Renee Kuntz ’85 can still remember the advice that Distinguished Professor Emeritus Jack Kramer gave her before she graduated from Mary Washington with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and a focus in Russian studies.
“He encouraged me not to stay in one position,” said Kuntz, who spent nearly four decades rotating through various roles in the National Security Agency, putting her foreign policy background and language skills to work to protect American intelligence. “Mary Washington was truly foundational for my life and career.”
A dedicated donor to UMW’s Beyond the Classroom Endowment (BtC), Kuntz wants current and future students at the University of Mary Washington to have access to experiential learning opportunities that will ensure success in their own careers. She recently made a pledge that pushed the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) initiative over the top in its quest to raise $1 million in gifts and pledges to help students pursue study abroad, internships, independent research and travel to academic conferences.
“Accomplishing this milestone in just four years is simply amazing,” said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger, who established BtC after student research proposals climbed to twice the CAS budget to pay for them. “It means we will be able to support our students in perpetuity and can make an annual commitment to these learning experiences that can really change lives.” Read more.