Hannah Barrios ’25 Honored as a 2023 Anderson Scholar
Honoring Character and Outstanding Achievement Alexis Swann M.B.A. ’93, Regional President of TowneBank; Hannah Barrios ’25; Dean A. Benjamin Spencer; and Betsy Anderson B.A. ’70, HON ’15, P ’00 pose with a portrait of the late Alvin Anderson during TowneBank’s 2023 Alvin P. Anderson Scholars reception. Photo by David F. Morrill
Hannah Barrios, a second-year student at William & Mary Law School, was honored as one of TowneBank’s 2023 Alvin P. Anderson Scholars on September 19. Barrios and undergraduate business major Matthew Hovelsrud ’24 each received a $5,000 scholarship and an inscribed crystal vase at a reception held at the bank’s Monticello Avenue office in Williamsburg.
The scholarships were first awarded in 2010 to honor the late Alvin P. Anderson, who graduated from William & Mary in 1970 and William & Mary Law School in 1972.
Betsy Calvo Anderson B.A. ’70, HON ’15, P ’00, a former Trustee of the William & Mary Law School Foundation, said that when TowneBank first put the Anderson Scholarship in place, she wrote a paragraph describing her late husband’s personal qualities.
“I was trying to flesh out the person I knew so that the students selected each year would reflect similar qualities of integrity and ethics, not just grade point average and a list of accomplishments,” Anderson said.
With that in mind, A. Benjamin Spencer, Dean and Trustee Professor at William & Mary Law School, introduced Barrios as “a wonderful choice for this year’s Anderson scholarship.”
Barrios hails from Pollock, Louisiana, and went on to excel at Louisiana State University, graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in English and political science. She was recipient of the Sean O’Keefe Leadership Award, which is given to LSU’s most outstanding student leader.
Barrios was active in student government and was elected LSU’s Student Body Vice President her junior year. With that election occurring in March 2020, she was among student leaders around the world who helped lead their campuses forward during the pandemic shutdown.
Dean Spencer said that during her time in office, Barrios also worked with lawyers, school administrators and state officials on campus safety issues and support for students who experienced sexual assault.
“That experience convinced her that she wanted to become a lawyer and advocate for others,” Spencer said.
Barrios has also excelled during her time at William & Mary Law School. She is a member of the William & Mary Law Review and has served as a 1L and 2L Student Bar Association representative. She is a member of the Moot Court Team and is active in the Women’s Law Society and the Public Service Fund. This past summer, she was a White House Intern in the Office of Management and Budget General Counsel.
Next summer, Barrios will join Vinson & Elkins LLP in Washington, D.C., as a summer associate, and is interested in exploring a career path in litigation, focusing on government investigations and antitrust work.
Barrios said she is truly enjoying her time in Williamsburg and is honored to receive the Anderson Scholarship.
“I'm so grateful to have been given such a great experience at the Law School and to learn from great professors and peers,” Barrios said. “I can only hope to uphold the same values as Mr. Anderson when I one day work as an attorney.”
About Alvin Anderson
Alvin Anderson was a managing partner at Kaufman & Canoles. In addition to serving others through his 36-year law career, Anderson contributed to his community in numerous ways. He was the director of both the Riverside Healthcare Association and Hampton Roads Academy, and he served on multiple TowneBank boards: Hampton Roads, Peninsula, and Williamsburg. Additionally, Anderson was the commissioner in chancery and the commissioner of accounts for the circuit courts of the City of Williamsburg and James City County.
In 1998, he received the William & Mary Alumni Medallion for his professional achievements and outstanding commitment to William & Mary. Anderson served his alma mater in many ways—as a member of the College’s Board of Visitors, as a trustee of the Law School Foundation, and as president of the Alumni Association.