Our Crowdfunding Groups
The entire Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership Corps of Cadets would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to each and every donor who gave to the VWIL 20th Anniversary Fund. Your gifts mean so much to our students. Here is a snapshot of just what influence your generosity has here at Mary Baldwin. THANK YOU!
First Captain Lonergan and Cadet Captain Munn had a few personal thank you messages to send out after wrapping up our VWIL 20th Anniversary crowdfunding campaign. Thanks to everyone for their support!
We are so grateful for your support throughout this special campaign. It has been so successful so far, and we owe that success to you. Thank you not only for contributing, but also for sharing our updates with your family and friends to encourage an even wider network of support.
Karen and Katherine wanted to share a brief message for the final hours of the VWIL 20th Anniversary crowdfunding project. We hope you will spread the word so these last few hours can be some of the strongest of the entire campaign!
Your gifts have a powerful reach, touching every corner of Mary Baldwin. Here are a few examples of what your generosity can accomplish:
Please share this update, and let's see what we can raise in the final hours! Thank you for your dedication and your generosity.
Cadet Captain Dominique Munn helped us celebrate the continuing success of the VWIL 20th Anniversary crowdfunding project with a special thank you message to Class Congress Chair Level donors Sherri Sharpe Herzberg '99, and retired Colonel Melissa Patrick '78.
Thank you to all of our supporters! You have really come together to make this effort a true inspiration. Our cadets are deeply grateful for your generosity.
All VWIL alumnae are cordially invited to celebrate VWIL’s 20th Anniversary during Reunion, April 22nd and 23rd. Each member of our Mary Baldwin community has contributed to the success of this leadership program and our cadets. Please join us for the following events:
VWIL Parade, Friday April 22nd, 3:30 p.m.: PAC Parade Field (Rain Location: Basketball Courts). President Emerita Cynthia Haldenby Tyson is our keynote speaker, a military flyover is pending, national media have been invited to help us capture this historic event, we'll announce scholarships and grants, recognize courageous contributors to VWIL's success, and of course watch the Corps of Cadets’ precision marching. Cost: Free, RSVP not necessary, Attire: casual.
Military Ball, Friday April 22nd, 7 p.m.: Hunt Dining Hall. This will be a tremendous night to remember. We’ll begin with a military receiving line, national anthem, video tribute to 20 years of VWIL and the Corps of Cadets, military band and dancing, heavy hors d’oeuvres, coffee bar, and much more. Cost: $15/person, RSVP: vwil@mbc.edu or call 540-887-7042. Attire: formal.
Brenda Bryant 5K/1M, Saturday April 23rd, 8 a.m.: The 4th Annual Brenda Bryant 5K or 1M Run/Walk, location: Brenda Bryant Wellness Trail at Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences. Cost: $20/person (no charge if you want to run and not receive a race shirt), RSVP: complete race application, email vwil@mbc.edu, or call 540-887-7042. Attire: casual.
We look forward to welcoming many of you back to campus!
While Karen was on campus last Friday, she stopped to film a short video to help keep up the momentum for this amazing fundraising effort. In it, she addresses completing the challenge she and fellow classmates issued and what the generosity from donors like you accomplishes at Mary Baldwin.
Thanks for your support. Please share this update with your friends on social media so that we can keep the energy up in the campaign's final days for a strong finish, making an even greater impact at Mary Baldwin!
Hi, I'm Kristy Wheeler Tannehill, VWIL Class of 2001. I earned my degree in business management and now I'm a special agent with the Air Force, a Military Reserve Officer, and an entrepreneur. I want to thank everyone who has supported the VWIL 20th Anniversary Fund so far. As next week's celebration approaches, it is so inspiring to see the support this project has received. Let's keep up that momentum to finish strong!
Supporting VWIL means helping a program that cultivates strong female leaders who make a positive difference in their communities and chosen careers.
VWIL's challenging leadership program taught me self-discipline and strength of character at an early age. Beyond graduation, my VWIL experience encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and allowed me to develop my own leadership style which had a direct impact on a few of my life accomplishments, including being awarded the Bronze Star Medal for my military tour in Iraq, running a successful skincare business, finishing two master’s degrees, obtaining a Master Esthetics license, and completing Federal Law Enforcement Training. Twelve years after graduating, I completed my first 26.2 mile marathon and attribute that success to the many VWIL physical training sessions — there were too many to count! I am truly humbled to have been a part of this premier leadership development program and the only all-female cadet corps in the nation.
The forever bond l share with my VWIL sisters is perhaps what I cherish the most and I thank God for allowing me to be a part of such an incredible and meaningful program with an amazing group of mentors and leaders.
Again, thank you for your support. I can't wait to see what we accomplish together!
Hi, I’m Joyce Campbell, and I’m a Lieutenant in the VWIL Corps of Cadets. I will be graduating this year with a major in philosophy and religious studies and minors in peacebuilding and conflict resolution, and leadership studies. I also work for the Mary Baldwin Phonathon and get the opportunity to speak with alumnae often.
Right now I’m working on my thesis, which examines the role of women in Islam. After graduation, I hope to continue my studies and become a nurse midwife and women's health practitioner.
Thank you for your support. Mary Baldwin alumnae inspire us, and your contributions enable us to achieve our goals. I love that Mary Baldwin empowers women and really pushes us to be all that we can be. I am proud to be a student here because so many strong women have gone before us. They all walked these halls, and whenever I speak with alumnae and they share their experiences with me, everything that I have experienced here comes full circle.
VWIL stresses unity, not only for our sister nULLs, but for the entire Corps. We are all connected, and together, we can accomplish amazing tasks. Thanks for moving us closer to our goal for the VWIL 20th Anniversary Fund!
We are so grateful for everyone's gifts in honor of VWIL's 20th Anniversary! First Captain Lonergan filmed a special message to our leading donors, and we wanted to share it with this supportive community.
You are all making such a difference at Mary Baldwin. Together you have exceeded the fundraising goal already, and we are thankful for this wonderful show of support.
Cadet Captain Dominique Munn, VWIL's Class Congress Chair, says thank you.
Hi, I’m Hailey Caton, and I’m a sophomore at Mary Baldwin College. I’m a mathematics major and I hold a Corporal rank in the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership (VWIL).
I wanted to take a minute to send my thanks. Because of your support, I have access to wonderful opportunities. Through VWIL I’m gaining valuable ROTC experience and vital leadership skills. I’ve enjoyed many unique experiences, including marching in the Washington, DC St. Patrick’s Day Parade, where we won best marching unit. I really love that through this program, I gained 49 sisters. I have grown incredibly close with my sister nULLs and know that we are there to support each other anytime. Thank you for helping make these experiences possible for me. Without your support, Mary Baldwin wouldn’t be the amazing place it is.
Your gifts in honor of VWIL’s 20th Anniversary have supported not only me, but all Mary Baldwin students as they pursue their goals. I hope you will share this update and encourage others to give, knowing that it doesn’t go unappreciated. Thank you!
Named in honor of our first-year cadets, this level is an important part of our campaign. nULL gifts represent the teamwork and camaraderie that develops upon entry into the VWIL program. Together, you make a difference! All donors at this level will receive a personal thank you call from a nULL .
Cadet gifts represent the nULLs successfully training and completing their Rites of Passage. Gifts at this level show a firm commitment to VWIL and the Corps of Cadets. All donors at this level will receive a VWIL sticker and a personal thank you call from a VWIL cadet.
You are stepping up and taking charge. During corporal year, VWIL cadets are responsible for the conduct, training, accountability, and appearance of the nULLs in their squad. All donors at this level will receive a VWIL coffee mug.
A leader in your community, you are a thoughtful donor who wants to make an impact, just like our VWIL Sergeants who ensure their platoons are properly trained for all drills and parades. All donors at this level will receive a VWIL garden flag.
Peers entrust the Class Congress Chair with overseeing the class system and class privileges while ensuring good order and morale of the Corps. Class Congress Chair donors will have a major impact on the entire student body. Just as VWIL class chairs serve as role models, so do our donors! They will receive a VWIL license plate frame and a thank you video from the VWIL Class Congress Chair that will be posted online.
The First Captain is responsible for the training, supply, discipline, accountability, internal administration, and formation of the entire VWIL Cadet Corps. Not only does the First Captain represent the integrity of VWIL, she is also a global leader, proving that strong women can exercise far-reaching influence. Donors at the First Captain level lead the way in helping us reach our $7,500 goal. They will receive a VWIL fleece and a thank you video from the VWIL First Captain that will be posted online.
