It had been more than a decade—and many life changes—since Melissa Sidwell Bowron (MA-IBP’25) last sat in a classroom. But this month, she graduated with a Master of Arts in International Business and Policy, a degree that combines her interests in foreign affairs with economics.
“My military service has taken me around the world and given me the chance to work with courageous professionals and cross-cultural teams,” says Bowron, an active duty U.S. Air Force officer who also gave birth to her daughter shortly prior to the program. “My coursework here has broadened my appreciation for the digitally fluent, critically minded younger generation. I wholly believe this is also the composition of the younger soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and guardians in our defense force.”
Coming back to school
Sidwell Bowron grew up surrounded by examples of service. Her grandfather, a WWII B-26 bomber pilot, flew 49 missions over the European theater, and her father spent his career in the U.S. Army devoted to public service. Their examples inspired her desire for an education with purpose, which first led her to a graduate program at King’s College London in 2022. But her deployment to the NATO Secure and Deter mission in support of Ukraine redirected her plans.
That experience ultimately brought her to Georgetown, to which she was drawn for its academic rigor, shared values, sense of purpose and strong support for veterans through the Yellow Ribbon Program. And not everyone enters with a business or economics background, Bowron notes, something she considers one of the program’s greatest strengths.
“As a new working parent, I also found deep camaraderie and invaluable ‘pro-tips’ from fellow students balancing careers, families and advanced study,” Bowron says, adding that her classmates’ technical and business fluency has been eye-opening and energizing, and their innovative thinking leaves her optimistic about the future of global leadership.
She also recalls the support she’s received as a veteran, particularly from faculty members like Professor Marc Busch, whose “generosity with his time and genuine interest in our military service reflected the best of what academia, business and public service can accomplish together,” she says. Within her cohort, the veteran community shares a special bond built on a shared understanding of service and a deep commitment to national security.
Learning inside and outside the classroom
Earlier this year, Bowron traveled to Brussels, Belgium, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, as part of her program’s international modules—“a perfect pairing of developed and developing economies,” she says.
In Brussels, her cohort stood at the intersection of global business and international institutions. In Ho Chi Minh City, witnessing Vietnam’s explosive postwar growth offered her a powerful lesson in how economic engagement can transform both quality of life and national prosperity.
She counts visiting the European Union and exploring the streets of Ho Chi Minh City on the back of a scooter during rush hours among her favorite Georgetown memories. While abroad, she also acquired proficiency in a new language—“the language of trade, tariffs and economics,” she jokes.
One of her favorite classes was Comparative Politics and Development Economics with Professor Raj Desai. According to Bowron, the course’s blend of country-specific analysis and development-focused business strategy deepened her understanding of how international policy and economic frameworks intersect—something that resonates throughout her studies and military career.
Bowron’s time at Georgetown also has inspired her to invest more in mentorship and explore the possibility of teaching in the future: “In our cohort, we had experts in everything from large language models to CFIUS alongside students having breakthrough moments in economics and business strategy. Facilitating the exchange of ideas across such diverse experiences is something I find genuinely meaningful. I would like to contribute to that kind of learning environment in the future.”
Motherhood, mission and the path ahead
Reflecting on her time at Georgetown, she says that auditing Professor Stephen Weymouth’s class on AI opportunities and implications in December 2024, shortly after the birth of her daughter, was a special memory. She recalls being welcomed into the class by a U.S. Coast Guard officer who graduated from the same high school she attended in Heidelberg, Germany. She also met another mother who had a child during the program, whose encouragement helped her believe that completing the degree while welcoming a new baby was not only possible, but worthwhile.
Reflecting on her time at Georgetown, she says that auditing Professor Stephen Weymouth’s class on AI opportunities and implications in December 2024, shortly after the birth of her daughter, was a special memory. She recalls being welcomed into the class by a U.S. Coast Guard officer who graduated from the same high school she attended in Heidelberg, Germany. She also met another mother who had a child during the program, whose encouragement helped her believe that completing the degree while welcoming a new baby was not only possible, but worthwhile.
“It reminded me that while balancing motherhood and graduate studies would be challenging, I was pursuing this degree not only for myself, but also to set an example that continuing education and professional growth are possible at every stage of life,” Bowron says.
Upon graduating from Georgetown, Sidwell Bowron plans to continue serving at the crossroads of national security, mentorship and innovation in her current role as an Air Force officer, carrying with her the SFS experience and lessons she’s picked up along the way.
Note: The views expressed are the service member’s and do not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force, or the U.S. Government. Her participation and appearance in any private or public events, sponsored or otherwise, or references, including external hyperlinks, to non-federal entities do not constitute or imply Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force or U.S. Government endorsement of any company or organization.