Fueling the Power of a W&L Education Leadership donors Anne and Tom MacCowatt P'18, '22 share why they continue to invest in W&L and why they chose to support CARPE.
Anne, Tommy ’22 and Tom MacCowatt at Parents and Family Weekend 2019.Strong values that align with the Honor System and a commitment to providing a well-rounded education to every student are two of the reasons Anne and Tom MacCowatt P’18, ’22 invest in Washington and Lee. “Many schools have honor codes, but W&L is by far the best example we have seen in action,” Anne MacCowatt said. “Students live it and respect it, and that creates a very positive culture.”
The MacCowatts are members of the Parents Leadership Council Steering Committee and have made leadership gifts to the Parents Fund since their daughter, Mimi ’18, enrolled in 2014. Most recently, the couple made an impactful gift to the Center for Academic Resources and Pedagogical Excellence (CARPE). The new teaching and learning center will be located in Leyburn Library and will offer students technology, collaborative spaces, workshops and more to deepen their learning experiences. Also, professors will have a dedicated environment to explore innovative teaching methods. Supporting a center that fosters collaborative and oral communication skills, among others, appealed to the MacCowatts, who noted the importance of those skills no matter the academic discipline. They also appreciate the fact that the space will empower faculty to provide the best possible educational experiences to students. “The CARPE project will give students and faculty the opportunity to gain skills that will help them succeed,” Anne MacCowatt said.
“We have seen firsthand how invested the faculty, coaches and administrators are in each student.”
~ Anne MacCowatt P’18, ’22
The couple returned to campus for Parents and Family Weekend 2019 and spent time with their son, Tommy, a sophomore and member of the lacrosse team. His favorite experiences at W&L so far have been his Pre-Orientation hiking trip on the Appalachian Trail his first year and Spring Term, which allows students to concentrate on a single subject area in depth while enjoying the spring weather.
Mimi MacCowatt graduated in 2018 with a degree in business administration. The MacCowatts said Mimi has returned to campus multiple times since graduation. She works in finance in New York City and is already an active alumna, serving as a class agent for the Annual Fund.
Anne, Mimi ’18 and Tom MacCowatt at the women’s lacrosse 2018 ODAC Championship game.Life as W&L parents twice over has been a wonderful experience for the MacCowatts, who have enjoyed cheering their children on during athletic competitions, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four; following Mock Convention in 2016; and attending Parents Leadership Council events. They are looking forward to the upcoming Parents Leadership Council Spring Weekend, scheduled for March 13—14, 2020, which invites all PLC members to campus for special programming.
Their favorite event, hands down, is Parents and Family Weekend.
At W&L, parents are welcomed into the fold and have a stake in the university’s mission to provide a first-rate liberal arts education. And the MacCowatts take part with enthusiasm. “We believe strongly in a good education. Over the last six years, W&L has demonstrated that it spends money wisely,” Anne MacCowatt said. “We have seen firsthand how invested the faculty, coaches and administrators are in each student.”
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