Faculty and staff have officially welcomed students back to ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½βs Staunton campus for the first day of fall semester.
This year, 351 new undergraduate students join the ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ community, representing eight states and the District of Columbia. Virginia residents make up a majority of the new student population, with 80% in state and 20% out of state.
We caught up with a few new students who shared what they are most excited about for the upcoming academic year.
Local first-year student Amelia Bartley β27 came to ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ for a business degree with her cosmetology license in hand. Bartley currently works in a salon, which she says is her main career interest, but wanted a college degree to broaden her opportunities.
Bartley played softball and volleyball all her life, and was inspired to attend the university by working with ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ coaches in her high school league. Despite a career-ending injury, Bartley looks forward to attending ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ athletics events this fall.
Jordan Hill β27, also a first-year student, came to ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ for a change in pace compared to the hustle and bustle of her hometown, Newport News.
βI wanted to try somewhere new, but not too far away from home,β Hill said. βIβm an extrovert and am really good at making friends. I was looking to be in a whole new environment with a new experience.β
Hill aims to move mountains during her time at ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½.
βIβm looking forward to being a double major, starting my own business, and getting my dreams off the ground,β Hill declared. βYouβll find out one day.β
First-year graduate student Matthias Bolon MLitt β25 came to ΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ from Colorado where he earned a masterβs degree in theatre and performance studies from the University of Colorado Boulder.
β΄σΟσ΄«Γ½ is one of the few places that has a master of fine arts (MFA) focused on Shakespeare and performance,β Bolon added. βItβs not just about being an actor but also about education.β
MFA students at Mary Baldwin help design touring shows and market them to local educational institutions from the elementary to college level, in addition to their in-depth exploration of Shakespeareβs works and Early Modern stagecraft.
Bolon will be studying in the master of letters program in Shakespeare and Performance for two years before jumping into the MFA cohort. In the meantime, he plans to get involved in local community events like Queen City Mischief and Magic.
Fall semester courses at the university run through Dec. 13 for the 2023β24 academic year, the 182nd in its history.