Dr. Mya T. Bowen '00, M'02, M'05, D'13,I had intended to get a job and earn some money after graduation, but I received a fellowship letter inviting me to take part in graduate studies at the Barney School. When they offered me that along with an internship, I couldn’t say no.”
Mya Bowen received her first degree from the University of Hartford in 2000, graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s in business administration. Though only in her thirties, she knows it’s never too early to plan for the future.
In 2014, Bowen established the Mya T. Bowen Business Scholarship for black/African American female business students. She also made a planned gift by naming the University as a beneficiary of her life insurance policy.
“I couldn’t have attended Hartford without the financial aid I received,” said Bowen. “Now I want to give back so that today’s students can benefit the way I did. And I want to leave a legacy where somebody else benefits when I’m gone.”
Bowen and her brother grew up in Hartford, raised by a
“I think it was around sixth grade that I found out what college was, and I knew I wanted to go in that direction.” Bowen earned her GED and, thanks to scholarships and a generous financial aid package, started attending UHart at the age of 17 with the plan of entering the job market right after college.
“When I was a sophomore or junior, I was so ready to start working. I grew up in poverty, so I had intended to immediately get a job and earn some money, but about a month after I graduated, I received a fellowship letter inviting me to take part in graduate studies at the Barney School. When they offered me that along with an internship, I couldn’t say no.”
Through hard work and perseverance, she went on to earn master’s degrees in professional accounting and in business administration, while teaching as an adjunct professor at Hillyer College from 2003-2005. She then received her doctorate in educational leadership in 2013. Today, Bowen is the Program Director and Lead Instructor of the Computer, Networking, and Security Program at the American Institute in West Hartford, where she prepares students to meet the challenges of technology in today’s business world.
Attending the University of Hartford forever changed Bowen’s life path. Now, she is influencing the lives of students every day, and through planned giving, she will continue to impact lives through perpetuity.