Among the University of Virginia’s outstanding graduates who will walk down the historic Lawn May 18, many will carry their skills and college experiences to serve in the military or to help underserved communities at home and around the globe.

The sample featured here shows students whose stories reflect the University’s top initiatives – to cultivate student leaders who are prepared to advance knowledge through research, scholarship, creative arts and innovation wherever they go.

Ray Mabus, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, will deliver the graduation address May 18. The former governor of Mississippi and ambassador to Saudi Arabia will speak on the Lawn following the traditional academic procession.

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, a five-time winner of the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player award and founder of a charitable organization that has donated more than $6.5 million in grants and programs to youth-based community organizations, will be the featured speaker at Valedictory Exercises on May 17.

Information on the University’s 185th Finals Weekend can be found here.

Profiles of the Class of 2014

• Former Marine, Teacher Plans New Career in Engineering
• Domijan Passes on Tennis Tour Riches to Serve His Country
• Mazvita Ethel Simoyi: Nursing Experience Paid Off in Medical School
• Simon Cataldo: Earning a Law Degree While Growing Harlem Program on Leadership, Lacrosse
• In Advocating for Students, Wynn Takes Inspiration from His Own Unusual Path
• Classroom Epiphany Sends Soon-to-be Curry Graduate on Journey to Zambia
• Michael Terrell: Finding His Way at the University
• Gabriella D’Agosto: Well Prepared to Lead and Discover
• Lana Hoang, Lindsey Morrison and Grace Chung: Clot-Busting Undergrad Team Gets an Education in Device Design
• Kaitlyn McQuade: Cadet, Nursing Student Develops Her Drive Via Blood Drive
• Lauren Melody Shell: U.Va. Drama Grad Shares Passion for the Magic of Special Effects
• From U.Va. to Oxford: The Intertwining Paths of Two Rhodes Scholars, Evan Berhle and Charlie Tyson
• At 70, Jerry Reid Makes the Most of Undergraduate Life
• Budding Economist Studies Car Ads by Day, Plays Jazz by Night
• U.Va. Medieval Scholar to be Commissioned as Submarine Officer
• Nursing Program Provides Rewarding New Direction for Career-Changers
• 56 Years Late, But Right on Time
• Mexican Drug Cartels, Brazilian Youth Protests Find Their Way into Dissertations
• A Blind Job Application Brings Promising Student Face to Face with Couric and Zucker
• Mandy Giampaolo Looks at Katrina's Effects Through a Different Lens
• As Artists and Teachers, Drama Grads Explore Creative Theatrical Partnerships
• After Two Decades, an African Dream Realized
• Darden Student Joins Forces With Undergrads to Push Painless Needle to Market
• Architecture Grad Travels Globe in Search of Landscapes Linked to Long Life
• Learning Whie Doing: Engineering Grad Interns While Earning a Degree
• U.Va. Rowing Captain and Batten Pioneer is a Leader in Every Sphere
• Engineering Graduate Uses Big Data to Seek Insights into Bicycle Travel Flow
• Rendas' Work While U.Va. Students is Changing Lives

Additional Coverage of Finals Weekend

• University of Virginia Ready for This Weekend’s 185th Final Exercises, May 13, 2014
• U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to Speak at U.Va. Final Exercises Nov. 14, 2013
• Peyton Manning to Give Valedictory Address During U.Va.’s Finals Weekend, Oct. 5, 2013
• Class of 2014 Lands Several Major Scholarships, Research Awards, May 13, 2014
• Basketball Team’s Sweet 16 Run Highlights U.Va.’s Outstanding Sports Year, May 12, 2014