RAYMOND – Rakim Rowleyarrived on the Raymond Campus out of high school likea lot ofinner-city youth, inneed of a direction and guidance.
Rakim Rowley
“I could’ve easily ended up a product of my environment,” Rowley said. “There was a lot of violence and criminal activity.”
Rowley, a native of Indianapolis, moved to the Jackson area in 2006 and attendedProvineHigh School. A back injury playing sports in high school affected his planning at the time mightily. “I really couldn’t afford to go to college, but that and the military were really my only plan.”
A life spent having no help was about to change for the better. He credits the environment of support he experienced at ̨ʹٷվ for a successful careerhe’sbuilding in the U.S. Navy.
“It was really a second opportunity at life,” said Rowley, currently a master at arms second class stationed at Naval SupportMayport, in Jacksonville, Fla. “Before, I didn’t apply myself as well as I should have. I was in the right place at the right time at ̨ʹٷվ.”
Once on campus, he served as districtStudent Government Associationpresident andbecame an officer in the Gamma Lambda chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, where the world first opened up to him as part of the group’s international studies in England and Costa Rica.He wasnamed a 3E outstanding student andwasalsoa resident assistantin the men’s residence halls.
“So many people at ̨ʹٷվ molded me in ways where I could be a leader,” Rowley said. “These people weren’t bluffing back then when they told me I could go to greater heights.”
Amongthem were his PTK advisers, Honors Institute Dean Debbie McCollum and Dr. Ben Cloyd, who is now Raymond Campus academic dean, as well as Vice President Dr. Theresa Hamilton.
“The first thing you notice aboutRakimis his huge smile,” McCollum said. “He just knows how to engage other people and make them feel welcome.”
McCollum remembers the study trip to Bridgwater College in England fondly, as it foreshadowed his job in the Navy working as a K9 handler with bomb-sniffing dogs like Raven, his black Labrador.
Rakim Rowley and his dog, Raven
“Rakimwas new to international travel, and when in London, he ate the best pizza he said he’d ever had,” she said. “So, he bought an extra pizza and stuffed it into his bag. When we came back through customs, a TSA dog hit on it. Former Honors Dean Kristi Sather-Smith had quite a time talkingcustoms officialsintonotgivingRakima huge fine. This story is particularly ironic and perhaps provided a glimpse into his future, when you consider Rakimhas workedinternationally and trained dogs for the military to sniff out bombs.”
After ̨ʹٷվ, he finished his bachelor’s in history from the University of Mississippi, where he remained active in PTK as an officer, then entered the Navy.He termed his start with the K9 unitmuch the same way most dog ownersdo when it comes to their own fur-babies.
“I didn’t choose it, but it did choose me,” he said. “There’s only about 300 of us in the Navy, roughly, and there’s a rigorous interview process beforehand. Being theperson I am, I thought, ‘Only the best can get in? Well, I’m going for it.’ I’ve always gone after leadership positions, soI grinded hard afterit.”
His ̨ʹٷվ mentors credit that kind of persistence for his success as a student then andsuchan outstanding officer nowthat he wasnamed Patrolman of the Year for 2018 by his superiors at theNavalfacility.His most recent award, in January 2019, is theMilitary Outstanding VolunteerService Medal from the Navy.
“Rakimwas part of a highly successful PTK officer team that had tremendous energy, curiosity, passionand a desire for excellence,” Cloyd said.“Rakimpersonifies all the attributes that make the Honors Program and Gamma Lambda such a worthwhile endeavor.”
Another part of his job involves supporting the Secret Service, which has let him travel with two presidents so far and have assignments for former presidents. In December, hewas assignedto work the funeral for former President George H.W. Bush, who died Nov. 30.
Of his ̨ʹٷվ experience, he said,“The vibe I got was ‘come take some classes and do something with your life.’They changed my mindset to not be scared and lazy, but to be confident.”
His mentorshaven’tlost confidence in him, either.
“With all his gifts and accomplishments,he is still a humble person,” Hamilton said. “I am looking forward to what he will accomplish.”
Note: This story appears in the spring 2019 issue of ̨ʹٷվight alumni magazine. Find out more information about the andFoundation scholarships.