Psychology major creates scholarship to acknowledge role of theatre in her life and career
By the time she graduated from high school, Heritage Society member Diana Hamilton Cowell ’66 had attended 12 different schools and lived in several states and countries.
“As an Army brat and the oldest of seven children, it was serendipitous that I landed at Mary Washington and finally discovered a sense of stability and belonging,” she says. “There, I was able to pursue an interest while being completely immersed in a subject. I learned skills for logical thinking, and I learned more about being honorable.”
Diana majored in psychology and, during her last year, lived in Framar to participate in special seminars. To optimize her finances, she took heavy course loads and attended summer sessions so she could complete her education in three years. Having performed in a play when she was a child, Diana also took college-level theatre classes.
“My mother had performed in a theatrical touring group in France when she was in college,” says Diana. “So, I became a committed theatre-goer at a young age.”
Diana says she enjoyed all aspects of theatre at Mary Washington. She has fond memories of producing, staging, creating costumes, and directing the German fairy tale Till Eulenspiegel for a foreign language festival. Because of these experiences outside of her major, today Diana is in the process of creating a scholarship for students participating in theatre, but majoring in other subjects.
This new Diana Hamilton Cowell ’66 Scholarship will be the second scholarship Diana has established at Mary Washington. In 2015, she created the Grace Cutler Hamilton Scholarship for French Study to honor her late mother’s career as a French teacher.
After graduating from Mary Washington, Diana held several professional positions, all of which utilized her psychology degree and the skills and confidence she gained from her theatre experience.
She was an intern psychodrama therapist in the Psychodrama Department at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., for two years. As part of a small employee group at the hospital, she helped create and actively participated in an employee theatre group that coordinated plays for the patient population and surrounding community. “A wonderful result of The SAINTS’ productions was the development of networks among the different disciplines and facilities throughout the hospital,” says Diana.
While at St. Elizabeths, Diana learned sign language to work with a group of Deaf patients. That also is where she met her husband, Daniel, while he was finishing his psychiatric residency.
Diana continued her education and received a master of arts degree in teaching from Gallaudet University and then taught a small class of multiply handicapped Deaf at Gallaudet’s Kendall Demonstration Elementary School. A decade later, she received a master of social work degree from Catholic University and was able to fulfill her ultimate career goal as a medical social worker at Community Hospice in Ashland, Kentucky, and later at Hospice of Huntington in Huntington, West Virginia.
Wherever she went, Diana discovered the stage presence and poise she mastered from her Mary Washington theatre days helped her professionally – from competently leading therapy groups and one-on-one counseling sessions, to making formal board presentations and developing and presenting in-service educational programs.
“I can honestly say that much of what I have done in my life and career resulted from many of the experiences I had at Mary Washington,” says Diana. “Learning to communicate with people to support facts, lead programs, and provide comfort to those who are dying or losing a family member – you just never know where your life is going to go.”
As Heritage Society members, Diana and Dan have a trust in place to contribute to four charitable organizations close to their hearts, including Mary Washington. “Dan has come to love and respect Mary Washington as much as I do,” says Diana. “I’ve taken so much and learned so much, it’s truly a great honor to be able to give back.”
Now retired, the Cowells live in Delaware. They have four children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. They remain active volunteers in their community and currently are sponsoring two Deaf Ukrainian ladies in their home. Diana is teaching both American Sign Language.
Even with all these commitments, they continue to enjoy theatre, whether it be professional performances or local productions. “I firmly believe that theatre can be a part of your life in many ways,” says Diana. “You don’t have to perform or be on Broadway. You just have to enjoy it.”
For more information about establishing scholarships now or through your estate plans, contact Jan Clarke at jclarke@umw.edu or 540-654-2064.
Article by Donna Harter, UMW Advancement
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