Junior Family Newsletter
March 2018
Dear Class of 2019 Families,
 
As we hope you’ve heard, the exciting news on campus is the recent announcement of our 28th President, Dr. Katherine Rowe, who will assume office July 1. A scholar of Medieval and Renaissance drama and an innovator in digital humanities, Dr. Rowe comes from Smith College where she is Provost and also coach of a championship Ultimate Frisbee team!

While our students are getting ready for a well deserved break, William & Mary is gearing up to host it’s fifth annual giving day—One Tribe One Day on Tuesday, April 10 ! Through this annual tradition, parents and families join current students, alumni, and other members of the Tribe to make gifts to any area of the university. Parents and families are a key part of our Tribe, and our active participation in the day’s events will help to ensure the College’s success—and that of our students. This year, the Parent & Family Council set bold goals for the Parents Fund: to raise $1 million with 34 percent of parents making a gift by June 30 . Learn more about One Tribe One Day below!

We here at William & Mary hope that this newsletter is valuable and finds you well. And as always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Sincerely, 
Gary and Caryn Silverman, P'19
President-Elect Katherine A. Rowe
We are happy to announce Katherine A. Rowe as William & Mary’s 28th President. Dr. Rowe was selected by a 19-member Presidential Search Committee, and was the unanimous choice of the Board of Visitors. Rowe has an extensive background in education and administration, and is an advocate for the importance of a liberal arts education through the application of research and technology. Dr. Rowe will begin her term as president beginning the first of July, 2018.

Shenkman Jewish Center
With about 500 Jewish undergraduate students currently enrolled at William & Mary, the Shenkman Jewish Center will provide these students with a home away from home. Founded by Mark and Rosalind Shenkman, the Shenkman Center is a grand contribution aimed at providing Jewish students a place to take part in a “variety of cultural, spiritual, social, and educational activities.” The center is scheduled to open in this fall, and will be located on the corner of Jamestown Road and Cary Street.

Tribe Hoops to March Madness?
William & Mary may be 325 years old, but a berth in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament still eludes us. One of just four original teams to have never made the tourney, W&M hopes to make history in 2018. Tune in to the CAA Tournament in Charleston, SC (March 3-6) to see if Tribe Basketball can finally win the conference and qualify for the big dance!

Fifth Annual One Tribe One Day
Mark your calendar for Tuesday, April 10, 2018 —William & Mary's fifth annual giving day, One Tribe One Day (OTOD). The College has set the ambitious goal of reaching 14,000 donors in 24 hours this year, up from our record of 12,658 last year and just 1,700 our first year. The money raised through the Parents Fund directly enhance the services, initiatives, and programs that enhance your students’ experience outside the classroom—the Tribe Tutor Zone; internships; Branch Out Alternative Spring Breaks; a 24-hour counseling service; recreational clubs; and more. Many of these programs can only be funded with philanthropic dollars, a nd they are essential to promoting the well-being of our students. Remember to mark your calendar for April 10!

Community Discussions
Community Discussions, hosted by The Office of Community, offer an opportunity for community leaders, community members, and students to come together and discuss topics relevant to the Williamsburg area. This semester the community discussions being held are:

  • Balancing Life, Work, and Active Citizenship (2/01)
  • Engaging with the Aging Community (2/22)
  • Environmental Preservation (3/13)
  • Gender in the Nonprofit Sector (4/5).

Community members and students are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Community Engagement to learn more.

An Evening of Dance
A concert in which students explore and develop original choreography performed by their peers in the Orchesis Modern Dance Company, under the mentorship of the Dance faculty.

March 22-25, 2018
Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall
Tickets on sale at www.wm.edu/boxoffice

Residence Life Happenings
Spring Inductees
The National Residence Hall Honorary is pleased to welcome their Spring 18 inductees: Aaron Higgins, Bianca Caccamo, Sarah Modlin, Jessica Laury, Driscoll Taylor, and Monica Fritz

Colonial Williamsburg House
We are pleased to introduce Madeline Laing and Morgan Magnuson as the 18/19 residents of the Colonial Williamsburg House. It's never too soon to be thinking about our 19/20 residents? Would your student want to live in one of the most unique residence halls in the country that ONLY W&M can offer?

Room Selection
Room Selection is just around the corner! Our website has tons of information about our process, buildings, and individual rooms. If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to contact our office at living@wm.edu .

Crash Course Workshops and Unpaid Internship Funding
Is your student still searching for an internship or other type of summer experience? Perhaps he or she has already been offered an internship which is unpaid. In either case, the career center is a resource. The "Crash Course" workshop series features the Cover Letter on March 13, the Job and Internship Search on March 15, and the Resume on March 22. Funding for Unpaid Summer Experience, or FUSE is a collection of funding sources available to students through a variety of sources (including our generous Parent and Family Council) and partnerships with other departments. Students need to first secure an internship, then apply for funding, which includes creating a budget to determine need. The Summer 2018 FUSE Application Process will begin on March 16.

AMP & SA co-host Atwater Lecture Series Featuring Laverne Cox
The marquis lecture event for the spring semester (co-sponsored by Alma Mater Productions and the Student Assembly) will take place Wednesday, March 28th and will feature Laverne Cox, an Emmy-nominated actress and Emmy-winning producer best known for her work on the critically acclaimed Netflix original series Orange is The New Black‚ Tickets are available IN PERSON at the PBK Box Office beginning 2/28. More information can be found on the website.

Fall and Academic Year 2018 Study Abroad Deadline
Is your student planning to study abroad next year? Applications for W&M Exchange and Sponsored Semester Programs (Fall 2018, Academic Year 2018-2019) are due on Thursday, March 15th. Students can earn credit toward graduation with our partner universities all over the world. Study Abroad workshops are held daily, and the Global Education Office has walk-in hours 11 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday.

The race to 34% parent participation by June 30 continues, and the Class of 2021 maintains a narrow lead. Families have given nearly $547,000 toward our bold $1 Million goal this year in support of the Parents Fund. Your gift today will make a difference!
 
Did you know that the Parents Fund supports summer undergraduate research stipends in the Humanities and Social Sciences? It also helps provide funds to subsidize travel expenses for Cohen Career Center sponsored activities for students who otherwise would be unable to participate due to cost, and enables student coordinators to be trained to run an Alternative Breaks program. Each of these programs enhances our students’ experience outside the classroom, and we are grateful for your generosity!
Parent & Family Programs
Email:  families@wm.edu
William & Mary
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187