Today we celebrate 320 years of service. This is an amazing testimony to the dedication and spirit of the Mary Baldwin community. I congratulate each of our honorees marking milestones of service. Thank you so very much.
This is also a day upon which I offer my deep thanks to each and every member of our Mary Baldwin staff. As we celebrated commencement on Sunday under crystal blue skies, we reminded ourselves that we are here for our students. They are the inspiration of our creativity and constant hard work.
The graduates lined up here in this space in Hunt West [Lyda B. Hunt Dining Hall], where they had eaten together three meals a day for four years. As they descended the steps, the food service workers stood opposite and said good-bye. This was very touching. As the graduates exited the Hunt doors, they knew that they would be safe and secure on this day—as always—due to our security officers. They looked across the lawn and were greeted by throngs of family and friends. You have delivered mail from mom to every graduate, and you have kept them constantly in touch (24/7) through wired and wireless cyberspace.
The graduates took in the brilliant, lush green grass, green-and-white geraniums representing their class colors, and the restored beauty of our historic main quadrangle. As they descended the curved steps in Procession, they passed by the admissions counselors who recruited them to the college with our beautifully designed publications. They saw the student life staff that greeted them at orientation, counseled their roommate disputes, and guided them in student government. They passed by those who registered them for classes and certified their graduation, those who offered tutoring and learning assistance, those who would welcome them back as alumnae and ask for their lifelong support, those who helped them to navigate tuition bills and financial aid forms, those who coached their varsity teams, and those who kept their residence halls clean and beautiful. They approached their seats in front of Grafton Library, remembering those who stewarded the precious sources of knowledge. Their beloved faculty passed before the graduates, those who inspired their passions and made dreams reality. There are so many more of you who have shaped their careers as our graduates became their best selves at Mary Baldwin University.
So, as I have the privilege of watching each graduate walk toward me to received her diploma, please know that you all stand behind me. Let’s take this day to pause in pride. I have asked a great deal of you over the past four years. You exceed my expectations. I am deeply grateful.
— President Pamela Fox
(Click on image to see a caption)
5 Years of Service
- Amy Collins, Business Office
- Dwayne Dill, Maintenance
- Travis Huffer, Engineering
- Cornelia Johnson, Housekeeping
- Angus McQueen, Institutional Advancement
- George Sheffey, Custodial
- Cynthia Shomo, Library
- Glenn Smith, Custodial
- Michael Stauffer, Computer Information Systems
10 Years of Service
- Gail Auen, Admissions
- Beverly Henry, Housekeeping
- David Koontz, Computer Information Systems
- Roberta Palmer, Admissions
- Deanna Salisbury, Housekeeping
- Deborah Snyder, Business Office
15 Years of Service
- Susan Britton, Master of Arts in Teaching
- Terri Walker, Dean of College
20 Years of Service
- Shirley Craft, Institutional Advancement
- Donna Duff, Student Health Services
- Debra Dunsmore, Business Office
- Terry Rowe, Housekeeping
- Tomlin Scott, Financial Aid
25 Years of Service
- Martha Hamrick, Housekeeping
30 Years of Service
- Carolyn Hensley, Alumnae/i and Parent Relations
- Aubrey Jackson, Mailroom