Our Georgia Commitment: Drew and Virginia Papadapulos
Drew BBA ’16, BBA ’16 and Virginia Papadopulos BHSP ’16 first crossed paths during their junior year at the University of Georgia. In the decade since graduating, the pair have built a life together — marrying and settling in Drew’s hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. Drew works as a mortgage trader in the investment bank at Wells Fargo, while Virginia serves as a nurse at the Levine Cancer Institute. Parents to two children, Moore and Sam, the Papadopuloses continue to honor their Bulldog roots by giving back to UGA through an endowed scholarship, the Vaso K. Papadopulos Georgia Commitment Scholarship.
Where does your UGA story begin?
Virginia: My grandmother, grandfather, and dad all attended UGA for undergraduate or graduate school. I’m from Atlanta, so I grew up a Dawgs fan. I always knew I wanted to go to UGA, and it was always my No. 1 choice.
Drew: UGA wasn’t on my radar until the end of high school, but as soon as I visited the campus, I immediately loved it and knew it was the place for me.
What keeps you connected to UGA while living out of state?
V: There’s a different type of connection between two people who both went to UGA. I’ve met a lot of people in Charlotte, through work especially, who have also attended Georgia, and it automatically forms a deeper relationship.
D: We have a solid network of UGA folks in Charlotte. Since graduating, we try to get together with our college friends here and fellow alumni as much as possible, especially during football season. Getting more involved in supporting students through giving to scholarships has been another way that we have started to connect with the university.
What motivated you to support students through scholarships?
D: Education has always been important to our family. My grandmother, Vaso Papadopulos, was the head of early childhood education at Chicago State University and taught at Northwestern University prior to that. As Virginia and I began searching for a way to give back, we wanted to honor my grandmother and pay forward the great experience that we had at UGA. We want to make the same great education we received more attainable and help students graduate free of debt.
How has your view of UGA evolved since graduation?
V: As an alumna, I can see the full scope of what UGA does that I did not see as a student. For instance, as a nurse, I am excited to see UGA expand medical education to reach more people with the new UGA School of Medicine and School of Nursing.
How do scholarships bridge your legacy as alumni with your investment in future students?
V: As a third generation Bulldog, I grew up with a special appreciation for the university. Helping more people attend UGA, where they’ll get this education themselves and start their own family legacies has been really rewarding and something that we’re proud to be a part of.
What would you say to the UGA community about post-grad involvement and philanthropy?
V: I think as you’re graduating from Georgia, giving back is not something that you might think of right away. But as you settle in, you start to have more of a capacity for outreach and giving back, which has been a great way for us to stay involved with a place that we love so much.
D: UGA has given us so much, from friends and significant others to our education, so we think it’s our job to give back and help future generations of students have the same experience we did.
Want to make an impact on UGA? Join committed alumni like Drew and Virginia Papadapulos and give today.
