Blazing a Trail: Scholarships Help UMW Chemistry Major Find His Purpose

Sean McGavin’s college journey has taken him along diverse and far-reaching paths – hiking the Appalachian Trail, traversing the wilds of Montana, and crossing the ocean to the Galápagos Islands. But the UMW senior knows his path wouldn’t have been possible without the University of Mary Washington.

“I want to make the world a better place,” Sean said. While majoring in chemistry, he has served as a wildland firefighter and plans to use his science background to develop more environmentally safe ways of extinguishing the flames. “I didn’t know my purpose before coming to Mary Washington, but I found it here.”

Sean shared his story at UMW’s Celebration of Giving in November, when he told a room full of donors – including his own benefactor – how the Sally Brannan Hurt ’92 Study Abroad Scholarship gave him the chance to visit one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Numerous students have witnessed the flora and fauna found on the tiny archipelago off the coast of Ecuador because of Sally’s generosity to her alma mater.

Sean McGavin ’25 and his donor, Sally Brannan Hurt ’92, pose for a photo at the Celebration of Giving in November 2024. The Sally Brannan Hurt ’92 Study Abroad Scholarship has enabled Sean and dozens of other UMW students to study abroad in the Galápagos Islands. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

At the Celebration of Giving in November, Sean, a chemistry major, shared his journey from hiking the Appalachian Trail to fighting fires in Montana to studying in the Galápagos Islands. He expressed gratitude for the private scholarship support he received to attend the University of Mary Washington and engage in study abroad. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

“Getting to experience a global ecological treasure like the Galápagos Islands inspires students like nothing else,” said Professor of Biological Sciences Andrew Dolby, who conducts the faculty-led trip for students and guided the UMW Alumni on the Road excursion that influenced Sally to establish her scholarship. “She opens up the world for students who would not be able to travel internationally without her support.”

That’s true for Sean, who didn’t feel ready for college after graduating from high school in Alexandria, Virginia. Instead, he spent part of a gap year hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, while he figured out his next steps. “It made me realize how much I wanted a life and a job where I could work with birds above my head and bugs crawling across my boot.”

After his 2,200-mile trek, Sean applied to Mary Washington, calling it “close enough to home, but far enough away to spread my wings.”

He decided to major in chemistry after a course with adjunct instructor Caleb Strepka and appreciated the support he found from faculty members like Sarah Smith ’12, Leanna Giancarlo, and Davis Oldham. “They taught me how to be expressive and creative in how I tackled problems, even in the lab.”

Outside of class, he joined UMW’s Ultimate Frisbee team, bonding with one of the captains, a former wildland firefighter. Sean has spent the last three summers doing just that in Montana, learning all he can to protect the trees, plants, and wildlife that dwell there.

“I realized that it was a career path where I could help people and take care of forests, which have given me such a sense of peace in my life,” said Sean, citing fires that have wiped out acres in Hawaii and Greece, and most recently, Southern California. “Wildland firefighting requires a deep understanding of ecological systems and diverse environments.”

A photo of Sean hiking to the top of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, which has some of the most unpredictable weather in the world. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.

Sean in the Shenandoah Mountains in Virginia during his hike of the Appalachian Trail. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.

A picture of a fire in Montana that Sean’s crew was tasked with controlling during nighttime operations. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.

Sean participating in a controlled burn in Montana in the summer of 2022. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.

The volcanic crater that Sean hiked during the Galápagos Islands trip. He said the information he gained about the islands’ preservation efforts has been critical to his understanding of wildland firefighting. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.

In the Galápagos Islands, Sean observed wildlife he had been fascinated by since he was a child, including marine iguanas. Photo courtesy of Sean McGavin.

He gained that from the Galápagos trip, where he planted trees and observed the giant tortoises and the marine iguanas that had fascinated him since childhood.

But even more important was learning about the islands’ preservation efforts.

“The chemicals currently being used to combat fires can often suffocate birds and animals and raise heavy metal levels in fish,” Sean said. After graduating from Mary Washington, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry so he can develop a wildlife-safe fire retardant that can be used in many different environments.

“The chemistry department, the Frisbee team, and the opportunities that Sally has provided have made me who I am and have given me the support to achieve my dreams of saving the forests that gave me so much joy as a child,” Sean said. “This wouldn’t have been possible for me without her scholarship, and I’ll never forget that.”

Learn more about establishing scholarships and how private support makes a difference in the lives of UMW students who receive scholarships, research fellowships, and internship grants.

Read more about the next UMW Alumni on the Road trip to the Galápagos Islands now booking for June 2025. 

– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04