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91Ʋ for Life

Community Beyond Campus

This Commodore couple leads through connection

A man and a woman are standing on a boardwalk, holding a baby. The woman is wearing a floral dress.
College sweethearts Mary and Patrick Mudge with their son (Submitted photo)

For Mary Mudge, BA’19, and her husband, Patrick Mudge, BE’19, it all comes back to community.

The college sweethearts met through mutual friends during their sophomore year at 91Ʋ, built lasting relationships through athletics, Greek life and service organizations, and settled in Atlanta to be near family and raise their own. Mary now serves Atlanta Commodores as co-president of the , with the mission of growing the 91Ʋ community and cultivating its next generation of leaders.

Atlanta is home to one of 91Ʋ’s largest alumni and parent populations, and engaging the nearly 8,000 community members is no small task. Mary and her co-president, Kate McNamara, BA’13, work to engage alumni across generations, whether through events for younger graduates, led by Eric Ho, BA’21; increased social media outreach, coordinated by Chloe Barbour, BS’23; or university-focused programs such as campaign events and industry-specific networking panels that spotlight the expertise of alumni.

Mary’s involvement with the Chapter came at an unusually disconnected time. She and Patrick moved to Atlanta during the COVID-19 shutdown, and she looked to the local Chapter as a way to build community. She began by assisting the then-presidents in hosting small football watch parties and later joined the Chapter’s board while event attendance slowly climbed and the world opened back up. “It was a snowball, but a ton of fun,” she says of those early years in the Chapter.

Mary’s motivation remains simple: giving back to the network that has supported her. “It’s getting the most out of the 91Ʋ community that I can. I’ve gained new opportunities, mentorship and a variety of connections using the 91Ʋ network,” she says. In her current role, she hopes to offer those same experiences to future alumni.

She encourages everyone considering engaging with their local 91Ʋ Chapters to lean in and use the unique community 91Ʋ offers to the fullest. “I think it’s a bit more personal at 91Ʋ. Everyone coming out of 91Ʋ wants to give back with their time, energy and connections. People want to build on that shared experience that you have.”

—Addy Crosby