More and more, our space is becoming a place. That’s what comes to mind as I write on a Friday afternoon with students gathering for small groups, studying in the new Reading Room, chatting with one of our resident Grounds ministers on the front patio, and generally hanging out in the building. Of course, I’m thinking of what Andy Crouch said at the Study Center’s Grand Celebration in April: what makes a space a place is dwelling or presence. There are certainly a lot more students around here!
Some of the credit for the increased student presence definitely goes to the Study Center’s Foundations Week program. The new manager for both Foundations Week and Emmaus Fellows, Mary Allison Anderson, wrote a brief update about our latest cohort of Foundations Week students for this newsletter. I can add that the thirty first years who participated (and all their first-year friends) are definitely making the Study Center their home away from home. I just walked past one whose biology project is spread out on the floor in the library. I love it.
With so much more room and so many more students, we’re also committed to bringing on additional staff so that we can do more ministry. I mentioned Mary Allison, but we’ve also added Carrie and William as ministry interns, and Lydia Mathas (yes, another Lydia!) as director of operations. And we’ve welcomed a new hospitality manager (with a sad farewell to Hannah Fritzeen). You can read more about each of our new arrivals in the coming pages.
We hope, in even more ways, to increase the number of students in our building, the presence of ministry staff to care for them, and the strength of a distinctively Christian witness on Grounds. I’ll look forward to sharing more about that in the months to come. Of course, the purpose (and ground!) of any increased presence we may have is the Presence of the one who holds us. May he enable us to welcome many into his Presence even as Christ has welcomed us!
YOURS IN OUR LORD,
Bill Wilder Executive Director
BILL WILDER
Executive Director
FITZ GREEN
A Dwelling Place STAFF
Senior Director for Education & Programming
MARY ALLISON ANDERSON Foundations Week & Emmaus Fellows Manager
SAGE BESSERT Hospitality Manager
KATIE BLACK Director of Undergraduate Ministries
RICK CAMPANELLI Director of Graduate Ministries
STUART HORNSBY Director of Development & Parent and Alumni Relations
WILLIAM KUEBLER Ministry Intern
LYDIA MARLIN Communications & Project Manager
DREW MASTERSON Director of Undergraduate Ministries
LYDIA MATHAS Director of Operations
JAN MATHEWS
Administrative Assistant
TRISH OWEN Librarian
DEBBIE RODRIGUEZ Director of Finance
CARRIE ROTH Ministry Intern
DANIELLE WILCOX Advisor for Strategy & Advancement
Phone: (434) 817-1050
Email: info@studycenter.net
Website: www.studycenter.net
EIN: 51-0192618
Find us on social media: @studycenterUVA
Community from the Start
Move-In Day Lunch at the Study Center
BY SAGE BESSERT
In August the Study Center hosted one of its largest Move-In Day Lunch events yet, welcoming over 150 students and parents. As someone new to Charlottesville and UVA, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was immediately encouraged by how quickly a sense of belonging took shape. The house was full of laughter and easy conversation and I could see students discovering a sense of community before the semester even began.
I especially enjoyed stepping outside after the meal and watching students connect with leaders from ministries across Grounds. It was so meaningful for them to meet people who will walk alongside them in their faith. I left the day deeply grateful for the opportunity to welcome new students and also for the chance to experience that same warmth myself. This Move-In Day Lunch reminded me of God’s kindness in creating community right from the start.
We asked...
What has been the most meaningful part of your time at the Study Center?
Farewell to Hannah
BY KATIE BLACK
It is hard to describe just how deeply Hannah has touched the lives of so many at the Study Center. I have a memory of her trying to find a way to get work done when her office was in the front room. We talked a lot that semester about closing the doors when she needed to focus on something. But every time I walked past her office it was filled with students, sometimes doing their own work, but mostly talking to her because they were drawn to the space where she was. When students see Hannah they know that they can expect a big hug and a listening ear. There’s a reason why so many considered Hannah their “mom away from home.”
Over the last four years, Hannah has filled the Study Center with laughter, love, and an unbelievable amount of baked goods and kale salads. She modeled for everyone—students and staff alike—what it means to welcome the stranger and to be interruptible. We are forever grateful for the ways that Hannah has shaped the ministry here.
“The residential program. When I was a lonely first-year, a group of residents welcomed me into their nightly discussions in the living room. When I became a resident myself, I entered a transformative community. I found brothers in Christ: friends with whom I cooked, studied, and played—but who also joined together to wage war against the evil that plagues us all. I know these relationships will last a lifetime.”
–JOHN BERBERIAN JR.
’26
First-year students finding community at Move-in Day Lunch
Hannah (back center) with some of her intern team
LYDIA MARLIN
1,050
Study Spaces Coffee cups of coffee served per week
98 before expansion
A HubFlourishing for Gospel Ministry
BY LYDIA MARLIN
220 after expansion
WITH GREAT JOY we’ve watched the Lord expand our capacity for ministry this past year. More students than ever now fill every corner of the building. Each semester our events have grown, and we have seen the Lord faithfully at work through the resources entrusted to us.
One of our core values is to promote Christian formation in unity with other Grounds ministries. So we’ve been especially encouraged to see that room reservations from Grounds ministries have more than tripled since the expansion. What a gift to partner with them to bring the gospel to even more students and watch the Study Center serve as a vibrant hub of Christian life and outreach at UVA.
Our daily rhythms of hospitality have also multiplied: we now make and serve over 1,000 cups of coffee each day and provide more study space than ever before. At any given time, you might find an RUF small group gathered in the nook, students hosting a birthday party in the kitchen, residents joining in evening prayer downstairs, or a Young Life worship night in the Great Room. It is a delight to open our doors to neighboring ministries, students, and our community—and to see this place become their home too.
Room Requests
Awaiting the Dawn: Foundations Week 2025
BY MARY ALLISON ANDERSON
Exam Snacks
The week before classes we hosted 30 incoming first-year students for Foundations Week, a four-day adventure across multiple locations. This was our largest cohort of students yet and we are excited to pray about how to grow this program to be even larger.
On a sunrise hike at Humpback Rocks, as the sun broke through the blanket of fog on the mountains, we meditated together on the resurrection of Jesus. I saw the beauty of this death-to-life pattern as it’s being written in these students’ lives. The week helped me remember what it felt like to be eighteen: anxious to leave home, urgently wanting to make true friends, and doubting I would ever find my place among so much newness. Yet God graciously reminded me of his faithfulness in these students’ joy: from the fun of kitchen dance parties to the contented quiet moments over shared meals and watercolors.
While they clamber in the dark through the death of one season, they await the dawn of God’s good purposes for this next chapter of their lives—something they hopefully witnessed this week. We are honored and blessed to witness it alongside them.
Welcoming Five New Team Members
MARY ALLISON ANDERSON
Foundations Week and Emmaus Fellows Manager
For Mary Allison, growing in faith has meant discovering the larger story that God is writing with her life and helping others find their place in that redemptive story. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, she graduated from Auburn University with a degree in history and English before moving to Charlottesville as a 2022-23 Trinity Fellow and research assistant for UVA economics professor Ken Elzinga. In 2023 Mary Allison joined the Blue Ridge Center as associate director. Now at the Study Center, she delights in mentoring students and reorienting their focus toward God and his promises. Outside of the office, you can find Mary Allison playing soccer or bass guitar, writing a poem, or taste-testing chocolate chip cookies.
SAGE BESSERT
Hospitality Manager
Originally from Peoria, Illinois, Sage moved south to attend Clemson University, where she studied psychology and human resources. During her time in South Carolina, both at Clemson and after graduation, Sage developed a love for tending not only to what people do but also to who they’re becoming. After college, she started a Young Lives ministry in Anderson County and worked for two nonprofits teaching underserved
youth life skills and personal development: GirlUp Greenville and Mill Village. Now calling Charlottesville home, Sage is already building relationships and creating environments where people feel known, valued, and encouraged to grow. She finds energy in a good workout class and time outside with friends.
WILLIAM KUEBLER
Ministry Intern
Blessed by his time in the Residential Scholars Program at the Study Center, William felt called to give back to its mission through the internship after graduation. He is especially excited to help lead a small group on Friday and be part of planning lectures. William graduated from UVA in 2025 with a BA in government and a minor in astronomy. During his time in college he was an avid musician: singing with choirs, leading worship, and taking piano lessons. William is passionate about a variety of things from music to theology, sports, and even trains. He also enjoys golfing and spending quality time with friends.
CARRIE ROTH
Ministry Intern
Carrie was drawn to our Ministry Internship by the opportunity to build upon her gifts and experiences in ministry and education. She is passionate about walking with students as they
grow holistically in their faith, especially during challenging seasons. A 2024 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carrie earned a bachelor’s degree in human development and family science with a minor in English. During her time at UNC, she participated in the North Carolina Study Center and completed a Certificate in Christian Study. Carrie finds joy in thoughtful, spirited conversations and, in her free time, enjoys hiking, running, gardening, and reading.
LYDIA MATHAS Director of Operations
Lydia is excited to draw upon her professional and personal experiences to make an impact in the university setting. After playing soccer for Kalamazoo College and graduating with a degree in economics, Lydia earned a JD from the University of Michigan. She began her legal career in private practice in Chicago and went on to work in-house for two public companies, focusing on securities, corporate governance and HR, before taking a break to focus on her family and volunteer commitments. Her family relocated to Charlottesville in 2025 after feeling called specifically to the UVA community. Lydia, her husband Kurt and their three children love life in a college town and the opportunities to explore the mountains and local trails.
Left to right: Mary Allison, Sage, William, Carrie, Lydia
A Taste of Grace
FDOC Snacks at the Study Center
BY CARRIE ROTH
EACH FIRST DAY OF CLASS (or FDOC), students know there will be dinner waiting for them at the Study Center. When I started working at the Study Center in June, the summer quiet made it hard to imagine large events in the building. Would more than two hundred students even fit? A fellow staff member would always smile and say, “Just you wait.”
The wait was worth it. Before the start of the event, the food line snaked all the way down the street to the bank; yet 265 students got their fill of crispy chicken sandwiches. Even more impressive than the abundance of food was how well the space accommodated everyone.
In addition to the first years I had already met during Foundations Week, I saw residents, Grounds ministers, and hundreds of other smiling students fill every corner—all ready to celebrate
At the Center of it All BY
the start of a new school year. Even Cavman joined us!
As I helped restock food, I felt proud to be part of the team of student interns serving their peers with a smile. And I loved watching upperclassmen and first years make connections. Similar to how Jesus helped people encounter his generosity, the provision of food and space at the Study Center allows more students to encounter Christ. All of our events help students discover programming here. But even for those who don’t return for small groups and lectures, the hospitality does its work.
Students feel constant pressure to perform, so spaces like the Study Center allow them to relax and simply be cared for. Our prayer is that through the ups and downs of this semester, the hospitality here reflects the love and grace of Christ, whose favor is unmerited.
LYDIA MARLIN
The crucified and resurrected Lord is at the center of our ministry. The gospel story of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation is the story we are written into and the story we witness all around us at the Study Center. In our recent building expansion, we added a special element to the east wall of the Great Room: an Armenian cross-stone, or khachkar. This khachkar was commissioned and gifted to us by a special friend of the ministry. It was sculpted in Yerevan, Armenia, by the artist Varazdat Hambardzumyan, and shipped to Charlottesville in spring 2024. Khachkars began to appear in Armenia in the ninth century. The design of our khachkar is a copy of one found in Julfa, formerly Armenian land that is now part of the Republic of Azerbaijan—where thousands of khachkars are being destroyed because of political and religious conflict. This khachkar is typical of medieval Christian Armenian art. It features a snake with a broken back—commonly used to represent the triumph of the cross over sin—above a large orb representing the universe. In the four corners of the cross we can see symbols of the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And in the top panel, the resurrected Christ is depicted with his right hand supporting the Church.
What a gift—that the central motif of our mission is etched in stone and built into the very walls of our new building. The inscription at the bottom of the khachkar is Romans 10:9: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
BRITTANY FAN (3)
Center for Christian Study
128 Chancellor Street
Charlottesville, VA 22903
www.studycenter.net
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Mark Your Calendar
FAMILY WEEKEND RECEPTION
November 8
LECTURE with Michael Bird
November 10
EXAM SNACKS
December 11-18
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Move-In Day Lunch 2025
Consortium of Christian Study Centers’ 2025 Annual Meeting
