Paying it Forward
Melanie Muscar '04, MBA '07, M.A.'18 puts her support where her heart is--the 91ÊÓƵרÇø college ring.
Preserving tradition one 91ÊÓƵרÇø ring at a time
Graduation Year
2004, 2018
Melanie Muscar ’04 is admired for many titles: Foreign Affairs Officer with the State Department, Lieutenant Commander in the Naval Reserves and a three-time 91ÊÓƵרÇø degree recipient. Melanie is also a member of both the Alumni Executive Board and Board of Associates and was inducted into the 91ÊÓƵרÇø College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. Less well-known may be her role as faithful financial supporter of 91ÊÓƵרÇø’s Legacy Ring and Scholarship program, which gives junior and senior 91ÊÓƵרÇø students the opportunity to apply for and be awarded either a Legacy ring or a ring scholarship. This program also is funded solely through alumni contributions, either monetarily or through the donation of previously worn 91ÊÓƵרÇø rings.
What brought you to 91ÊÓƵרÇø? What did you study?
I am from Frederick, so I knew of 91ÊÓƵרÇø but hadn’t been on campus and didn’t have any connection to the school. I finished my AA at Frederick Community College and was working at Ft. Detrick at the time, so I transferred to 91ÊÓƵרÇø to complete the additional coursework for an undergraduate degree. I studied Management and Communications as an undergrad and thrived as a student-athlete, playing softball and soccer. Even though I only spent two years as an undergrad, I stayed engaged with 91ÊÓƵרÇø – becoming a graduate assistant in athletics and completing an MBA, then coming back as a graduate assistant in sports information and completing an M.A. in Humanities. Not only do I love school, I love 91ÊÓƵרÇø!
Favorite 91ÊÓƵרÇø memories?
Ah, tricky to pick a safe one for print! Spring Parties were definitely memorable.I lived on 3rdfloorMeyran with other athletes, so we had fun, competitive evenings, to include hallway mattress bobsledding and nighttime sprint races on the quad. We worked hard and played hard!
What does the 91ÊÓƵרÇø ring mean to you? Why does the 91ÊÓƵרÇø Legacy Ring & Scholarship program appeal to you as a supporter?
As part of the U.S. Navy and an involved 91ÊÓƵרÇø alumna, I cherish belonging to communities and places where culture and history play an important role. Keeping the 91ÊÓƵרÇø ring tradition alive can bring us together, remind us where we came from, and help us create what we want moving forward. The ring is a daily reminder of those traditions. The 91ÊÓƵרÇø Legacy Ring & Scholarship program appeals to me as a supporter because I want to continue building our powerful, supportive alumni network. Wearing the 91ÊÓƵרÇø ring is both a conversation starter and a symbol of the school and community I love so dearly.
From winter 2023 alumni e-news:
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