W&L Welcomes Hundreds to Campus for Young Alumni Weekend The classes of 2016, 2021 and 2026 reconnected with their peers in Lexington to record the second-highest attendance in program history.

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Washington and Lee University celebrated a picturesque Young Alumni Weekend for the class of 2016, 2021 and 2026 by hosting 629 alumni and guests Sept. 25-27. The spectacular fall weather in Lexington brought together participants from 34 states, Washington, D.C., and four countries, with the Road Warrior winner of traveling the furthest going to Lourdes Arana ’21 from Barcelona. And with 177 members of the Class of 2027 joining for the Grand Finale festivities, this Young Alumni Weekend became the second-highest attended in program history with 806 individuals.

“Seeing so many young alumni back in Lexington is a wonderful reminder of how much these friendships and this university mean to them,” said John Jensen ’01, P’30, executive director of alumni and career services. “We’re grateful to the reunion volunteers whose enthusiasm and hard work brought their classmates together for such a memorable weekend.”

The weekend kicked off Sept. 25, with attendees enjoying lunch on Stemmons Plaza with musical entertainment by Moody Heard ’16 and the Will Congas band. That evening, the W&L Alumni Association bestowed the Distinguished Young Alumni Award to James “Bren” Flanigan ’16 and Madison Sanders ’16, and alumni from the reunion classes of 2026, 2021 and 2026 returned to the Front Lawn for Cocktails on the Colonnade, which saw its largest attendance to date.

The weekend’s engaging lineup continued with a range of programs to celebrate the alumni classes’ relationships with W&L and each other, from the Welcome Back Bash to the fifth annual YAW service project in which alumni provided hands-on help in harvesting the last of the season’s bounty in the Campus Garden. Other noteworthy events included the ROTC Reunion and Veterans Gathering; an Alumni Sing with University Singers; Mock Convention’s “One Tradition, One Colonnade” event with former second gentleman Doug Emhoff; a QuestBridge Reception for current students and alumni; and open houses for various academic departments and organizations, including the Shepherd Program.

The Saturday festivities began with a relaxed brunch at the Village Pavilion. The Class of 2026 then met at the Webster Family Plaza for a brick-laying ceremony to celebrate 75% of the class participating in the Senior Class Gift, the first graduating class during the Leading Lives of Consequence campaign to earn this distinction. They were also the first senior class to win the Seniors vs. 25th Reunion Challenge during the spring Alumni Weekend. The reunion concluded with hundreds of attendees dancing and singing at the Grand Finale on Cannan Green.

Giving With an Eye Toward the Future

Each reunion class generously gave back to W&L, joining a long-standing tradition of celebrating milestone reunions with philanthropy.

The Class of 2016 set a new record for the highest number of President’s Society donors in a 10th reunion class, with 42 members. The class presented Interim President Ken Ruscio ’76 with their 10th reunion class gift of $293,914. The gift, supported by 31% of their class, will bolster the W&L Fund over the next five years, as well as provide financial support for six first-year W&L students through the Class of 2016 10th Reunion W&L Scholarship.

The Class of 2021 saw a 66% increase in donors from fiscal year 2025 to 2026 and tripled their W&L Fund dollars raised year-over-year. They raised a total of $57,643, representing support from 98 classmates, and their gift included financial aid support for two first-year W&L students through the Class of 2021 Fifth Reunion W&L Fund Scholarship.

The Class of 2026 presented Ruscio with their gift of $10,176, raised from 75% of their class.

“Washington and Lee’s alumni have long maintained a strong tradition of giving back to the university to celebrate a milestone reunion,” said Jessica Cohen, director of reunion giving. “It’s inspiring to see our young alumni classes join in this tradition of philanthropy.”