Leading Toward Diversity

Cara Wimberley ’15 received this year’s Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership, given to a University of Mary Washington senior with high academic standards, leadership qualities, and a personal commitment to diversity and inclusion on campus. Wimberley is a psychology major and is minoring in linguistics and Middle Eastern studies. She has been an officer of the campus group PRISM – People for the Rights of Individuals of Sexual Minorities – and has participated in the Cross-Cultural BBQ, Arab Culture Night, Day of Silence, and the Multicultural Fair. She is a peer mentor with the Center for International Education. Wimberley, of Blacksburg, Virginia, spent a semester at a university in Amman, Jordan, studying Arabic and learning about Middle Eastern culture and history. “Cara’s UMW and study-abroad experiences have taught her that being a leader means learning about diverse identities and cultures,” said Marion Sanford, UMW’s director of multicultural affairs. … [Read more...]

Senior Earns Scholarship From Jay-Z

Rapper Jay-Z is helping theater and political science major Ebony Dixon ’15 pay for college. His Shawn Carter Scholar program aims to help students facing economic challenges stay in school by helping with tuition or other academic expenses. Dixon, from Alexandria, Virginia, is among 176 recipients for the 2014-15 academic year. Like many chosen to receive the rapper’s scholarships, Dixon is a first-generation college student. Her father died in 2012, and her mother is working on her own college degree while helping Dixon and her college-age brother through school. The Shawn Carter scholarship considers grade-point average and an essay and requires a community service commitment of recipients. But it also considers a student’s perseverance in overcoming obstacles. In Dixon’s case, it means less student-loan debt and, possibly, more freedom in choosing a career after college. She’s interested in acting professionally but also is considering law school. She’s on the executive … [Read more...]