In The Lead: In Her Corner The quiet, unwavering support of staff mentorship has led to a much fuller college experience at Washington and Lee for international student Eleanna Giannoula ’28.

Eleanna Giannoula ’28
October 23, 2026

Dean Beard’s presence gave me the confidence to engage more fully with campus life, to take chances I might have otherwise avoided and to invest in W&L as a place that was truly mine.”

~ Eleanna Giannoula ’28

My relationship with Assistant Dean of Student Leadership Leah Beard began during my very first semester at Washington and Lee University, through my involvement in the LEAD Program, one of the first communities I found myself a part of when I arrived on campus. As it turned out, she also knew my brother, Harry, who is a member of the Class of 2026, so we already had a personal connection that made reaching out feel natural.

We got coffee together, and what started as a casual get-to-know-you conversation quickly revealed itself to be something much more meaningful. From that first meeting, I felt a genuine sense of care and interest that I hadn’t expected to find so early in my college experience.

Since then, we have made it a point to meet at least once a semester to check in, though it rarely feels like a formal appointment. It feels more like catching up with someone who is truly invested in how you’re doing, not just academically, but as a whole person. That kind of consistent, intentional relationship is something I have come to deeply value.

Washington and Lee is a place rich with opportunities to form meaningful relationships: with professors who challenge you intellectually, with peers who push you to grow and with alumni who open doors you didn’t know existed. I have been fortunate to experience all of those connections during my time here. And yet, my relationship with Dean Beard has offered something distinct and irreplaceable. Because our mentorship exists outside the structure of grades and academic performance, it has created a space where I can bring my full self. With her, I feel free to talk about things that do not only concern academic matters, like the moments of homesickness, the uncertainty about the future, the quiet victories that no one else might notice.

For international students in particular, I believe having this kind of anchor on campus is invaluable. When you are building a life so far from home, it matters enormously to have someone who understands the full scope of what that means and who shows up for you accordingly. Dean Beard has demonstrated to me that staff mentors are not supplementary to the Washington and Lee experience — they are central to it.

This article first appeared in the Summer 2026 issue of W&L: The Washington and Lee Magazine. Contact us at magazine@wlu.edu.