VCU news

By Joan Tupponce

One of Carolyn Bishop and Vivian Shields’ first conversations at Commonwealth Savers (formerly Virginia529) revealed they both were Virginia Commonwealth University alums.

“A lot of VCU grads work here,” said Bishop, chief operations officer at the independent state agency whose programs include the Invest529 education savings plan. “This is very much a ‘Go Rams’ kind of place.”

They also discovered they came to VCU for similar reasons and have taken away similar lessons.

Shields, who is chief financial officer at Commonwealth Savers, initially planned to pursue nursing but graduated from the School of Business with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, having embraced its focus on problem-solving.

“I was impressed with the reputation of the program, and I recall it being one of the best in the country. VCU was also in proximity to my sister who lived in the Richmond area,” she said.

Shields also participated in the VCU Cooperative Education program by interning in finance and accounting at the Virginia Department of Education, where she was hired after graduation.

Bishop, who has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Humanities and Sciences and a master’s in public administration from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, moved from Virginia Beach to Richmond to attend VCU because of its proximity to the state Capitol and the university’s internship opportunities.

“There are so many ways to work for state government through an internship in the Richmond area,” she said.

At VCU, Bishop participated in several finance and budgeting internship programs that included the state departments of Planning and Budget, Conservation and Recreation, and Agriculture, and she was hired by Chesterfield County after graduation.

At VCU, Shields was particularly inspired by two professors — Bob Holsworth, Ph.D., founding director of the Center for Public Policy and dean of the Wilder School, and accounting professor emeritus Rasoul Tondkar, Ph.D. 

“I had two freshman-level political science classes with Bob Holsworth, and I was fascinated with his lectures and our class discussions about national and geopolitical events,” Shields said. “Dr. Tondkar’s passion and dedication really impressed me, as did the clarity with which he taught to reinforce the material.”

Since her student days, she has participated in various offerings at VCU, including the Commonwealth Management Institute through the Wilder School and the Controllers Executive Roundtable through the School of Business. 

“That [experience] has contributed to my success as a manager and leader in state government,” Shields said, adding that numerous leaders at Commonwealth Savers have participated in VCU training.

Additionally, both she and her husband participated in the Cooperative Education Program at VCU.

“One of the things I really liked is that they invested in us. We had mentorship opportunities, everything from professional attire to how to communicate,” Shields said. “I received feedback on how I was doing as an intern. There was a lot of coaching and preparation throughout the internship opportunity.”

Bishop started VCU as an undecided major but quickly chose political science. At one point, she thought about becoming an arts museum administrator and started taking courses in art history.

“Art history had a vast impact on me and taught me not to look at art in just a superficial way; to look at it in a deeper way,” Bishop said. “That changed the way I see the world,” and it gave her an artistic complement to her other studies and professional work.

“It was such an interesting thing to look at the art we were studying and tie that back to history and all the things that were happening in the world during the timeframe of a piece of art,” she said. “I realized the artistic side of me helped balance my more analytical side, and VCU gave me many opportunities to learn both.”

From her undergraduate years, Bishop also credits Holsworth with making political science approachable and interesting. And from her graduate studies, she praises her “biggest mentor” – Marcia Wicker, now deceased, whom she describes as brilliant and the “reason she chose finance as her ultimate career path.”

Now well-established in their careers, Bishop and Shields credit VCU with giving them a solid foundation for the future.

“VCU has been very good for me,” Bishop said. “I feel fortunate to have had the opportunities I have had, and many of those started during my undergraduate and graduate years at VCU.”

Shields added that VCU offered her “lifelong friendships and experiences that have contributed to my career growth,” including her work at Commonwealth Savers. “It also taught me the value of education access and attainment – and paying it forward to other students whenever I can.”