Despite a rainy and chilly morning, hundreds of fourth-year students gathered on the University of Virginia’s Lawn on Tuesday for the inaugural Fourth Year Finale, touted as a new tradition marking the last day of classes.
The event drew roughly 500 members of the Class of 2026, who assembled on the steps of the Rotunda for an aerial class photo before trekking to South Lawn for a reception featuring hot apple cider, coffee, bagels and Carpe Donuts. The first 1,500 students to check in received free Fourth Year Finale T-shirts.
The UVA Alumni Association, UVA Clubs and NextGen, the University’s young alumni giving program, sponsored the event, which was “intended to provide the Class of 2026 with a memorable moment together,” said Mary Elizabeth Luzar, senior director of student engagement at the Alumni Association.
After the group photo, South Lawn became a resource fair, connecting soon-to-be graduates with the Alumni Association, the UVA Career Center, UVA Clubs and NextGen. Students who have already made their fourth-year gifts could pick up a philanthropy cord to wear with their graduation gowns or a Class of 2026 hat, and those who hadn’t donated yet could make a contribution.
UVA Clubs, a network of more than 100 volunteer-led alumni groups spanning the globe, co-sponsored the event to remind graduates that their connection to UVA doesn’t end at Final Exercises.
A group of students smiles for a photo at the Fourth Year Finale reception, held the morning of the final day of spring classes. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)
Beth Zitzman, UVA Clubs’ associate director for signature programs, said the network provides a way to stay connected to Grounds even as the graduating class scatters across the globe. “In two weeks, the fourth-year students are going to be our newest alumni, and we wanted to make sure they know that no matter where they are going to live after graduation, there’s a UVA Club there to support them,” she said.
Among the fourth-year attendees was Robert Chen, an electrical and computer engineering student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. A transfer student from Northern Virginia Community College, Chen is finishing his second year on Grounds.
