Read about the impact that she has had on students and the meaningful objects she has on her desk in the latest issue of “CATALYST” magazine.
The impact that Virginia Rowthorn, JD, LLM, has had on students throughout her career is felt among the most meaningful objects she has on her desk.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Center for Global Engagement (CGE) executive director and assistant vice president for global engagement has two metal Veuve Clicquot Champagne containers that look like directional signs pointing to Buenos Aires and Paris, a gift from a student whose parents own a corner grocery store in New York.
“I love them from a design perspective but also love that this student shared her background story with me. Talking about the shop led to stories about her parents and their immigration to the U.S. and dreams for their daughter,” Rowthorn said. “It felt like an honor to be brought into that story and to play a very small part in helping those dreams come true.”
She also proudly displays a mug with a quote from the Dr. Seuss book “Oh, The Places You’ll Go,” a gift from a student whom Rowthorn helped overcome a difficult academic crisis.
“He knew the book so understood when I told him to channel the book’s main character —face the monster head-on and keep hiking. The moment felt dire, but it was just one step in a long journey, as long as he learned from it,” she said. “The gift was especially meaningful because ‘Oh, The Places You’ll Go’ carries new significance now that I lead the Center for Global Engagement. The mug is a daily reminder of my role at UMB — helping students reach new places in many different ways.”
Read more about Rowthorn at CATALYST magazine.
The latest issue of "CATALYST" magazine highlights the School of Medicine's impact building safer health systems in The Gambia; the School of Nursing's work with HIV and mental health in Nigeria; a Maryland Carey Law fellowship honoring the legacy of graduate Eric Garvin; UMB's health care pipeline for students from underserved rural areas such as the Eastern Shore; UMB's innovative policing; Five Questions with VP for Research Patrick O'Shea; and much more.