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A Little Help Goes a Long Way
A Little Help Goes a Long Way
A native of Richmond, Virginia, with a daughter currently on Grounds and many UVA alumni family members and friends, Dory Clark was no stranger to Charlottesville or the University of Virginia. But being familiar with the school and the city isn’t necessarily the same thing as feeling a part of the community. When she received an invitation to join the Parents Leadership Council—which connects families through engagement with the University and philanthropic activities that advance its mission—she felt more at home.
It was through this involvement that Dory and her husband, Chad, first heard about the Cavalier Fund. The fund provides grants of up to $1,000 per academic year to UVA students to support their participation in co-curricular activities that supplement the University’s academic programs. Students apply for help to cover costs like dues for student organizations, participation in UVA Recreation or community service activities, entrance fees for arts and cultural experiences, and travel to attend conferences and other events.
The couple recalled the importance of their own college experiences that extended beyond the classroom, including participation in club sports and other activities that helped them build a community of their own. Supporting the student experience at UVA by creating the Clark Family Cavalier Fund seemed like a perfect way to expand those kinds of opportunities to a new generation of undergraduates.
“These are such a formative four years, and they go by in a flash. All of the things students have access to outside of the classroom—the opportunities, the people they meet in different organizations and connect with—affect their outlook on the world,” Dory said. “Our hope is that by removing barriers and ensuring access to all students, these organizations are representative of the whole student community.”
These are just a few of the many students who have benefited from the Cavalier Fund and the Clark family’s support of the student experience at UVA:
Leah Germain
An environmental science major from a small town outside of Roanoke, Virginia, Leah Germain (Col ’25) wasn’t sure there would be adequate job opportunities for her there after graduation—she knew she would need to travel to find the jobs she most wanted. When she was offered the chance to attend an invitation-only networking and hiring event with AECOM, an Austin, Texas-based global infrastructure consulting firm that provides architecture, engineering, and construction management services, she knew it was a great opportunity but didn’t know how she’d pay for the flight and hotel accommodations.
A grant from the Cavalier Fund allowed Germain to attend the event and show the prospective employer all she had learned at the University and what she could bring to the company.
“I was able to network with the hiring and management staff of AECOM as well as conduct an interview with them the following day,” she said. “While I was there, I also had time to explore the city of Austin—I was able to see the capitol building, walk along the Colorado River, and explore the campus of the University of Texas.”
A month after her return she sent a message to the Cavalier Fund staff to tell them she would be starting a job as an environmental scientist for AECOM. “I wouldn't have even gone to this event if it hadn't been for the Cavalier Fund helping me out, so I just wanted to thank you again,” she wrote. “Looks like I'm moving to Austin!”
In order to continue to attract the very best students, and to prepare and inspire them to live their best lives, we must offer them an unparalleled experience while on Grounds.
– President James E. Ryan
Maxwell Mitchell
Maxwell Mitchell (Col ’25) became interested in music production in high school when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented his band from performing. During his first year at UVA, the guitar player and vocalist started another band, Krispies, whose “funk-pop-rock-folk” sound has been entertaining audiences in the Charlottesville area for the last several years.
As a student in the Department of Music, he was able to pursue his interest in production and was invited by his professor, percussionist JoVia Armstrong, to travel to Detroit and spend time with her band, Eunoia Society, while they recorded an album during winter break in 2024. The Cavalier Fund helped pay for his trip.
In Detroit, Mitchell sat in the booth with the producer and audio engineer for three days while Armstrong and her band were in the recording studio. The spontaneity and collaboration Mitchell witnessed as Eunoia Society created their songs was different than anything he had experienced before, and being able to observe from the booth strengthened his interest in music production.
“What I found was that this is something that I'm really passionate about,” he said. “This is something I believe I'm really good at and can pursue full time as a career. It's pretty crucial to have that philanthropy for students like me who want to pursue the arts. I’m grateful that donors are willing and able to give the money that they do.”
UVA has so much to offer, and there are so many things that you can do, but finances can be a huge burden for a lot of students.
– Melissa Vinh
Melissa Vinh
A rising third-year, Melissa Vinh (Arch ’27) wanted to get more involved in University life. Her older brother, Justin (Engr ’25), who was active in the C4 Initiative at UVA—a group of peer mentors that works to ensure that students find their place and build lasting friendships across Grounds—mentioned the Cavalier Fund. As someone who loves meeting and talking to new people and hearing their stories, she wanted to join the Delta Zeta sorority in her second year, and the Cavalier Fund alleviated the worry that came with paying the annual membership dues.
“UVA has so much to offer, and there are so many things that you can do, but finances can be a huge burden for a lot of students. The Cavalier Fund is a really great thing,” Vinh said.
The sorority’s focus on leadership and service were of particular interest to Vinh, who did a lot of community service when she was younger, and she successfully applied to be a chair for community service in the Inter-Sorority Council’s new Emerging Greek Leaders program.
“We work with people from different sororities,” she explained, “and we’ve talked about how to get people more involved in community service or sustainability. I'm excited to start thinking about my own vision for this.”