Honoring excellence, resilience, and the spirit of service, Mary Baldwin’s 183rd Commencement celebrated graduates from every corner of the university — from the arts to health sciences.
Mary Baldwin’s 183rd Commencement ceremonies celebrated the accomplishments of more than 450 graduates across MBU’s undergraduate, graduate, and specialty programs. Despite some discouraging forecasts, both ceremonies were held as planned on Page Terrace at Mary Baldwin’s downtown Staunton campus.
Saturday’s ceremony recognized the achievements of the university’s graduate degree earners — including those from the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, the Shakespeare and Performance Program, and the Palmer College of Professional Studies graduate programs in Applied Behavior Analysis, higher education, education, arts in teaching, and business administration.
The graduate ceremony saw several departmental and campus-wide awards presented to students who have had a profound impact on their programs, but no award held more weight than the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
The Sullivan Award, presented to both an undergraduate student and a community member who “exhibit nobility of character and unselfish service to the broad community.” It is one of the highest honors that the university bestows.
During the morning’s proceedings, President Jeff Stein announced the Sullivan Award’s community-member recipient as the late Christy Baker MEd ‘24. Baker worked with MBU’s Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) for more than two decades, and her impact on the program has been nothing short of profound. The entire MBU community mourned her recently untimely passing, and Stein recognized her contributions in his remarks:
“She brought heart, purpose, and boundless energy to her work and life. And exemplified the unselfish spirit of the Sullivan Award in every role she embraced as a colleague, advisor, student, mom, and a force for good.”
Baker completed her master of education studies at MBU in August 2024, and was due to walk the stage and receive her degree officially this May. Ari Hahn, representing the Heifetz International Music Institute, performed a piece on violin after Stein welcomed the Baker family on stage to receive the award.
Giovanna Wilson DPT ‘25, a member of the graduating doctor of physical therapy class, was invited to represent her fellow graduates as the student speaker for the Saturday ceremony. Her speech underscored the importance of passion and curiosity.
“Failure and embarrassment are a choice,” she reminded her classmates, repeating herself to ensure the message was heard. “Failure and embarrassment are a choice — a choice you shouldn’t let hold you back from the amazing things that are waiting for you.”
MBU’s undergraduate programs convened for the traditional Commencement ceremony on Page Terrace the next day. With the clouds passing through the sky without raining (and holding the sun at bay), Sunday marked one of the least-sweltering ceremonies in recent memory.
Failure and embarrassment are a choice — a choice you shouldn’t let hold you back from the amazing things that are waiting for you.
Giovanna Wilson DPT ’25
The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award’s second recipient was Amiyah McCoy ‘25, a student in the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted. McCoy has maintained a nearly perfect GPA while pursuing ambitious academic projects that combined a passion for ethics and equity in healthcare with her commitment to cancer research.
Recently, McCoy (pictured left, with President Stein) was selected for a competitive summer research opportunity in the neuro-radiology department at the University of Pennsylvania and completed more than 1,000 hours as an EMT with a local rescue squad.
While introducing her for the award, President Stein described McCoy as “A compassionate leader, gifted scholar, and tireless advocate whose time at Mary Baldwin has been defined by excellence and integrity … This combination of strong ethics with technical skill distinguishes Amiyah as the kind of healthcare practitioner that we desperately need.”
Another PEG student, Gretchen Lutz ‘25, was selected to be the student speaker for the undergraduate ceremony. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology with a biomedical emphasis and a minor in chemistry. Lutz’s speech focused on a reminder to forget the frightening prospect of shaping your own future and, instead, to enjoy the moment.
“We have the rare privilege of not knowing what’s next, and mystery is a privilege we often overlook. We get to be surprised. So enjoy the fact that you don’t know what’s coming, because there are endless possibilities ahead.”
Relive Commencement on Video
Did you miss one of the student speakers at commencement? Do you want to watch President Stein’s charge to the graduates again? Visit Mary Baldwin’s YouTube channel for full video recordings of the 183rd Commencement ceremonies, or click the buttons below to jump to your favorite moments.
In addition to the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, MBU presented a variety of awards to graduates across all programs.