On a sunny autumn afternoon, University of Mary Washington students flock to a table on Campus Walk. While snacking on sandwiches and cookies donated by local businesses, they’re learning about UMW’s Talley Center for Counseling Services and contributing to an increasingly prevalent discussion about mental health on college campuses.

“We’re young adults who are on our own for the first time, and that can be a challenging transition,” said senior James Turgeon, an applied physics major who stopped by Talley Treats. Held on Thursdays throughout October – a month dedicated to mental health awareness and education with events across the globe – the initiative promotes student well-being and connection at a point in the semester that can feel overwhelming to students. “I’m glad to know these resources are here at UMW.”

The enthusiasm surrounding the event helps explain why the University earned national recognition, as #15 for Best Student Support and Counseling Services in Princeton Review’s The Best 391 Colleges guide for 2026. Read more.

The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of about 4,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Virginia, a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Virginia, which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers.