Commencement Address 2018
President William C. Dudley addressed the Class of 2018 at the commencement exercises on the Front Lawn.
Commencement 2018May 23 & 24, 10:00 AM, Front Lawn
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Headlines
Washington and Lee Graduates 441 Students at 231st Commencement
In his Commencement address, president Will Dudley encouraged the Class of 2018 to take the habits they have learned at W&L "and change the world, one small encounter at a time.”
Washington and Lee University to Celebrate 231st Commencement, Baccalaureate
W&L celebrates its 231st undergraduate commencement Thursday, May 25. LIVESTREAM: 10 a.m.
W&L to Award Two Honorary Degrees at 2018 Commencement
W&L will recognize the outstanding contributions of professors Marjorie Agosín and Harlan Beckley at its 231st commencement.
Scene on Campus
In Case You Missed It
The Class of 2018 Reminisces ...
Four Short Years Ago ...
Post Graduate Awards
Falchuk ’18 Awarded Fulbright to Teach in Slovak Republic
Hannah Falchuk '18 hopes to improve her cultural understanding and language proficiency in the country.
Faith Pinho Awarded ODK Leader of the Year for Journalism
Pinho’s award is part of ODK’s 2018 General Russell E. Dougherty National Leader of the Year competition.
Kiki Spiezio ’18 Awarded Clinton Scholarship
The William Jefferson Clinton Scholarship will allow Spiezio to attend the American University in Dubai during Winter Term 2018.
Three W&L Students Awarded 2018 Critical Language Scholarships
Elizabeth McDonald heads to Japan, Emily Austin to Indonesia and Riley Ries to Kyrgyzstan.
Shely Awarded Fulbright Grant to Colombia
Jared Shely '18 will use the grant to continue his work teaching English to students in Latin America.
Loughery ’18 Awarded ORISE Research Fellowship
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) research fellowship will allow her to conduct research at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Chemical Defense.
‘A Good Place to Grow’
From Lexington to London, Faith E. Pinho '18 has had a vast array of experiences.
W&L Journalism Students Win SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards
Students took first place in three categories in the Society of Professional Journalists’ regional college journalism competition.
Class of '18 Stories
The Railway in German Literature
Ben Schaeffer '18 is working with German professor Paul Youngman on a project involving references to the railway in German literature.
Science, Society and the Arts Presents: Andrew Mah ‘18
Meet Andrew Mah ‘18, an accomplished mathematician who found an unlikely passion - spiders!
Connecting the Dots of the Liberal Arts
Monica Musgrave '18 is already double-majoring, but that didn't stop her from spending six-weeks in England studying two completely different subjects.
Engineering Solutions for Amputees
Matt Lubas '18 spent the summer in Zacapa, Guatamala, working at a prosthetic clinic for the Range of Motion Project.
A Leader Forged by Fire
As a first-year student at W&L, Jane Chiavelli '18 had no idea that she would face a huge challenge — and come out of it with strong leadership skills.
The Art of Movement
A three-month internship with New York-based artist Taryn Simon presented Sara Dotterer '18 with myriad possibilities for her future career.
‘The Quality of the People’
Swimmer, computer coder, and Speaking Tradition advocate Will McMurtry '18 chose W&L over nine other schools, in large part because of its community.
Meet the Johnsons: Andy Cuthbert ’18
Meet Andy Cuthbert '18, a pre-med neuroscience major with a serious love of the outdoors.
‘Leaders Like Me’
Lex McGriff '18 has grown into a leader in W&L's Student Association for Black Unity. As she prepares for graduation, she hopes more underclassmen will become leaders like her.
Tracking Corporate Social Responsibility
Soon Ho Kwon '17 and Claire Meyers '18 spent the summer looking at how Corporate Social Responsibility plays a role in the bottom line.
Falling for Filmmaking
Working for the documentary filmmaking company Ark Media allowed Claire Hoffert '18 to exercise her research muscles and learn new skills.
Researching Beyond the Library
The best place to research your thesis? Some would say the library, but for Jacqueline Moruzzi '18 that place is the Cambridge University's Medieval Studies Summer Program.
Graduate Statistics
447new alumni
Total Graduates
On May 24, 2018, 441 members of the Class of 2018 will recieve their degrees. Six members of the class graduated after Fall Term.
3.528avg. GPA
A New Record GPA
Members of the Class of 2018 will graduate with an average cumulative GPA of 3.528, far surpassing the previous record of 3.444, set in 2015.
Valedictorian
Mallory Stephenson of Fincastle, VA, graduates with a 4.00 grade point average.
Move-in Day, Sep. 7, 2014
240B.A.230B.S.
Degrees Earned
22 members of the Class of 2018 will receive both a B.A. and a B.S. degree, equaling the record set in 2015.
38majors34%double-major
Major Course Work
Degrees awarded to the Class of 2018 represent 38 majors from across campus, with 34 percent of graduates completing two majors.
Two graduates completed three majors!
26citizenships
A Global Class
Graduates of the Class of 2018 represent 18 countries around the world, with five from the U.K. and three from Argentina.
34states
From Across the U.S.
Graduates of the Class of 2018 represent 34 states, with VA, MD, NJ, NC, TX, CA, NY and PA claiming the most graduates.
Scholar-Athletes
36 percent of the graduating class participated on a varsity team.
