In the years since her retirement as Executive Director of Alumni Relations at RMC, Susan Donavant and her husband Mike have developed a routine of swimming at the Brock Sports and Recreation Center three mornings each week. During the summer session in 2023, they first met Anna O’Sullivan ‘25 at the check-in desk. 

“Her personality just drew us in,” said Mike. “She had never met us before, and we had never met her, and she was just very open to having a conversation before we went to the pool.”

Conversations with Anna quickly became a part of the Donavants’ routine and the bond between them grew. The couple was impressed by Anna’s work ethic; she worked two other jobs on campus all while taking on a double major in Communication Studies and Business. For Anna, who is from Colonial Beach, Va., the Donavants felt like a second family.

One morning, after Susan and Mike shared that they had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, Anna had an anniversary card and a gift certificate waiting for them—a small but touching gesture of an intergenerational friendship.

The Donavants felt a desire to return the favor and honor the upcoming graduation of the young woman they’d become close to, who had told them “Randolph-Macon is in my veins.” Their solution was a profound gift that will impact students for years to come: a fully endowed scholarship in Anna’s name.

“She brought so much joy to our lives and that’s something that we’re so appreciative of,” Mike reflected.

The Donavants paid a surprise visit to the Brock Center, unknowingly on Anna’s birthday, to inform her of the gift and ask permission for the use of her name, which she immediately and graciously granted.

“Their heart is so big, and you can see it,” Anna said. “It’s a huge honor to be thought of like that and to be loved like that.”