At the University of the District of Columbia, mornings often begin in motion.
Students move quickly between classes. Faculty members gather papers and coffee before the day starts. Someone rushes through the Student Center hoping not to be late for a meeting.
Somewhere in the middle of it all is Tonya Edington.
A student stops her to talk about classes. Someone else asks how she is doing. Another conversation begins in passing and stretches a little longer than expected.
Edington smiles easily. She remembers names. She listens carefully.
Her background in human resources, higher education and community service informs her commitment to students and community engagement. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Edington has participated in scholarship initiatives, community health projects and back-to-school drives for students and families. Today, she remains an active presence across UDC's campuses, supporting students and participating in events and initiatives.
As the spouse of UDC President Maurice D. Edington, she has embraced a visible role within the university community, using her platform to foster connection and support student success.
Moments like these happen every day at UDC, where generations of women have helped shape the university through leadership, mentorship, teaching and service.
That legacy was recently reflected in a national recognition from Newsweek, which included UDC among its rankings of America's Best Colleges for Women 2026.
Across campus, many say the recognition reflects something UDC has long understood.
Women have always been central to the university’s foundation — leading classrooms, building programs, guiding students through uncertainty and helping generations of Washingtonians imagine new possibilities.
As UDC marks its 175th anniversary, that work continues across classrooms, offices and campuses throughout the university and remains connected to Delivering on the Promise, the university's strategic plan centered on student success, workforce readiness and expanding opportunity across the District.
For Chief Academic Officer April Massey, supporting women students is inseparable from the university's broader public mission as the District's only public university.
"The academic enterprise is the foundation of the university's response to its access and opportunity missions," Massey said. "It is through our classrooms that we model our institutional commitments to making space and finding success paths for our students."
For Massey, that mission becomes especially meaningful at a university where many students are balancing careers, caregiving responsibilities and financial pressures alongside their education.
Across the university, women carry that work forward through mentorship, academic leadership and service that often extends far beyond the classroom. Their influence can be seen throughout university life, from athletics and student affairs to classrooms, advising offices and university leadership.
Leaders including Chief Student Development and Success Officer Terri Little-Berry, Chief of Staff and Director of Board Operations Frenika Rivers, General Counsel Avis Marie Russell, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Patricia Thomas, Interim Dean of the School of Education and Learning Sciences Anika Burtin, Interim Dean of UDC Law Angela Gilmore, UDC Community College Dean Marilyn Hamilton and Dean of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning Mashonda Smith continue helping guide students toward academic achievement, career success and lives of service.
Under Thomas' leadership, the university's women's athletic programs have become consistent contenders in conference competition while continuing to excel academically.
During the Fall and Spring 2025 semesters, 38 student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, with 11 maintaining a 4.0 across both semesters. The achievement reflected the same discipline and commitment that has helped UDC student-athletes succeed both on the field and in the classroom.
For Burtin, the university's history carries particular significance.
The launch of the School of Education and Learning Sciences earlier this year marked a return to UDC's roots in teacher preparation dating back to 1851 and the founding of Miner Normal School for Colored Girls by Myrtilla Miner.
"This opportunity is both deeply meaningful to me and a profound responsibility," Burtin said. "As interim dean, my leadership will focus on building a strong foundation that honors this history while strengthening our role as a trusted partner to the community."
The connection between UDC's past and future is evident throughout the university.
At the David A. Clarke School of Law, Gilmore said the university's public mission remains central to preparing future attorneys committed to advocacy and public service.
"Our students are deeply connected to the communities they hope to serve," Gilmore said. "That commitment to justice and public service is part of the Law School's identity and part of UDC's broader legacy as a public institution serving the District of Columbia."
For some women, the connection to UDC comes full circle.
Years after arriving at UDC as a student, Le'Cheay Armstrong now works within the same university community that once helped shape her own path.
Armstrong graduated summa cum laude from UDC in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Communications and Media/Multimedia and was a member of Sigma Alpha Pi. Before joining the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences as a marketing and communications assistant in January 2025, she worked as a consultant for the university for more than three years.
Like many UDC graduates, Armstrong found mentors who encouraged her, challenged her and helped her envision a future she had not yet imagined herself.
Today, she is part of the same support system that once guided her, helping tell the stories of students who are navigating many of the same questions and opportunities she once faced herself.
Stories like hers can be found across UDC, where women continue shaping the university through mentorship, leadership and everyday acts of encouragement that often leave a lasting impact long after students leave campus.
Their influence appears in classrooms, offices, advising sessions, community programs and even in conversations between meetings. Sometimes it is a scholarship opportunity, a word of encouragement, a lesson that sparks a new interest or a mentor who helps a student see their own potential.
For generations, women have helped shape the story of UDC.
As the university celebrates 175 years of service to the District of Columbia, they continue helping write its future.