Finding the Why
Phil Marella '81 is the founder of Dana's Angels Research Trust, an organization dedicated to funding research on Niemann-Pick disease type C.
Outcomes Archive (121 Stories)
Educational Odyssey
Ashton Evans ’26 reflects on a W&L experience full of mentorship, global learning and skills she will carry with her for life.
Career Connections
The W&L network is perhaps most illustrative in the early-career assistance and opportunities our alumni provide to current students.
W&L’s DART Internship Program Places Students in Cutting-Edge Research Labs
At prestigious labs around the country, W&L students have pushed themselves and the frontiers of science to help those with a rare disease.
Brian ’96 and Katie ’95 Boland on Building a Well-Being Economy
The Bolands have dedicated their time and energy to building a more equitable economic system.
New MESA and Arabic Minors Broaden W&L Students’ Horizons
Washington and Lee’s new Arabic minor grew out of its innovative, interdisciplinary Middle East and Southeast Asian Studies program.
The Perfect Match
Washington and Lee students connect with local schools through the Burish Program.
Record Attendance Marks the Sixth Washington and Lee Real Estate Forum
Washington and Lee's Real Estate Forum, held October 8–9, saw record-breaking attendance at its sixth biannual event.
2025 Ball Award Winners Make an Impact in Students’ Lives
Alina de Zoysa ’25 and Henry Chen ’25 are applying lessons learned at W&L to their work helping K-12 students succeed.
Blending Passion with Integrity
For Sam Tannahill ’91, W&L provided a foundation of integrity, leadership and intellectual curiosity that have guided his personal and professional life.
W&L Students Learn and Network in New York City
Washington and Lee students interested in finance completed valuable summer internships in New York City this summer.
Allie Stankewich ’23 Awarded SIT Alice Rowan Swanson Fellowship
While working for the Fulbright program as a teaching mentor in Uganda, Stankewich partnered with a local organization to build a fish farm social enterprise.
W&L Outcomes: Alaina Pastore ’25
This fall, Pastore will enter a one-year master's program at the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England.
From Mystery to Mastery
A chance encounter in the Science Center as a child set Alyssa Cirrincione ’25 on a path to pursue her curiosity at W&L.
Student Organization Spotlight: Career Fellows
W&L Career Fellows offer peer-to-peer support for students exploring their career aspirations.
Celebrating 10 Years of QuestBridge
Since 2010, the university has enrolled 326 students through QuestBridge’s match program, helping high-achieving, low-income students access higher education.
International Bonds
Members of Washington and Lee University’s Class of 2024 who began their W&L experience at the University of St. Andrews in 2020 reflect on their unique experience.
Unearthing History
Students, faculty and alumni gathered April 12-13 to recognize the archaeological evolution of W&L’s back campus.
Solving Career Dilemmas
The “Dilemmas” podcast, hosted by two W&L seniors, connects students to the university’s Office of Career and Professional Development.
Exploring Careers in the Big Apple
W&L's Office of Career and Professional Development gave students the opportunity to network and explore potential career paths over Washington Break.
Alumni and Students Connect Through Choreography
The W&L Repertory Dance Company’s alumni-student dance performance in New York City’s Center for Performance Research returned after a four-year hiatus.
The Space to Be Brave
W&L’s recent staging of ‘Speech & Debate’ brought its cast, crew and audience an opportunity to engage with an innovative, collaborative approach to theater.
Students Realize Dreams Through Innovative Summer Internships
Grant funding through W&L's Johnson Program allows student recipients to pursue passion projects and career development around the world.
The Road Less Traveled
Washington and Lee’s Class of 2023 includes nine recipients of the Certificate of International Immersion awarded by W&L’s Center for International Education.
Future by Design
Sharon Mendieta Ramirez ’23 has designed her W&L experience to prepare her for her career as an educator.
Growing a Greener Future
For W&L alumni Kevin Green ’07 and Amanda Green ’06, nature and nurture go hand-in-hand.
Annie Thomas ’24 Earns Prestigious Beinecke Scholarship
The Beinecke Scholarship Program provides funds for post-graduate study to students of unusual promise.
Maximizing Her Network
Avalon Pernell ’23 credits the mentorship she received on campus as she launches her career in business journalism.
Finding Their Passions on the Podium
W&L’s choral conducting mentorship program helps students find and follow their passions through music and mentorship.
Building Her W&L Experience
Sadie Charles Calame ’23 has built a well-rounded college experience through campus and community involvement.
W&L’s Tahri Phillips Among 2023 Class of Rhodes Scholars
Phillips '23 is the university’s 18th Rhodes Scholar.
W&L Outcomes: Avery Schiffman ’22
Since graduation, Schiffman has worked as an account executive at Anomaly on the Crown Royal team in SoHo, New York City.
W&L Outcomes: Andrea Levan ’22
Andrea Levan '22 is a paralegal specialist in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
W&L Outcomes: Cole McPheeters ’22
By his sophomore year at W&L, McPheeters knew he wanted to go into investment banking after graduation. Today, he works as an investment banking analyst in Houlihan Lokey's Industrials group in New York City.
W&L Outcomes: Emma Cleveland ’22
Cleveland is working as a trip leader for an active travel company in Alaska this summer, and she plans to work in Europe this fall.
W&L Outcomes: Elizabeth Grist ’22
Elizabeth Grist '22 will spend next year conducting research in Melbourne, Australia as a Fulbright Scholar. Her project assesses the barriers and stigma associated with receiving medication for opioid use disorder.
W&L Outcomes: Jin Ni ’22
This fall, Jin Ni ’22 will pursue her master’s degree in human rights at University College London in the United Kingdom.
W&L Celebrates Another Year of Fellowship Success
Another record-setting year for nationally competitive fellowships at W&L can be attributed to forward-thinking educators, hard-working students and an encouraging fellowships director.
W&L Outcomes: Leah Jackson ’22
Leah Jackson ’22 always knew she wanted to pursue the health field. Thanks to summer internships and dedication, she heads off to Harvard this fall to follow her passion.
W&L Outcomes: Rett Daugbjerg ’22
After a successful summer internship in 2021, W&L's Rett Daugbjerg '22 is now working for JLL's Capital Markets group in Atlanta, Georgia.
W&L Outcomes: Kristen Xu ’22
Kristen Xu ’22 worked diligently during her time at W&L to accomplish her dream of working with a beauty company after graduation. Currently, she is a global marketing coordinator at NARS Cosmetics in New York.
W&L Outcomes: Riwaj Shrestha ’22
Shrestha worked with the Office of Career and Professional Development at W&L to "engineer" the perfect career after graduation.
W&L Outcomes: Rob Rosen ’22
Rosen utilized summer internships to help land his current role as an analyst at SVB Securities.
W&L Outcomes: Natalie Burden ’22
Burden is taking her talents to New York City to work in strategic planning at advertising agency BBDO.
W&L Outcomes: Jamie Spanfeller ’22
Spanfeller will be applying her studies in sociology and strategic communication to her new role as an editorial assistant for Women's Health magazine.
Matt Tinsley ’22 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
After his USTA program orientation in September, Tinsley will teach in a secondary school in Austria through May 2023.
W&L Outcomes: Jackson Sharman ’22
Sharman will put his degrees to use in a position on Capitol Hill.
W&L Outcomes: Madelyn Sheridan ’22
Sheridan, a business administration and studio art major, will be joining the wealth management team at UBS in New York City.
W&L Outcomes: Coby Kirkland ’22
At W&L, Kirkland discovered that his two passions, sports and engineering, could be combined into one fulfilling pursuit. He's going to intern at a sports equipment company before heading to grad school at Purdue.
W&L’s Graham Kingwill ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Uzbekistan
Kingwill has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Uzbekistan. He will depart in September 2022 for his 10-month program.
W&L Outcomes: Esther Assenso ’22
Assenso, a neuroscience major, is heading to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, where she will be a clinical research coordinator.
W&L’s Dickinson ’22 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
After her USTA program orientation in September, Joey Dickinson will be teaching in a secondary school in Austria through May 2023.
W&L’s Nick Mosher ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Kazakhstan
Mosher has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Kazakhstan. He will also spend this summer receiving intensive Russian language training in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Science Advisory Board Funds New Student Opportunities Endowment
The STEM-focused endowment will support internships, research opportunities, academic conference costs and other student experiences.
Washington and Lee Graduates 444 Students at 235th Commencement
In his remarks, President Will Dudley urged the Class of 2022 to carry forward the lessons they’ve learned and make a positive impact in their future communities.
W&L’s Grist ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Australia
Elizabeth Grist has been awarded a Fulbright research grant to Melbourne, Australia, to study the stigma and barriers associated with receiving medication for opioid use disorder.
Three W&L students Awarded Positions in the Teaching Assistant Program in France
Three members of the Class of 2022 will spend seven months in the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) teaching English to public school.
Four W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients.
W&L Celebrates Return of Alumni to Campus for Reunion Weekend
The weather might have been slightly damp, but spirits were high as alumni enjoyed one another's company.
W&L’s DJ Johnston ’22 Awarded Fellowship for Arabic Studies in Egypt
Johnston was recently awarded a fellowship to the Center for Arabic Study Abroad at the American University in Cairo.
W&L’s Samantha Carley ’22 Awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Georgia
Carley will serve as an English language teaching assistant in a school in the former Soviet republic.
W&L’s David Gálvez ’22 Awarded Fulbright to France
Galvez has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to France, where he will teach English to secondary school students and serve as a cultural ambassador for the United States.
W&L’s Erin Addison ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Uruguay
Addison has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Uruguay, where she will teach English to primary or secondary school students and serve as a cultural ambassador for the United States.
W&L’s Mansi Tripathi ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Colombia
Tripathi will teach English to students in Colombia for 10 months.
W&L’s Sydney Lee ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Costa Rica
Lee has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Costa Rica starting in early 2023.
Mallory Keeley ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Germany
Keeley will live in a German community for one academic year to teach English to students in a local school.
Made in the U.S.A.
Capt. Connor Smithson ’13 channels his creative energies into his small woodworking shop specializing in custom flags, plaques and furniture pieces.
W&L’s Anne Riter ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Austria
Riter will spend the next academic year volunteering with a community organization, working as an English teaching assistant and taking courses at the University of Graz.
W&L’s Elyssa McMaster ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Italy
McMaster has been awarded a Fulbright research grant to Italy to complete a hybrid art history and computer science project.
W&L’s Troy Larsen ’22 Awarded Fulbright Grant to Hungary
Larsen will spend the next academic year studying at the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics and participating in a research group at the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics.
Friends for a Lifetime
Sam Hollis ’51 and Jimmy Gallivan ’51 met at W&L, sparking a friendship spanning 75 years.
Samantha McLemore ’02 and Lee Hollis ’86 to Join W&L Board of Trustees
McLemore and Hollis will be sworn in at the board’s spring meeting.
Community Foundations
Craig Jones has been an active volunteer in his community, particularly the KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools.
Welcome Home, Alumni!
W&L grads who came back for Young Alumni Weekend caught up with friends, visited favorite spots on campus, and reminisced about their time in Lexington.
WLUR Institution Celebrates a Major Milestone
"The Anti-Headache Machine," a Saturday night radio show hosted by Doug Harwood '74, has turned 50.
Exploring Appalachia through Data Science
A year after graduating, Tim Pierce ’20 uses data science to map job skills in Appalachian labor markets.
W&L’s Recipe for Fellowship Success
A record-setting year for nationally competitive fellowship awards at Washington and Lee University can be attributed to forward-thinking educators, hard-working students and a persistent, encouraging fellowships director.
Brooklyne Oliveira ’21 Awarded Marquand Scholarship to Yale
The award covers full tuition and includes a $10,000 stipend toward living expenses.
SABU: Advocating with One Voice
In 1971, Black students founded the Student Association for Black Unity, launching a 50-year tradition of advocacy on campus.
Popping Online
Coco Ellis Howe ’16 and Tani Greenspan ’16 created a successful online art gallery in the middle of a pandemic.
Smarter, Faster
In a shifting media landscape, Ted Williams ’07 and Mike Allen ’86 are focused on reigniting local journalism through a new business venture.
‘The Unfortunate Game With Washington and Lee’
The U.Va. baseball team just couldn’t connect with George Sykes’ curveballs.
Nurturing the NASDAQ
Linda Roberts '71 helped the NASDAQ become a household name during a four-decade career in finance and accounting.
Helping Others and Building Change
Grace Anne Holladay '21 has a conversation with Dr. Kelli Jarrell ’12, who was recently named the national emergency fellow of the year
Legal Eagle
Life has been a series of firsts for Rita Davis ’93, who now serves as counsel to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.
Supporting W&L From Across the Globe
From serving on his 10th reunion committee to establishing a scholarship, Yuan Liu '11 proves that W&L ties span continents.
A Lifetime of Giving Back
Dick Stuart '37 celebrated his 88-year relationship with W&L by making his leadership gift to the Annual Fund.
New W&L Podcast Episode Features Lenfest Director Rob Mish
In the latest episode of the Lifelong Learning podcast, Mish talks about his passion for theater, how musicals can be reinvented to account for changing times, and his experiences connecting students and alumni.
Book Smart
Bethlehem Dammlash ’06 has set her sights on educational equity for children from low-income families.
Meet the Professor: Sybil Prince Nelson
One of Washington and Lee's new faculty members for 2020-21 is mathematics professor Sybil Prince Nelson, a 2001 graduate of W&L.
Super Sleuth
At Pfizer, Michael Benigno ’00 analyzed COVID-19 clinical data in the quest to develop a vaccine and antiviral therapy.
W&L Celebrated Four Distinguished Alumni at the 2021 Five-Star Festival
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year’s Distinguished Five-Star Alumni Award winners, Bob Feagin '60, Holt Merchant '61, Blaine Brownell '65, and Dave Redmond '66, '69L.
‘Abundantly Thankful’ in Austria
Despite COVID-19, Jared Nickodem '20 was able to make it to Austria, where he is teaching English to students as part of the U.S. Teaching Assistant Program.
W&L Graduate Returns to Teach Dance Master Class
Elliot Reza Emadian ’17 will teach a virtual master class in screendance, a form that merges cinematography and choreography.
‘Giving Everyone an Opportunity’
Hannah Freibert '21 interviews Mike White '10, program associate for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a nonprofit that works to improve health care in America.
Serving Veterans
As an executive at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the United Services Organization, Navy veteran Ned Powell ’70 impacted the lives of many service members before retiring.
Classmates Lead Fundraising Effort to Remember Kathy Boozer Boone ’95
In honor of what would have been her 25th reunion, Boone's family and friends celebrated her legacy through gifts that will have a tangible impact on W&L.
W&L Hosts Successful Virtual Entrepreneurship Summit
This year, 222 people tuned in to watch and participate in the annual summit.
Waging the Hog Wars
Farmer and conservationist Bill Holliday ’65 spent his career fighting to preserve and protect South Carolina’s environment.
Tolu Olubunmi ’02 to Deliver International Day of Peace Talk
Tolu Olubunmi, a 2002 graduate of Washington and Lee, will return to her alma mater as the guest speaker for Washington and Lee’s first International Day of Peace event.
Conversation Starter
Dillon Myers ’14 and Alan Gibson ’70 are helping older adults overcome social isolation with a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Just Say Hello
Hollis Owens ’97’s nonprofit offers people with disabilities opportunities to present to, and educate, schoolchildren about their lives.
Tracking Patterns in the Pandemic
Jennifer Beam Dowd ’96 is co-managing a Facebook page, “Dear Pandemic,” to provide evidence-based advice about COVID-19 to a general audience.
Jared Nickodem ’20 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship in Austria
Nickodem’s USTA position with Fulbright Austria starts in September 2020.
‘A Real Justice Issue’
Bridget Bartley '21 interviews Shiri Yadlin '12, director of Just Homes, a nonprofit that helps faith communities address homelessness in D.C.
W&L’s Caroline Rivers ’20 Awarded Fulbright-García Robles Grant to Mexico
Rivers has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Mexico starting January 2021.
Hamills Put Stamp on W&L Lacrosse Programs
Alex '13, Parker '17 and Hudson Hamill '20 have all thrived at Washington and Lee, their father's alma mater.
Career Planning During a Pandemic
Career and Professional Development Dean John Jensen '01 and his staff are busy providing career advice for Generals navigating a tricky economic landscape.
Slowing the Spread
Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox ‘01L is leading the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Meals4Meds
Amanda Basham Atkinson '04 is supporting local restaurants and health care professionals in Fort Worth, Texas.
‘Uncharted Territory’
As city manager of New Rochelle, New York, Chuck Strome ’80 is at the center of New York's pandemic.
Alumna Shares Coronavirus Story
Kaylee Hartung '07, a graduate of the W&L journalism program, contracted the virus that causes COVID-19 while covering the outbreak in Washington State
Black FLEX Conference Brings W&L Alumni Back to Mentor Region’s Students
W&L’s first Black Future Leaders Experience (FLEX) conference brought alumni and staff together to mentor students from across central Virginia on how to thrive in white spaces, navigate politics and serve as leaders.
The Value of Community
Lainey Johnson '16 values connections with a variety of people from different backgrounds, which is something she learned to prize at W&L.
From Lexington to Capitol Hill
Want to work for the U.S. Congress? Judging by past successes, earning a degree from Washington and Lee University is a pretty good start.
Working Toward a Mission
Danika Brockman '21 interviews Natasha Lerner '13 about making a difference in women's health.
The Future is Bioplastics
Julianna Keeling ’19 applied her passion for the environment to build a company focused on biodegradable consumer products.
Fostering an Inclusive Community
Jim Early ’59 and his husband Garland Tillery established the James R. Early ’59 Endowment for LGBTQ Programming to help W&L's LGBTQ students engage fully with the wider university community.
‘The Active Pursuit of a Passion’
Jack Huffard '90 talks about the actionable insights he has gained from the Entrepreneurship Summit (Sept. 27-28) and the skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur.
Studying Food Insecurity
At Harvard, Leah Gose '15 has conducted a complex study of organizations that provide food to people in need.
Down to Earth
Megan Hill Gambrill ’05 had long fantasized about a job where she’d get to play in the dirt all day.
