A dream fulfilled: Three members of UVA’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies’ community inducted into the Raven Society
At the University of Virginia, few honors carry the weight of the Raven Society. Founded in 1904 to honor alum Edgar Allan Poe, it stands as the oldest and most prestigious society on Grounds; the Society recognizes those who show "excellence in scholarship, leadership, service to the University, and... definite promise of intellectual attainment."
This year's inductees include three extraordinary members of the UVA School of Continuing and Professional Studies community. Their journeys to this distinction couldn't be more different or more inspiring as they embody the grit and determination that pulse through SCPS.
Maureen Leahey: SCPS bachelor's completion student and Sentara auditor
Maureen Leahey had dreamed of UVA for years. A devoted Cavalier fan, she discovered the School's fully online program at a turning point in her life. As a single mother working as a compliance coding auditor for Sentara, she'd walked away from higher education years earlier after escaping a domestic violence situation. She knew she needed a credible institution to consolidate her credits, but doubt about managing it all crept in.
"That was my biggest concern," Leahey shared. "How do I juggle working full-time, taking care of my daughter, and then also balancing school, and not, you know, bombing?"
Yet she thrived. Leahey maintained a near-4.0 GPA and credits SCPS with helping her "regain my confidence and strength just by doing the work and acknowledging that I actually am very smart."
Early on, she caught wind of a "top secret" honorary society: the Raven Society. When the call finally came informing Leahey that she had been accepted, she could barely process it.
"Ultimately, it's a tremendous honor to be recognized," she says. "When you go through a situation like [domestic violence], it doesn't define you. It is possible to heal, recover and become stronger.”
Michael Duffy: UVA facilities manager and Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree student
Michael Duffy lives and breathes UVA. He serves as the transportation operations and fleet manager for UVA Facilities Management; this 35-year veteran of fleet management (and nine-year veteran at UVA!) considers each day a "luxury." "I tell people," Duffy laughs, "going to work is like going to the amusement park. I love what I do."
Six years ago, while collaborating with UVA professor Brian Park and his fourth-year engineering students on a fleet-related project, something clicked for Duffy. Even though he wasn’t yet enrolled as a student, "it was in the classroom there that I realized that I could do the work," he recalls. He had started and abandoned the pursuit of his bachelor’s degree multiple times throughout his career. Then the University's EDGE program gave him the push he needed.
The Raven Society induction leaves him struggling for words. It's "humbling" and "surreal," and it's bigger than him. In a sense, he’s receiving inspiration from his family. "Both of my children - my sons, Brian and Stephen - and my wife, Karen, have all walked the Lawn" as UVA graduates, Duffy shares, his voice catching. “This is an incredible honor for me, and I hope that I can inspire my peers to pursue their education”
Tori Hobgood: Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies graduate and School of Continuing and Professional Studies Advisory Board chair
Tori Hobgood has poured herself into SCPS since graduating in 2013. She has mentored countless prospective students and now as chair of the School's Advisory Board, has lent her time and insight to shaping the school's direction. But one thing haunted her.
When she was a student at the School, she'd received an invitation to join the Raven Society. Buried under the chaos of "managing finals... launching companies, contracts, and meetings," Hobgood mistook the email for spam and deleted it.
"When I found out what I missed out on, it was one of those things that was the only bad part about my graduation," Hobgood admits. "I saw the white stoles, and I understood what that meant. It had always been something that was my biggest regret."
Then, last October, her phone rang. The news of her acceptance into the Raven Society hit her hard. "I literally started crying," Hobgood says. The door she'd accidentally slammed shut had opened again.
"It is literally a dream come true," she says. "It is the only thing that will complete my utter joy and happiness about being a graduate of UVA; now I can call myself a Raven."