RAYMOND Rakim Rowley油arrived on the Raymond Campus out of high school like油a lot of油inner-city youth, in油need of a direction and guidance.
Rakim Rowley
I couldve 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 attended油Provine油High School. A back injury playing sports in high school affected his planning at the time mightily. I really couldnt 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 Hinds for a successful career油hes油building 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 Support油Mayport, in Jacksonville, Fla. Before, I didnt apply myself as well as I should have. I was in the right place at the right time at Hinds.
Once on campus, he served as district油Student Government Association油president and油became an officer in the Gamma Lambda chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, where the world first opened up to him as part of the groups international studies in England and Costa Rica.油He was油named a 3E outstanding student and油was油also油a resident assistant油in the mens residence halls.
So many people at Hinds molded me in ways where I could be a leader, Rowley said. These people werent bluffing back then when they told me I could go to greater heights.
Among油them 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 about油Rakim油is 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
Rakim油was new to international travel, and when in London, he ate the best pizza he said hed 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 talking油customs officials油into油not油giving油Rakim油a huge fine. This story is particularly ironic and perhaps provided a glimpse into his future, when you consider Rakim油has worked油internationally and trained dogs for the military to sniff out bombs.
After Hinds, he finished his bachelors in history from the University of Mississippi, where he remained active in PTK as an officer, then entered the Navy.油He termed his start with the K9 unit油much the same way most dog owners油do when it comes to their own fur-babies.
I didnt choose it, but it did choose me, he said. Theres only about 300 of us in the Navy, roughly, and theres a rigorous interview process beforehand. Being the油person I am, I thought, Only the best can get in? Well, Im going for it. Ive always gone after leadership positions, so油I grinded hard after油it.
His Hinds mentors credit that kind of persistence for his success as a student then and油such油an outstanding officer now油that he was油named Patrolman of the Year for 2018 by his superiors at the油Naval油facility.油His most recent award, in January 2019, is the油Military Outstanding Volunteer油Service Medal from the Navy.
Rakim油was part of a highly successful PTK officer team that had tremendous energy, curiosity, passion油and a desire for excellence, Cloyd said.油Rakim油personifies 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, he油was assigned油to work the funeral for former President George H.W. Bush, who died Nov. 30.
Of his Hinds experience, he said,油The vibe I got was come take some classes and do something with your life.油They changed my mindset to not be scared and lazy, but to be confident.
His mentors油havent油lost confidence in him, either.
With all his gifts and accomplishments,油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 Hindsight alumni magazine. Find out more information about the 油and油Foundation scholarships.