Graduation is a tremendous achievement — a time for you and your student to be very proud. Giving back is a long-standing William & Mary tradition, and a great way to commemorate their W&M experience is to make a Senior Family Gift.

Best of all, a Senior Family Gift not only celebrates your student's achievements and lifelong connections, it helps generations of future W&M students experience their own life-changing education.

Please take a moment now to honor your graduate by making a gift to the Parents Fund or any other area of the university that is significant to you and your student. Whether you give $20.25 or $2,025 or beyond, your gift will have significant impact on the lives of our students.

You may also choose to make a more enduring contribution. With your gift commitment of:

• $2,500 or more, your family can name an expendable fund to support a program that reflects your student's experience. You may wish to support an academic discipline, athletic team or student life initiative such as the Office of Career Development & Professional Engagement, TutorZone, Counseling Center and more.
• $10,000 or more, your family can name an expendable scholarship. Unrestricted, need-based scholarships are the university's highest priority, but you may also wish to direct your gift to support undergraduate merit, global scholarships or annual faculty support. Donors who give $2,000 or more to the Scholarships Impact Fund are invited to meet some of William & Mary's remarkable scholarship recipients during Homecoming & Reunion Weekend.
• $100,000 or more, your family can name an endowment fund in honor or memory of a family member, a beloved professor or other individual or group. The fund may be created for a variety of educational and student life purposes at William & Mary. Such a gift would provide funding for all time coming.

Our family first visited William & Mary after our son Brandon was admitted and he was deciding which college to attend. We are from California and did not know much about the school besides the reputation of its academic departments and the availability of the W&M Washington Center. The school immediately stood out from the others we toured, not just because of the beautiful campus, but because of the students on campus. We had more than one student stop us before and after our tour to ask us if we needed help finding something or had questions about the school. My son was impressed that unlike other schools, the students seemed to walk together in pairs or groups and talked to each other as they made their way to where they were going. When he chose William & Mary, we were hopeful that this would be the right place for him to be for the next 4 years.

As Brandon started his first semester, my husband and I attended Convocation - and were overwhelmed with the tradition and enthusiasm of the students welcoming new students to the Tribe. We were confident that he was at the right place as we left him to start this new part of his life 2,655 miles from home.

Brandon has benefited tremendously from the community and opportunities at W&M. He interned in Washington, D.C. for 3 summers, established friendships within clubs and groups and held leadership positions in various organizations. He has found support when he has needed it from the administration and the TutorZone, and has built relationships with professors inside and outside of his major. We have been impressed with the commitment of William & Mary to support freedom of expression and an open exchange of ideas - helping to shape generations who can question ideas and possess the ability to take part in civil discourse.

We have committed to supporting the William & Mary programs that help students succeed in their studies and their lives. We strongly believe the school is shaping the lives of the students who attend by giving them the opportunity to learn and grow through their challenges and success.

As your student begins the final year of this part of their life journey, we hope you will consider a special gift to William & Mary in your student’s honor for their senior year.

Jennifer DeRosa P ’26 and Christopher DeRosa P ‘26
Class of 2026 Representatives, Parent & Family Council

Don't miss this chance to leave a legacy and make a lasting impact!

Your student's friends, memories and academic success will be with them for a lifetime and, with your gift, you can make sure that their legacy at W&M will lead the way for other students who follow in their footsteps.

Please make your Senior Family Gift today! Thank you for your support.

For more information, please contact the W&M Parent & Family Giving staff.