The Class of 2004 has been there for everymoment of former Virginia quarterbackMatt Schaub’s roller coaster career.

They saw him emerge as an unknown and struggle for the starting position. They saw him named 2002 ACC player of the year and become a Heisman Trophy candidate. They saw him break nearly every Virginia passing record in existence. They saw him come back from a shoulder injury in his final season to lead the Cavaliers to a memorable win against Virginia Tech and the nationally ranked Pittsburgh in the Tire Bowl. Finally, they saw him chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the NFL Draft to be the second-string quarterback behind Michael Vick.

Schaub was chosen by the Falcons for several reasons, according to Schaub, his agent, David Dunn of Athletes First, and the Falcon quarterback coach, Mike Johnson. One of the main reasons is Atlanta’s implementation of the West Coast offense, the offensive style Schaub became familiar with under Al Groh. The new Falcons’ offensive coordinator Greg Napp will be working with a rookie quarterback who already has a good understanding of his style.

“We think he was a good choice because he knows our system,” Johnson said. “He knows the offense that we run and one of the key things we look for in a QB is good decision-making. He has shown over an extended period of time that he does that and takes care of the ball.”

One of the key aspects of the West Coast offense is that it replaces the running game with short passes. It was originated by Bill Walsh of the 49ers and helped San Francisco win three Super Bowls in a 10-year period (1981, 1988, 1989).

“Matt is very bright,” Dunn said. “He sees the field very well and he doesn’t make mistakes. “Those are qualities which are good to have in any offense but particularly in Greg Napp’s scheme.”

Schaub will hold second quarterback spot for the Falcons and could fill in for one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in recent memory — Michael Vick — should Vick go down to injury.

Vick left Virginia Tech after two years and was the number one overall draft pick in 2001. In his first two seasons he rushed for 1,066 yards, but he hit a major road bump in his career when he fractured his right leg in the second week of the 2003 preseason.

Whether it’s Vick’s mobility or just bad luck, Schaub may be more likely than most second-string quarterbacks to see playing time.

“He’ll have to be ready for the challenge,” Schaub’s former Virginia co-captain Almondo Curry said. “Vick’s a mobile quarterback and could go down at any moment.”

Schaub has several characteristics that give him the potential to play at the next level. His awareness of the pocket, accuracy, strength, intelligence and leadership ability are all qualities that allowed him to succeed at the college level and could be cultivated in the NFL.

As with any college player, however, Schaub will have to make major improvements and adjustments to succeed at the professional level.

“Being a college QB and a pro QB are very different,” former Virginia wide receiver Ryan Sawyer said. “You have to look at the corners and look at how fast they are in the NFL. He’ll have to improve on getting the ball out there faster than ever before.”

The speed of the game will be a major adjustment for Schaub, especially since speed has never been one of his strong points. But Johnson is confident that Schaub can compensate for lack of foot speed with other innate talents, noting in particular Schaub’s intelligence.

Schaub is less concerned with possible difficulties and more excited to learn from the best.

“I’m just looking forward to the opportunity to learn behind Vick,” Schaub said. “I’ll get to play the quarterback position from a different prospective because we have different styles.”

Schaub’s ability to improve with hard work and good coaching was clearly demonstrated in his time at Virginia. The 2002 season marked a year of coming together for the then-junior quarterback. In that season, Schaub led the ACC in passing and was sixth nationally. He also set or tied at least 10 Virginia single-season records: touchdown passes (28), yards passing (2976), attempts (418), completions (288) and completion percentage (68.9), to name just a few.

“Hard work, watching film, and me with the coaches allowed me to turn things around and everything clicked a few games into the season,” Schaub said. “It just went upward for me and blossomed into something that was great for the team and me personally.”

Schaub’s presence in the Cavalier offense will surely be missed next year, but he, Curry and Sawyer are all confident that Groh will be able to find someone to fill Schaub’s big shoes.

Junior Marques Hagans will almost undoubtedly get the first opportunity, while sophomores Christian Olsen and Anthony Martinez and freshman Kevin McCabe have all been discussed as possibilities.

“I don’t think they’ll have trouble next year [without me] with the guys they have coming back,” Schaub said. “The sky is the limit for the offense with the talent they have in the bank.”

While the rest of the Virginia fans hold their breath in hopes for a breakout showing by their new quarterback, the Class of 2004 will move on — perhaps with a new loyalty to the Atlanta Falcons.

Schaub’s jump to the next level of his career almost certainly resonates in the hearts of this year’s graduates. They may not be facing the nation’s strongest and fastest but they will be competing with the nation’s best and brightest.

“My hat goes off to them as they go on to the next phase of their lives,” Schaub said.

Schaub may be taking his hat off to the Class of 2004, but he’s putting his Atlanta Falcons helmet on after ending a career at Virginia that few in the Class of 2004 will ever forget.

F or many, graduation is a time of upheaval, filled with change and uncertainty. For others, the process is as easy as moving upstairs.

First-year Graduate Architecture students Ben Petrick and Barrett Eastwood are among a handful of graduates each year who decide to remain at the University to pursue a professional degree.

“It’s a completely different college experience than anyone else,” Petrick said, noting the isolation that often characterizes architecture students in particular.

“The sad thing is we put in the same amount of time as doctors or lawyers but we get paid so much less,” he said. “You really have to love it to do it.”

Along with nearly three dozen of their peers, the two spent the semester working on a hypothetical building design for the 2012 Olympics. The students were able to consult with visiting professors Tod Williams and Billie Tsien from Princeton University, who are involved in the actual process of creating conceptual drawings for New York City’s bid to host the games.

“A big part of the process was thinking about what’s going on after the Olympics,” Petrick said.

Both he and Eastwood developed separate designs for a potential dual-purpose badminton and track cycling venue near Yankee Stadium in New York City, which is bidding to host the games.

Since the University’s graduate architecture and landscape architecture departments merged together this year, students were able to collaborate with those in their classes who are pursuing different degree concentrations.

“That’s the nature of the whole studio atmosphere — being involved on your own projects but still working with others,” Eastwood remarked.

They wash. They scrub. They vacuum. They shine. They pick up trash. And they do it five days a week, all year long.

They are the University’s cleaning staff, and they have, mostly out of sight, been cleaning academic buildings, classrooms and dormitories for years. Graduating fourth years who still remember their first-year living experience probably will remember the housekeeper who cleaned up for them.

James Wesley Jones is one such staff member. During the past year, he and two other housekeepers have cleaned the 12 suites of Webb House and the mess left behind by over 100 first year students.

Jones said he has both a daily and a weekly routine. Some tasks must be done daily, such as cleaning the suite floor, and some weekly, such as cleaning the showers.

Outside of work, Jones, who is from Buckingham, Va., said he loves to fish. He became hooked after seeing his grandfather bring catches home and then went for the first time.

“After I caught the first fish — you know, the fight and everything — it was fun,” Jones said. “It got me started into it.”

Webb residents said they admired both Jones’ housekeeping capabilities and his friendliness.

“He’s really friendly — always says hello with a smile,” first-year College student Mike O’Brien said. “He’s willing to talk whenever — he’s always willing to take a break and chat.”

Jones, who started working at the University last fall, said he looks forward to returning.

She speaks five languages, has lived in six different countries and dances Sevillanas at University cultural events. But for graduating College student Jackie Switzer, co-founding Sustained Dialogue with her best friend Priya Parker was an experience that changed her life forever.

When Switzer met Parker during her first year at the University, she found someone who was as frustrated as she was with the state of race relations at the University.

“We are both bi-racial and grew up in international settings, so we were not very conscious of our racial identities before we came here,” said Switzer, whose mother is Mexican and father is Caucasian. “We were frustrated because we thought there has to be more to life at U.Va. than interacting in classes and then breaking off into different social scenes.”

After researching ways to change the nature of race relations, the two friends decided to start a University chapter of Sustained Dialogue — a program that brings together small groups of racially diverse students to discuss racial issues.

“If we’re going to begin to change race relations, which is a very complex issue, we have to start somewhere,” Switzer said. “Finding an outlet or safe space where people can share their experiences is a first step.”

Switzer was also a member of the Latino Student Union and served as the Culture Fest Chair during her second year.

Passionate about travel, the foreign affairs major spent her third year studying abroad in Paris, France. She lived with a family and took courses at French universities.

Parker said she is honored to be one of Switzer’s best friends.

“Jackie is definitely an independent spirit, a self-starter and is passionate about everything she does,” Parker said.

Next year, Switzer plans to work for Booze Allen Hamilton, a consulting firm in Washington, D.C., but said she is eager to travel again.

“I’m dying to go abroad again,” Switzer said. “I think my passion in life is international work.”

Switzer won’t have to wait too long though, because she and Parker will be traveling to India together this summer.

Many students volunteer with Madison House — more than 3,000 every week. But few participate in multiple programs or accumulate 350 hours of service by graduation day. Graduating College student Mike Lederman has.

“Mike has been a student who has embraced the whole Madison house experience,” Associate Director for Programs Elizabeth Bass said. “He is not just one of the students who volunteers just to put it on his resume.”

Lederman worked with the Big Siblings program, the Athletics program and the Housing Improvement program during his time at the University.

“Charlottesville has a lot more to it than the University,” Lederman said. “Participating gives you a view into the greater community.”

As program director for the Athletics program, Lederman helped find University students to volunteer to coach local youth sports teams. He also helped to bring to Madison House a program called Practice Partners, in which students volunteer to coach and mentor an underprivileged youth on a baseball team.

Lederman said the program that made the most significant impact on his life has been Big Siblings.

“I think the most meaningful experience was the Big Sibling program,” he said. “I had a kid who had a lot of problems in his life and spending time with him was challenging and frustrating but also the most rewarding.”

Bass said Lederman made an invaluable impact on Madison House.

“Mike has been really dedicated but is not always recognized for his efforts,” She said. “He has made a lot of contributions to the overall success of this organization.”

Every day, thousands of faculty, administrators, staff and students put their brains, hearts and muscles into creating the University experience. Some of those people — the professor who inspired you in the lecture hall, the student government leaders who fought for parking and printing — are recognized on a regular basis. Others make a quieter contribution.

When you recall your time at the University, think: Who affected your daily life? Who made sure the frappuccino machine in Wilson was stocked? Who graded your papers and exams, swept the halls you walked along, or empowered the student organizations that changed the way you thought about the world?

Following are just a few of the students and staff who might have made your four years at the University a little better: the student whose research boosted the University’s prestige, the staff member who dedicated herself to getting students jobs, the volunteers who helped ease town-gown relations.

These are the people behind the scenes.

It is no coincidence that many University students are recruited by some of the top companies and businesses in the country.

For the past three years, Jennifer Hoffman, associate director for employer services in the Career Services Office, has played an integral role in bringing employers to the University. She heads up the employer services team, coordinating job fairs and on-Grounds interviewing.

From 1997 to 1999, Hoffman worked as a graduate assistant in the University Union, which is now known as the University Programs Council. She has been with Career Services since July 2001, formally serving as a recruitment manager.

Hoffman said she works to maintain relationships with employers who traditionally recruit at the University as well as to reach out to potential employers.

Hoffman named American Management Services, Capital One, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and State Farm Insurance as some of the “repeat organizations that have a consistent presence” at the University.

“We have some students who have gotten great jobs in public relations doing accounting management for companies that handle some really big campaigns,” she said.

Career Services Director James McBride said Hoffman is well-suited for the job.

“She’s an extroverted person with an outgoing personality — bright, very pleasant,” McBride said. “She’s the perfect person to have in the role.”

Fulfilling volunteer experiences in high school prompted Tamika Griffin to become a Madison House volunteer during her first year at the University. Four years later, Griffin and the Charlottesville community she has served have left lasting impacts on one another.

“I started volunteering as a first year because I wanted to do something other than classes and get out and about and meet people,” said Griffin, who volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club throughout her time at the University.

“I enjoy seeing them happy, laughing and joking around,” Griffin said of the children and teenagers in the program.

On a broader scale, volunteering has given Griffin the opportunity to serve as a sort of ambassador between the University and Charlottesville communities.

“It is one thing to live in the University bubble, it is quite another to go out and interact in the surrounding community,” Griffin said. “Some of the kids in the community do get in trouble, but they’re not looking to get into trouble.”

In addition, the University community often makes unfair assumptions about surrounding Charlottesville citizens, Griffin continued, including the youth with whom she works.

“I speak out because I do know better,” she said. “Volunteering has helped me break down the stigma between the University and Charlottesville community.”

After graduation, Griffin will pursue an MSW in child welfare.

“I think I will be carrying out my volunteering in my work, and I hope to continue to volunteer outside of work and school,” Griffin said. “I am making a life out of this.”

“Beware of the onion.”

That was the message conveyed to Roman History students one morning by Teaching Assistant Fred Drogula, cracking a joke about a recent food preparation mishap that resulted in a bandaged finger.

A History Ph.D. candidate, Drogula has spent seven semesters as a TA in Ancient Greek and Roman history classes, building a reputation for conducting energetic discussion sections.

Drogula said he once received a course evaluation that read, “Fred makes me dizzy,” referring to his incessant pacing and contagious enthusiasm.

“The most common comment is that they find me enjoyable because I do genuinely care about students,” he said. “I want them to learn and I want them to enjoy learning the material. Students have remarked that it’s practically impossible to fall asleep in my sections.”

Drogula is currently working on his dissertation on the role of governors in the Roman Provinces.

“Most people tend to look at the emperor,” he said. “I’m trying to look a step below that at the aristocrats, men with no formal training sent out to the provinces. They governed these provinces not as trained bureaucrats but as Romans.”

Drogula said his research comes mainly from ancient texts passed down through the ages, but also includes a growing body of archaeological evidence.

First-year College student Sam White, a member of Drogula’s section, said the TA adds a “hilarious flair” to the class.

“For that class flair is necessary, and he does a good job at it. I couldn’t pass the class without his section,” White said.

Often working behind-the-scenes, Director of Dining Services Brent Beringer oversees the many dining programs at the University, such as the dining halls, retail locations, catering services and vending machines.

A graduate of Florida State University, Beringer worked in the private sector before joining the University’s administration. Students keep his job rewarding, Beringer said.

“The students are the most enjoyable part of the job,” he said. “There is a level of excitement with them. The worst part of my job is during the summer when the students leave — it gets lonely.”

Beringer said providing food is a way to build relationships at the University.

“I love the sense of community and belonging that this University has,” he said. “Every time I walk down the Lawn, I wish I had gone to school here.”

This past year, Beringer worked with Student Council to address student concerns with University dining. His department also provided food for a number of Council events and meetings. For his efforts, Beringer was named the 2004 recipient of the Ernest H. Ern Award, an award given annually by Student Council to a faculty member or administrator who promotes and advocates student self-governance.

“Mr. Beringer is always willing to give of himself, his resources and his time with a smile on his face,” outgoing Council President Daisy Lundy said. “Working with administrators with this type of approach makes student self-governance more effective.”