Dawn Bowen

Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum’s Future in International Affairs

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When Savannah Sinor ’26 graduated from the University of Mary Washington in May, the international affairs major already had plans to put her UMW education into practice as a business immigration paralegal in her hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina.

A student in a blue cap and gown, smiling and standing on the UMW campus with brick buildings and pink blossoms in the background.
Savannah Sinor ’26, who earned a bachelor’s degree in international affairs at Mary Washington, is working as a business immigration paralegal before pursuing a law degree. Her scholarships helped provide her with a transformative education and impactful learning opportunities like a faculty-led development trip to Guatemala and a U.S. Department of State internship. Photo courtesy of Savannah Sinor.

“My experience has been wonderful,” said Savannah, who oversees several dozen employment-based petitions at a time, using her policy background and professional communication and time management skills she gained from Mary Washington. “I’ve already received several approvals, which is a fantastic feeling because each one represents a real person I’ve helped in their immigrant journey.”

Savannah, who minored in environmental sustainability and French, earned scholarships at UMW that supported her studies as an out-of-state student. The private funding also helped her find her purpose through experiential learning – a faculty-led trip to Latin America, a U.S. State Department internship, and undergraduate research – opportunities that have been foundational for her life and career after Mary Washington.

“My scholarships allowed me to focus more fully on my academic and professional goals without the added stress of financial uncertainty,” said Savannah, who was awarded the Paul and Judith Dresser Merit Scholarship all four years of college. She also earned the Elizabeth Baylor Neatrour ’54 and Mary Ellen Stephenson Memorial, Marjorie Jean Frost ’44, and Smith International Affairs scholarships. “These awards made me feel truly supported by the UMW community.”

Savannah visited Mary Washington for an open house during high school and fell in love with the Georgian architecture and fall foliage. Her college decision was an easy one, she said, thanks to the Washington Guides who helped her navigate campus as well as the faculty members who readily answered her questions.

“Mary Washington is not just a school but a home and community,” said Savannah, who was president of her high school’s Model United Nations chapter and was attracted to the University’s focus on intercultural competence. “Everyone here was welcoming, and UMW was so integrated with Fredericksburg that I knew I could be happy here. And I’ve been so very happy.”

She served as a peer mentor and resident assistant and was active in UMW’s Renaissance Club and The House, an inclusive Episcopalian-Lutheran campus ministry. She also completed the Peace Corps Prep Program through UMW’s Center for International Education.

Through a Sustainable Development course with Professor of Geography Dawn Bowen, she went on a faculty-led study abroad trip to Guatemala. “We stayed in a villager’s home on a mountain top, learning about sustainable development and how to empower women to build their own businesses,” she said.

She wrote her UMW Honors Program thesis on U.S. interventionism during the 30-year Guatemalan civil war, then presented the paper at a national political science conference.

“Savannah was a truly exceptional student, always prepared and willing to engage with unfamiliar material,” Professor Bowen said. “Her thesis was one of the finest pieces of student scholarship that I’ve seen in my three-decades long teaching career.”

Savannah Sinor ’26 took a semester off to intern full time at the U.S. Department of State in the Office of Caribbean Affairs. Photo courtesy of Savannah Sinor.
Savannah Sinor ’26 went on a faculty-led grassroots trip to Guatemala with Professor of Geography Dawn Bowen and her classmates to study environmental and sustainable development. Photo courtesy of Savannah Sinor.
At UMW’s Scholarship Luncheon last spring, Savannah Sinor ’26 shared how earning the Paul and Judith Dresser Merit Scholarship, Elizabeth Baylor Neatrour ’54 and Mary Ellen Stephenson Memorial Scholarship, Marjorie Jean Frost ’44 Scholarship, and Smith International Affairs Scholarship gave her the chance to go on a faculty-led trip to Guatemala, become a full-time intern at the U.S. State Department, and present her research at a national political science conference. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Savannah took a semester off to work full time in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Caribbean Affairs, giving her the chance to engage with diplomats and visitors from across the globe.

“I even met a Mary Washington alumna who graduated in the 1960s on a tour of the U.S Capitol,” she said. She also completed a summer internship with the North Carolina Department of Natural Cultural Resources, and another as a grant writer, where she helped apply for over $300,000 in funds to support two client nonprofits.

After spending some time as a paralegal, Savannah plans to earn a law degree and is considering a master’s degree in international affairs, before pursuing a career in the federal government.

Her aspirations are possible, she said, because of the transformative education she found at Mary Washington.

“I had all these opportunities because of my scholarships,” she said last spring at the annual Scholarship Luncheon and Student Showcase. “I’m so grateful for the faculty members and donors who believed in my potential and who’ve invested so generously in UMW students and their futures.”

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. Find scholarship opportunities that are available to UMW students.

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

UMW Senior Maps Out Career With Bowen Geography Scholarship

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When University of Mary Washington senior Anders Barretta was a child, he was fascinated by the maps his father kept around the house.

“He told me that his favorite geography professor, Marshall Bowen, taught some of the most influential classes he took in college,” Anders said. His father, John Barretta ’90, said students would sit on the floor of Monroe Hall just to hear the late professor speak. “Dr. Bowen inspired my dad’s 30-year career as a geospatial intelligence officer.”

Anders Barretta ’25, a double major in geography and political science, is the first-ever recipient of the Marshall E. Bowen Scholarship, established by Susan Liebenow ’71 for the distinguished professor emeritus, who passed away in 2020. Photo courtesy of Anders Barretta.
The late Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geography Marshall Bowen was beloved by Mary Washington students, including Anders’ own father, John Barretta ’90, who told his son that students would sit on the floor of Monroe Hall just to hear the professor lecture. Photo courtesy of Dawn Bowen.

That made it even more special when Anders, who is double majoring in geography and political science and earning a geographic information systems (GIS) certificate, learned he would be the first-ever recipient of the Marshall E. Bowen Scholarship at UMW. Anders has traveled to professional conferences, engaged in timely research, and competed twice in Virginia’s World Geography Bowl, helping UMW’s team beat the buzzer to become the 2022 champions – all of which helped him earn the prestigious geography award.

“Anders truly embodies my husband’s interest in geography, and his curiosity about the places around him is incredibly refreshing,” said Professor of Geography Dawn Bowen, who serves as Anders’ advisor. She invited him last year to participate in a small group discussion for other students. “He embraced the idea of learning something new and engaging with others.”

Marshall Bowen looks out at the Caribbean Sea while vacationing in Anguilla. “Anders truly embodies my husband’s interest in geography, and his curiosity about the places around him is incredibly refreshing,” Professor of Geography Dawn Bowen said. Photo courtesy of Dawn Bowen.
Anders Barretta takes in the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Afton, Virginia. Photo courtesy of Anders Barretta.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geography Marshall E. Bowen joined the Mary Washington faculty in 1965, where he was dedicated to helping students understand the world around them. He also served as the first men’s basketball coach until 1976. He retired from Mary Washington in 2001 and lived in Fredericksburg with his wife until he passed away in 2020.

Susan Liebenow '71 on a visit with Marshall Bowen after his retirement. She later established the Marshall E. Bowen Scholarship in her former professor's name. Photo courtesy of Susan Liebenow.
Susan Liebenow ’71 on a visit with Marshall Bowen after his retirement. She later established the Marshall E. Bowen Scholarship in her former professor’s name. Photo courtesy of Susan Liebenow.

“It’s such a great honor to receive this scholarship,” said Anders, expressing gratitude toward Susan Liebenow ’71, who established the award in honor of her former professor. “I’m so thankful to her for investing in the department and students like me.”

Susan worked as a cartographer after earning a bachelor’s degree in geography. She later received a master’s degree from American University, coached women’s tennis at Georgetown University, and started her own business, L&T Health and Fitness, before retiring in 2014.

“I established this scholarship because of the lasting impact that Marshall Bowen had on my life, as a professor, mentor, and a lifelong friend,” Susan said. “He made his classes come alive through his stories, his pictures, and his knowledge. I can’t imagine a more qualified and deserving recipient than Anders, whose experiences, quest for knowledge, and love of geography exemplify everything Marshall held dear.”

Anders’ scholarship has given him the chance to make the most of his UMW experience, including collaborating with Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth, a sought-after expert on presidential politics and elections. They’re assembling precinct maps of Virginia statewide elections over the decades.

“Electoral geography is the perfect intersection of all my interests,” said Anders, who grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, where his family participated in town halls, set up yard signs for candidates, and engaged in lively political discussions around the dinner table.

He hopes to bring his research to the annual conference of the Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers, which he has attended for the last two years. At previous conferences, Anders helped his classmates answer trivia questions to put UMW’s team over the top in Virginia’s World Geography Bowl.

“It was an amazing experience and bolstered my relationships with my professors, peers, and professionals in the field,” said Anders, who also works as a geography departmental aide, creating maps for faculty lectures, speaking to prospective students, and tutoring classmates.

Anders assists Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth by working on a map of electoral precincts in Hampton Roads from the 1936 election. He and Dr. Farnsworth are studying decades of electoral data from Virginia. Photo courtesy of Anders Barretta.
Anders (far right) with UMW classmates (from left) Jackson Carmack ’25, Elisa Luckabaugh ’24, Ricky Munoz ’24, Mary Slavin ’25, and Kaleb Dunlap ’24 at Virginia’s World Geography Bowl at the Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers. Photo courtesy of Anders Barretta.
Anders (right) and his father, John Barretta ’90, who earned his bachelor’s degree in geography from Mary Washington. Professor Marshall Bowen inspired John’s 30-year career as a geospatial intelligence officer, Anders said. Photo courtesy of John Barretta.

Anders already knows where he might land after he graduates from UMW. He has interned for the last three summers and one winter with the Department of Defense.

“Helping our armed forces defend our country,” said Anders, who hopes to use the mapping and political science skills he gained at Mary Washington to assist with volatile situations across the globe. “I’d like to start there.”

Find scholarship opportunities that are available to UMW students. 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. 

Learn about the upcoming Mary Washington Generations breakfast and photo session, honoring alumni families, on Oct. 5. 

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