Silvia Dowell, PVCC’s Jane of all Trades

Shawn Kochhar, staff writer

When students want to keep in contact with PVCC after graduating or receive a scholarship, Silvia Dowell is the one to facilitate it. A renaissance woman, Dowell does it all.

Dowell is the scholarship and alumni association coordinator at PVCC. She runs the scholarship program for the PVCC Educational Foundation which involves talking to prospective donors, stewarding donors and overseeing the selection process for the scholarships that get awarded.

For instance, she is currently coordinating the annual Thanks-4-Giving scholarship dinner.  She also stays in contact with alumni and keeps them engaged with PVCC.

Dowell was born and raised in Crozet. She aspired to be a coach and teacher. After graduating from Western Albemarle High School, she attended Longwood University and PVCC. Then she started working in development and fundraising at UVA.

She is also currently studying for her masters degree at Mary Baldwin. Dowell has been working at PVCC for eight years and has been a state employee for 28.

She plans to keep working at PVCC  as she finishes her masters degree.

Dowell used to help with Boy Scout troop with her husband who was the Scout Master. She currently serves on the CATEC Foundation Board and was also named to the Parent Council at Longwood University.

She has been a coach and president of a baseball league.

Her love of coaching was influenced by her father who was a referee for 30 years and is now a director of scouting and recruitment for referees in the NFL.

Her stepfather served in the Vietnam War which has also inspired her to work as the past  President of American Legion Auxiliary #74, a group that supports people who have served in the military.

Dowell is married and has a 23-year-old son that attends PVCC. They raise cows, miniature donkeys and rescue collies in their spare time.