Belena Stuart '08

Majors: Asian Studies, International Relations, English

Minor: Leadership Studies

Hometown: Floyd County, Virginia

Activities and honors: Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership (VWIL), Drum Major Sergeant; Student Government Association (vice president, Senate president); Peer Mentor; Asian Studies Student of the Year Award, Omicron Delta Kappa

Career ambitions: I would like to join the Air Force in the intelligence field.

What do you like best about Mary Baldwin? The diversity. Everyone is so different, but we come together to create an involved campus community.

What’s your favorite MBC tradition? Opening Convocation. I really love the way that new freshmen are welcomed into the school by student leaders and the administration. At the end of all the introductions and information sharing, we processed outside and formed a huge circle with over 300 people, all of us holding candles and singing the Mary Baldwin hymn in the dark. It was very moving.

How is MBC helping you reach your goals? MBC has introduced me to so many different perspectives and ideas. I know that I am going to leave here with a mind much more open to new ways of coming up with ideas and solving problems.

What advice would you give to someone considering Mary Baldwin College? If you are truly interested in developing yourself as a leader, take a look at VWIL. It demands a lot of you, but you get so much out of it — knowledge, discipline, skills, confidence, and some of the closest friendships in the world.