[Mary Ann Parr speaking]

I bought the Virginian restaurant in 1975. I would just be working, and I'd run over across the Lawn and take a class. When I started at UVA, women hadn't been there that long. I took a great film class. In psychology, I took a wonderful class on Jung. A classics class, that was fantastic. I've taken 70 credits, probably, since 1985. Pretty spread out. 

[Mary Ann Parr chuckles]

[Mary Ann Parr speaking]

I love the restaurant business, but I always felt that I needed to finish my education. I kind of had put it aside, and then it came back in such a good way.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[Mary Ann Parr speaking]

My intention was always to get a degree. I don't need it for my career or anything. I needed it for something inside myself. One of the deans, Elizabeth Ozment, reached out to me. She said, ‘All you have to do is take this two-credit J-term class in bookmaking and you will be able to walk the Lawn in May.’ And I was like, ‘OK, I'll do it.’ It was just so cool. 

Four of our children went to UVA. So, we've been to Final Exercises. We know what it's like. When I told my daughter, she started to cry. She knows how much this meant to me. Learning like that was really important. I always felt like there was some nugget in each class that I received that helped me in my life. 

[CHEERING]