<p>Since 1819, the University of Virginia has been educating the masses and turning out some of the most prominent people in our country.<br />
The university was first founded by Thomas Jefferson, and has helped shape the minds of many of America’s most influential people.<br />
While going through the entire list of important people from the university would take too long, here are a few that stood out to me.<br />
<strong>Tina Fey</strong><br />
One of the greatest female comedians of all time: Tina Fey. Fey originates from Upper Darby, one of the Pennsylvania suburbs around Philadelphia.<br />
She recalls that her parents gave her exposure to comedy early on, and it became a huge part of her life even as a child.<br />
By 8th grade, she was doing an independent study on comedy.<br />
While at the University of Virginia, Fey studied playwriting and acting, getting her BA degree in drama in 1992.<br />
After that, she went on to be a part of Second City, a well-known traveling comedy sketch group,<br />
and later earned her place on SNL. Since then, Fey has written books, movies, and has created her own well-acclaimed show, 30 Rock with headliners such as Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan.<br />
<strong>Halsey Minor</strong><br />
If you haven’t heard of Halsey Minor, you have heard of CNET. Minor was a forerunner in creating the first profitable organization on the internet.<br />
The company was a tech media out that would include product reviews, tech news and more.<br />
Minor has done more than just venture into the world of technology; he has also made a name for himself in philanthropy and fine art.<br />
While at the university, Minor studied Anthropology, was part of St. Elmo Hall, and met Shelby Bonnie, who he would go on to found CNET with.<br />
Since attending UVA, he has gone on to help with Kids Turn, a program hoping to help children with the stress caused by parents divorcing or separating.<br />
He has also taken on many business ventures, from Google Voice to horseracing, combining his personal passions with his business altitude.<br />
<strong>Stephen Malkmus</strong><br />
Malkmus is an incredible musician, underrated by many. He originates from Stockton, California and taught himself the guitar by playing along to “Purple Haze” by Hendrix.<br />
Stephen has been associated with acts such as Pavement, The Jicks and Silver Jews.<br />
Pavement was formed back in 1980 while he was living in Stockton, and the band went on to earn recognition in the alternative rock genre.<br />
While at the University of Virginia, he majored in history and was the disc jockey for their college radio station.<br />
At the radio station, he met David Berman who would later front the Silver Jews and James McNew who became part of the band Yo La Tengo.<br />
<strong>Katie Couric</strong><br />
Katie Couric has become one of the biggest names in journalism. She started off in the ABC News Bureau and later became an assignment editor for CNN.<br />
Since then, she has hosted talk shows, written acclaimed books and made a brand for her name as a television reporter.<br />
Couric went to the University of Virginia like her father John Martin Couric Jr., a public relations executive and news editor at <em>The Atlanta Journal-Constitution</em> and the United Press in Washington, D.C.<br />
Couric was in the Delta Delta Delta sorority and held a few positions at the school’s newspaper.<br />
She graduated from the school with a BA in English and a concentration in American Studies.</p>
<h5>Featured images:</h5>
<p><span class="license">License: Creative Commons</span><br />
<span class="source">image source</span><br />
By Lauren Wainwright, a journalist and blogger with a passion for history and culture, along with an admiration of Tina Fey.</p>

Notable Graduates Of The University Of Virginia
