The University of Georgia is celebrating a milestone in its national engagement this week: the 10th anniversary of Delta Hall, the university’s residential learning facility in Washington, D.C.

Since its dedication in 2015, Delta Hall has become a cornerstone of UGA’s experiential learning offerings, housing nearly 900 students and placing them as interns in 200 offices and organizations across the nation’s capital — from the White House and U.S. State Department to NBCUniversal and The UPS Foundation.

“Delta Hall has been instrumental in preparing the next generation of public servants and political leaders to tackle society’s grand challenges,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead during the anniversary celebration on campus Thursday. “It is the site of impactful teaching and learning, important professional networking and friendships that persist long after our students return home from their time in Washington.”

University of Georgia administrators, representatives from Delta, donors and alumni gathered on May 1 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Delta Hall. (Photo by Edwin Hammond)

Located just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, Delta Hall was made possible through the generosity of The Delta Air Lines Foundation and more than 80 individual and corporate supporters. A $5 million gift from The Delta Air Lines Foundation helped secure and renovate the building and establish new internship and lecture opportunities for UGA students. In recognition of that gift, the facility was named Delta Hall.

“We’ve clearly seen the vision of Delta Hall come through in a big, big way,” said Allison Ausband, executive vice president and chief people officer at Delta Air Lines. “It’s an honor to have our name on Delta Hall in Washington and to represent UGA.”

The May 1 event at the Tate Student Center brought together university leaders, alumni, students and supporters to reflect on the facility’s impact over the past decade. The university offered special thanks to Delta Air Lines executives Ed Bastian, Ausband and Tad Hutcheson for their enduring support, as well as former UGA Foundation Chairman Bill Young, who was instrumental in securing the property.

“The generosity of Delta Air Lines and The Delta Air Lines Foundation can be seen in almost every area of our campus,” Morehead said. “But today we are here to recognize the transformational impact they have had on UGA students interning in our nation’s capital.”

UGA’s footprint in D.C. began in 1997 with the launch of the Congressional Agricultural Fellowship program. In 2002, then-Honors Program Director Jere Morehead created the Honors in Washington summer internship program. That initiative was later expanded to all undergraduates in 2008 with the establishment of the Washington Semester Program, which pairs full-time internships with academic coursework led by UGA faculty.

As student participation grew, so did the need for a dedicated space. The university purchased a 20,000-square-foot Capitol Hill property in 2013 and officially opened Delta Hall two yearsAllison Ausband, executive vice president and chief people officer for Delta Air Lines, delivered remarks at the Delta Hall 10th anniversary event. (Photo by Edwin Hammond)

Students who have lived and learned at Delta Hall describe it as a pivotal part of their UGA experience.

“Living in Delta Hall as part of the Washington Semester Program helped shape me, personally and professionally, and to this day, 10 years later, I still lean on the lessons I learned during my time there,” said spring 2015 program participant Allison Plummer Snellings at the anniversary celebration. “The community that Delta Hall perfectly curates for each individual student is unmatched.”

Now the senior manager of government affairs at NBCUniversal, she previously served on U.S. Rep. Austin Scott’s team and as director of public affairs for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

“Delta Hall wasn’t just important to me, for any of us, because we wanted jobs — it was important because it gave us a way to make a city like D.C. feel small,” said Roya Naghepour, a summer 2016 Grady in D.C. program participant and associate at Alston & Bird in Atlanta. “It provided us with a community of people who were all Bulldogs, but who came from completely different backgrounds.”

The Delta Hall anniversary celebration also honored key figures who helped shape the program, including Don DeMaria, director of the Washington Semester Program. DeMaria was recognized for his leadership in expanding internship opportunities and fostering a robust alumni-student mentoring network in D.C.

A new display honoring the milestone anniversary and the donors who made Delta Hall possible was unveiled after the event.