{"id":111273,"date":"2026-10-07T14:52:31","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T18:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/?p=111273"},"modified":"2026-10-07T14:52:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T18:52:33","slug":"scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/","title":{"rendered":"Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum\u2019s Future in International Affairs"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><section class=\"wp-block-umw-hero alignfull umw-custom-block umw-hero umw-hero--dark-text umw-hero--media-float-right umw-hero--white umw-hero--with-no-media umw-hero--with-no-content\"><div class=\"umw-hero__inner\"><div class=\"umw-hero__media\"><\/div><div class=\"umw-hero__title\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"umw-hero__title__wrapper\"><h1 class=\"umw-hero__title__header\">News<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><h2 class=\"alignwide wp-block-post-title\">Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum&rsquo;s Future in International Affairs<\/h2><div class=\"wp-block-group umw-news-author-credit is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-07T14:52:31-04:00\">October 7, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">by<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\">Jill Laiacona<\/div><\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Savannah Sinor &rsquo;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.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"111276\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/img_20260509_082756\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20260509_082756.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1365\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"alt\":\"\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Savannah Sinor &rsquo;26, who earned a bachelor&rsquo;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.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20260509_082756-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20260509_082756-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A student in a blue cap and gown, smiling and standing on the UMW campus with brick buildings and pink blossoms in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-111276\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4992892477398079;width:447px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20260509_082756-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20260509_082756-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20260509_082756-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20260509_082756-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20260509_082756.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Savannah Sinor &rsquo;26, who earned a bachelor&rsquo;s degree in international affairs at Mary Washington, said that her scholarships helped provide her with a transformative education and impactful learning opportunities like a faculty-led development trip to Guatemala, presenting her research at a professional conference and a U.S. Department of State internship. Photo courtesy of Savannah Sinor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&ldquo;My experience has been wonderful,&rdquo; said Sinor, 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. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve already received several approvals, which is a fantastic feeling because each one represents a real person I&rsquo;ve helped in their immigrant journey.&rdquo;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sinor, 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 opportunities &ndash; a faculty-led trip to Latin America, a U.S. State Department internship and undergraduate research &ndash; that have been foundational for her life and career after Mary Washington.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&ldquo;My scholarships allowed me to focus more fully on my academic and professional goals without the added stress of financial uncertainty,&rdquo; said Sinor, who was awarded the Paul and Judith Dresser Merit Scholarship all four years of college. She also earned the Elizabeth Baylor Neatrour &rsquo;54 and Mary Ellen Stephenson Memorial, Marjorie Jean Frost &rsquo;44 and Smith International Affairs scholarships. &ldquo;These awards made me feel truly supported by the UMW community.&rdquo;<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"109364\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/1126-k-pearlman-photography-1-copy\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/1126-K-Pearlman-Photography-1-copy.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1200,800\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Savannah Sinor &amp;#8217;26 shares how earning the Paul and Judith Dresser Merit Scholarship, Elizabeth Baylor Neatrour &rsquo;54 and Mary Ellen Stephenson Memorial Scholarship, Marjorie Jean Frost &rsquo;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. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/1126-K-Pearlman-Photography-1-copy-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/1126-K-Pearlman-Photography-1-copy-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A student at a podium with a University of Mary Washington sign.\" class=\"wp-image-109364\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4992892477398079;width:414px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/1126-K-Pearlman-Photography-1-copy-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/1126-K-Pearlman-Photography-1-copy-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/1126-K-Pearlman-Photography-1-copy-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/1126-K-Pearlman-Photography-1-copy.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At last spring&rsquo;s Scholarship Luncheon, Savannah Sinor &rsquo;26 shared how private scholarships provided her with a transformative liberal arts and sciences education at UMW. Photo by K Pearlman Photography. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sinor 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.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&ldquo;Mary Washington is not just a school but a home and community,&rdquo; said Sinor, who was president of her high school&rsquo;s Model United Nations chapter and was attracted to the University&rsquo;s focus on intercultural competence. &ldquo;Everyone here was welcoming, and UMW was so integrated with Fredericksburg that I knew I could be happy here. And I&rsquo;ve been so very happy.&rdquo;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She served as a peer mentor and resident assistant and was active in UMW&rsquo;s Renaissance Club and The House, an inclusive Episcopalian-Lutheran campus ministry. She also completed the Peace Corps Prep Program through UMW&rsquo;s Center for International Education.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through a Sustainable Development course with Professor of Geography Dawn Bowen, she went on a faculty-led study abroad trip to Guatemala. &ldquo;We stayed in a villager&rsquo;s home on a mountain top, learning about sustainable development and how to empower women to build their own businesses,&rdquo; she said.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-attachment-id=\"111277\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/img_20240303_074736469\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20240303_074736469-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"1.7\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"moto g stylus\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1709452056\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"4.71\",\"iso\":\"100\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.00595238095238\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\",\"alt\":\"\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Savannah Sinor &amp;#8217;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. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20240303_074736469-1024x768.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20240303_074736469-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"A UMW student in front of a stone building in Guatemala, with tropical trees off to the side.\" class=\"wp-image-111277\" style=\"width:420px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20240303_074736469-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20240303_074736469-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20240303_074736469-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20240303_074736469-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/IMG_20240303_074736469-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Savannah Sinor &rsquo;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. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&ldquo;Savannah was a truly exceptional student, always prepared and willing to engage with unfamiliar material,&rdquo; Bowen said. &ldquo;Her thesis was one of the finest pieces of student scholarship that I&rsquo;ve seen in my three-decades long teaching career.&rdquo;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sinor took a semester off to work full time in the U.S. Department of State&rsquo;s Office of Caribbean Affairs, giving her the chance to engage with diplomats and visitors from across the globe.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-attachment-id=\"111278\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/20250219_103441\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/20250219_103441.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,1777\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"2.2\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"Galaxy A15 5G\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1739961281\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"1.4\",\"iso\":\"160\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0333333333333\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\",\"alt\":\"\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Savannah Sinor &amp;#8217;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. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/20250219_103441-576x1024.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/20250219_103441-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A UMW student in a suit and glasses, seated in a chair in the U.S. Department of State with a red background and an American flag behind her.\" class=\"wp-image-111278\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.562505333219558;width:275px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/20250219_103441-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/20250219_103441-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/20250219_103441-768x1365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/20250219_103441-864x1536.jpg 864w, https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/20250219_103441.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Savannah Sinor &rsquo;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. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&ldquo;I even met a Mary Washington alumna who graduated in the 1960s while on a tour of the U.S Capitol,&rdquo; 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.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After spending some time as a paralegal, Sinor plans to earn a law degree and is considering a master&rsquo;s degree in international affairs, before pursuing a career in the federal government.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her aspirations are possible, she said, because of the transformative education she found at Mary Washington.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&ldquo;I had all these opportunities because of my scholarships,&rdquo; she said last spring at the annual&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/giving.umw.edu\/blog\/2026\/03\/26\/at-umw-scholarship-luncheon-students-share-stories-of-growth-and-gratitude\/\">Scholarship Luncheon and Student Showcase<\/a>. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so grateful for the faculty members and donors who believed in my potential and who&rsquo;ve invested so generously in UMW students and their futures.&rdquo;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alumni.umw.edu\/give\/scholarships-student-support\/\"><strong><em>Learn more<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>&nbsp;about establishing scholarships and how private support makes a difference in the lives of UMW students who receive scholarships, research fellowships and internship grants. <\/em><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Find&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/financialaid\/types\/scholarship-opportunities\/\"><strong><em>scholarship opportunities<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>&nbsp;that are available to UMW students.<\/em><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>byWhen Savannah Sinor &rsquo;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.&ldquo;My experience has been wonderful,&rdquo; said Sinor, who oversees several dozen employment-based petitions at a time, using [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1236,"featured_media":111279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[704],"tags":[],"topics":[],"class_list":["post-111273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-stories","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.5 (Yoast SEO v28.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum\u2019s Future in International Affairs - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum\u2019s Future in International Affairs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"byWhen Savannah Sinor &rsquo;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.&ldquo;My experience has been wonderful,&rdquo; said Sinor, who oversees several dozen employment-based petitions at a time, using [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UniversityofMaryWashington\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-07T18:52:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-07T18:52:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/NewRelease_Alumni150.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"413\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jill Laiacona\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UMaryWash\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UMaryWash\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jill Laiacona\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jill Laiacona\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/81cd90fbc8c9a45401477e39ce19ef4b\"},\"headline\":\"Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum\u2019s Future in International Affairs\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-07T18:52:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-07T18:52:33+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":874,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/NewRelease_Alumni150.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Top Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/\",\"name\":\"Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum\u2019s Future in International Affairs - News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/NewRelease_Alumni150.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-07T18:52:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-07T18:52:33+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/NewRelease_Alumni150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/NewRelease_Alumni150.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":413,\"caption\":\"Student wearing a blue cap and gown and glasses.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/07\\\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum\u2019s Future in International Affairs\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"News\",\"description\":\"University of Mary Washington\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"University of Mary Washington\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2021\\\/10\\\/2colorUMWprimarywordmark.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2021\\\/10\\\/2colorUMWprimarywordmark.png\",\"width\":2255,\"height\":580,\"caption\":\"University of Mary Washington\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/UniversityofMaryWashington\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/UMaryWash\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/81cd90fbc8c9a45401477e39ce19ef4b\",\"name\":\"Jill Laiacona\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e90d188164a077b82e87432426af894f63e0df9845498c0dc984982f0d0ee890?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e90d188164a077b82e87432426af894f63e0df9845498c0dc984982f0d0ee890?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e90d188164a077b82e87432426af894f63e0df9845498c0dc984982f0d0ee890?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jill Laiacona\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum\u2019s Future in International Affairs - News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum\u2019s Future in International Affairs","og_description":"byWhen Savannah Sinor &rsquo;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.&ldquo;My experience has been wonderful,&rdquo; said Sinor, who oversees several dozen employment-based petitions at a time, using [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/","og_site_name":"News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UniversityofMaryWashington\/","article_published_time":"2026-10-07T18:52:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-07T18:52:33+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":413,"url":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/NewRelease_Alumni150.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jill Laiacona","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@UMaryWash","twitter_site":"@UMaryWash","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jill Laiacona","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/"},"author":{"name":"Jill Laiacona","@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/81cd90fbc8c9a45401477e39ce19ef4b"},"headline":"Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum\u2019s Future in International Affairs","datePublished":"2026-10-07T18:52:31+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-07T18:52:33+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/"},"wordCount":874,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/NewRelease_Alumni150.jpg","articleSection":["Top Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/","url":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/","name":"Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum\u2019s Future in International Affairs - News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/NewRelease_Alumni150.jpg","datePublished":"2026-10-07T18:52:31+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-07T18:52:33+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/NewRelease_Alumni150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/NewRelease_Alumni150.jpg","width":1024,"height":413,"caption":"Student wearing a blue cap and gown and glasses."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/scholarships-shape-recent-umw-alums-future-in-international-affairs\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Scholarships Shape Recent UMW Alum\u2019s Future in International Affairs"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/","name":"News","description":"University of Mary Washington","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"University of Mary Washington","url":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/10\/2colorUMWprimarywordmark.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/10\/2colorUMWprimarywordmark.png","width":2255,"height":580,"caption":"University of Mary Washington"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UniversityofMaryWashington\/","https:\/\/x.com\/UMaryWash"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/81cd90fbc8c9a45401477e39ce19ef4b","name":"Jill Laiacona","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e90d188164a077b82e87432426af894f63e0df9845498c0dc984982f0d0ee890?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e90d188164a077b82e87432426af894f63e0df9845498c0dc984982f0d0ee890?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e90d188164a077b82e87432426af894f63e0df9845498c0dc984982f0d0ee890?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jill Laiacona"}}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-15 01:53:12","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/10\/NewRelease_Alumni150.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1236"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111273"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111307,"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111273\/revisions\/111307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111273"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=111273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}