Belong, Believe, Be Better

Many college students enter their first year with a long, long to-do list of interests and passions. Boris Nakashyan (Col ’26) was no exception—a lover of escape rooms and puzzles, interested in medicine but also in commerce, unafraid to dabble in administration or in business, and, of course, wanting to spend time outdoors.

Boris moved to Harrisonburg from Uzbekistan with his family when he was 11, and his acceptance into UVA made him the first to attend college in the United States. But their joy was countered by a difficult question: “how are we going to pay for this?” Wanting to avoid burdening his parents, he immediately started doing research on financial aid and found an award exclusive to Harrisonburg residents: the Shannon D. Hollen Scholarship.

Next came the essay writing, and introspection came easy to Boris because he resonated with the scholarship donor’s mission to “pursue his passions vigorously.” “Write in a way that makes it sound like you’re in the room,” Boris advises. “Talk about yourself—you’re your biggest supporter!” On April 5, his work paid off in the form of a phone call from the Alumni Association telling him he got the award.

Boris has since had the chance to meet Shannon Hollen in person and thank him for having such an incredible impact on his life. Belonging means reconnecting with “the people who knew you when,” but it also means feeling safe enough to pursue your dreams. And through Boris’ custom-made Medicine & Entrepreneurship major, his service on his Class Council and as a Resident Advisor, and securing an $8,000 Jefferson Trust grant, he has made his mark on Grounds and beyond.

One could be forgiven for thinking that an organization like an Alumni Association serves solely alumni. But the UVA Alumni Association is just as dedicated to supporting current students during their time on Grounds, and a single event at Alumni Hall early in Alex Thorpe’s (Col ’23) first semester turned into four years of friendships, connections, and unforgettable memories.

Alex applied to other schools, but none resonated with her the way that UVA did. She immediately felt at home upon visiting Grounds and was energized by the activity that surrounded her. Attending First Year Formal put the Alumni Association on her radar, after she initially thought they didn’t have offerings for students. Through Study Breaks, WahooWatch Parties, and especially the monthly Bingo Nights, she was committed to experiencing everything Grounds had to offer.

In no time at all, Alex was getting her friends involved, sparking an all-around Bingo addiction. “I could miss a study hall here and there, because I could study any time. But like Bingo was like, ‘I needed to go to Bingo,’ and that was the same reaction that my friends had too.”

Beyond the fun of winning a prize or filling out a bingo pattern, it was the desire to be involved that kept Alex and her friends attending. And her regular attendance paid off—Alex won an award in her last semester for attending the most Bingo Nights of any student that year! Events supported by the Annual Fund helped alumni like Alex connect with UVA and provide a place for first-years to feel welcome as they transition to college life.

While touring Grounds, Sophia Liao (Col ’23) was struck by UVA’s philosophy of student self-governance. She joined her First Year Class Council so she could get to know her new home, and the freedom afforded to Sophia and her classmates meant there was often no limit to what they could bring to life for fellow students.

“That’s really what inspired me to want to lean in and try using the Class Council as a resource to support the friends I was starting to meet,” she says, which become even more relevant during and after COVID’s effects on normal schooling. The task of representing her entire class was a lot of pressure—and a lot of power. But Sophia saw it as an incredible opportunity: “You were given trust by your class to go do something good, so you better show results over the next year. How did you support your class? Did you put on fun events? Did you help make UVA a good place to be?”

Sophia went on to participate in Second- and Third-Year Councils and Fourth Year Trustees, and now works for McKinsey and Company as a business analyst after walking the Lawn. She keeps UVA close through her involvement in Post-Graduate Trustees and the McIntire Young Alumni Council and in her friendships with fellow Hoos.

For alumni like Sophia, having a touch point to UVA, whether it’s in the form of resources, staying informed, or having a community to turn to, is what helps keep the spirit of UVA alive.