MBU Establishes Two New Scholarships for Local Students

These scholarships help underscore the university’s commitment to access and affordability, and will offer significant support to local students for years to come, as they earn their degree and build a successful career.   

“I am so pleased that the legacy of support in the region from these corporate entities will be  made permanent through the establishment of these endowed scholarships,” said Vice President of Institutional Advancement Charles E. “Chuck” Davis. “Honoring both the company’s history and the commitment of Dan Layman to our community is fitting and wonderful given the impact it will have on generations of young people in our region.”

The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge administered the grant to establish the two scholarships at MBU, using funds from the NTELOS Wireless Foundation and the LUMOS Foundation. Foundation President and CEO Dan Layman is honored as the namesake of one scholarship for his devoted support of Mary Baldwin and its students. Layman, who is married to MBU President Pamela R. Fox, has served the university community for 20 years.

“It was a privilege working with the former executives of NTELOS and LUMOS to distribute 18 grants totaling $2.3 million,” said Layman. “The grant to MBU was particularly meaningful given the 20 years that my wife and I called the campus our home from 2003–23. I was also very humbled that they chose to add my name to one of the scholarships in honor of my role in this grantmaking process.” 

When reviewing applications, university administrators will give special consideration to students who come to Mary Baldwin from a community college in the region and who may have received support from a scholarship funded by NTELOS/LUMOS in the past.

MBU can provide an attractive option for Valley students who prefer to study locally, and in fact, a national study in 2019 found that 42 percent of first-years are choosing colleges and universities less than 50 miles away from home. Many alumni also go on to find careers in the area — more than 1,900 MBU graduates are currently working in the Shenandoah Valley today.

Mary Baldwin was one of 18 local nonprofit organizations to benefit from these grants, which were intended to make a broad, meaningful impact across the community. The recipients were chosen by several former NTELOS and LUMOS Networks executives. 

Carl Rosberg, retired president of NTELOS, commented on the inspiration behind the gifts to the Staunton News Leader: “These two funds were created through the generosity and foresight of the Clifton Forge Waynesboro (CFW) Telephone Company [CFW later became NTELOS]. As we exit the pandemic, we are pleased to distribute what remains in the funds to make a meaningful, immediate, and lasting difference in our community. We are grateful for the support of the Community Foundation in helping us fulfill the philanthropic intent of these funds.”