hoskins’ gift to support George �鶹��Ƶ students through their investment in Fuse at �鶹��Ƶ Square is certain to make a lasting impact on how �鶹��Ƶ—and its students—will be able to serve the community into the future.

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Jimmy Hazel, steadfast George �鶹��Ƶ alum and friend, looks to the future with a foundational gift

ckearney — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:05:24 +0000

Jimmy Hazel, steadfast George �鶹��Ƶ alum and friend, looks to the future with a foundational gift ckearney Mon, 10/07/2024 - 11:05

James W. “Jimmy” Hazel, JD ’84, has led a life of service to the Commonwealth of Virginia—and to �鶹��Ƶ. In July 2024, as his term on the university’s Board of Visitors concluded, Hazel added to his considerable legacy with a gift of $1 million for the Smithsonian–�鶹��Ƶ School of Conservation (SMSC).

James Hazel speaking at the university's 50th anniversary event. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

The gift, reflecting Hazel’s wishes to advance the important work of the school, creates two funds. The first will provide support for graduate or undergraduate students enrolled at SMSC, and the second will support the operations of the school’s programs.

“This gift represents my personal passion for conservation and my hope is that it will allow George �鶹��Ƶ to draw in a diverse group of new PhD students to the program,” Hazel said.

Hazel is a cochair on the Advisory Board for SMSC, a research and academic facility in Front Royal, Virginia, that operates under a partnership between the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and George �鶹��Ƶ. The facility covers more than 3,000 acres of forest, grassland, and pasture, and houses a range of endangered mammals, birds, and amphibians.

SMSC conducts research and offers proactive methodologies of conservation biology education and training, providing hands-on interdisciplinary programs to undergraduates, graduate students, professionals, and high school students. It draws from the educational innovation of George �鶹��Ƶ faculty and the established work of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute to create a transdisciplinary approach to conservation leadership that is research-based, forward-looking, and ethical.

Students conducting field work at the Smithsonian-�鶹��Ƶ School of Conservation. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Cody Edwards, SMSC executive director and interim dean, College of Science, understands the immediate impact of Hazel’s generosity.

“With this gift, he opens doors for students passionate about conservation and sustainability,” Edwards said. “Jimmy’s continued support helps ensure SMSC can continue to bring together internationally renowned experts who can offer those students an educational experience that will enhance their futures and ultimately, help preserve the world’s biodiversity.”

SMSC’s graduate programs include practical training in the tools necessary to conduct and report research, and allow students to work directly with experts and practitioners from all over the world. Students become part of a community of conservation scientists and leaders, developing relationships with these mentors and with each other, forming networks to help them launch into a wide variety of careers.

“My family has, and will always have, deep ties to George �鶹��Ƶ and the Fairfax Campus,” Hazel said, “but I think one of the best university programs sits in Front Royal at the Smithsonian �鶹��Ƶ School of Conservation. With the groundbreaking research being conducted at the facility, we have the potential to put this initiative on the map in a big way. I would like to think that this gift will help increase that momentum.”

“Jimmy’s impact on SMSC and its students goes well beyond this single thoughtful gift,” added Edwards. “His continued support has helped transform this program and placed it on a trajectory not envisioned when it was originally conceived.”

Hazel has been a dedicated, engaged member of the George �鶹��Ƶ community. He served twice on the Board of Visitors: from 1994 to 2002, and his most recent appointment, from 2016 to 2024, included chairmanship of the Development Committee, a term as vice rector, and service as rector from 2020-22. He is a past president of the �鶹��Ƶ Alumni Association and the Law Alumni Association, and he served for 18 years on the �鶹��Ƶ Foundation Board of Trustees.

Hazel chaired George �鶹��Ƶ’s successful Faster Farther Campaign, which closed at nearly $700 million—$200 million more than its original goal. He cochaired the presidential search committee that brought George �鶹��Ƶ’s president Gregory Washington to campus in 2020. In recognition of his more than three decades of service to the university, Hazel was awarded the George �鶹��Ƶ Medal in 2017.

Hazel, a lifelong outdoorsman who has served on the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (chairing the agency for three years), and on the boards of the Wildlife Foundation of Virginia and George �鶹��Ƶ’s Potomac Science Center, is determined to make a lasting difference through SMSC.

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Golf classic has been supporting student success for almost 30 years

ckearney — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 17:44:28 +0000

Golf classic has been supporting student success for almost 30 years ckearney Tue, 06/25/2024 - 13:44

On June 10, 2024, more than 110 golfers came together at Westfields Golf Club to support first-generation students through �鶹��Ƶ’s Diversity Scholarship Golf Classic.

From left, Richard McGruder, Ron Bagga, Chris DiLiberto and Sandy Spring Bank's Marcus Perry at the Diversity Golf Classic. Photo by Warren Spears

A summer highlight for nearly 30 years, the annual tournament, which is presented by George �鶹��Ƶ’s University Life division, has raised more than $850,000 in scholarship funds for students in the Early Identification Program (EIP) and the Student Transition Empowerment Program (STEP).

“It’s a longstanding tradition,” said Lewis E. Forrest II, BA ’96, MA ’05, associate dean of University Life. “A lot of good folks put their arms around it, helping out in a lot of different ways to get people out here for EIP and STEP.”

EIP welcomes rising eighth-grade students from seven school districts in Northern Virginia, who participate throughout high school in year-round, multi-year mentoring, tutoring, STEM enrichment, and other support designed to aid in their academic and personal success, preparation for college, and career readiness. Students who graduate from EIP following 12th grade receive automatic acceptance to George �鶹��Ƶ (provided they meet the requirements for enrollment); in the 2024 EIP class, 97% of the students enrolled in higher education. George �鶹��Ƶ currently has 170 EIP graduates among its students.

George �鶹��Ƶ alum Enrique Carrero shared his experiences with EIP at the event. Photo by Warren Spears

STEP, a multi-year bridge program within George �鶹��Ƶ’s First-Gen+ Center, was created to enhance the recruitment, engagement, and retention of first-generation college students accepted to George �鶹��Ƶ. Incoming university students spend six weeks on campus prior to their first fall semester, where they earn three college credits and build a network of peers, faculty, and staff. As they move into the academic year, students receive continuous support to help them transition to college: academic preparation, leadership, access to resources, mentoring, time management, and community service.

The golfers enjoying the classic included many returning participants. Jim Green, a co-chair of the golf classic and one of the creators of the event, was on hand to compete, along with his wife, Gigi Green, BIS ’00, MA ’09. Green said he appreciates the longevity of this summer tradition.

"A number of people have been coming since the beginning,” said Jim Green, “which speaks to the legacy and also speaks to what the program’s about: We’re concerned about kids and helping them get their education.”

Green’s sentiment was echoed by the enthusiastic philanthropic supporters of the classic.

Annie Bolger is the corporate and client service manager of Sandy Spring Bank and a member of the University Life Advisory Board. “Sandy Spring is very involved in the community in many different ways, and we are very involved with George �鶹��Ƶ,” Bolger said.

Sandy Spring Bank has served as the title sponsor of the classic for 14 years—and is a longtime friend to George �鶹��Ƶ. This year, it led a group of 56 sponsors, donors, and contributors who helped make the event a success.

“It’s at the heart of who we are as an organization,” said Marcus Perry, Sandy Spring Bank’s senior vice president and regional group sales manager for Virginia and Washington, D.C. “Our mission since the beginning has been to not only serve the financial needs of our communities but also the general needs of our community that we’re in. Our involvement with George �鶹��Ƶ is just a natural.”

Jim Green said he looked forward to a beautiful day of golf as well as to next year’s event, the 30th annual outing. “It’s already in our minds,” he said. “We’re recruiting people, talking to folks. Here’s hoping that, by our 30th, we will raise over a million dollars!”

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