Date:
4/27/2004
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253
Reporter: Helena Rodriguez
PORTALES—Two Eastern New MexicoUniversity students will set sail to the crystal blue waters of theCaribbean this summer, but it won't all be fun in the sun. RosalindCurtis and Mickie Stowe have been chosen to participate in a two-weekprogram designed to prepare students from around the world forchallenges in Caribbean as well as global leadership positions.
Dr. Caryl Johnson, assistant professor of family and consumer sciences at ENMU, recommended the two undergraduates for the intense program which will run from May 24 to June 6 at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas. Students will earn two-and-a-half hours of college credit from the institute, which will consist of lectures, reading assignments, laboratory exercises, classroom discussions, field trips and a leadership prospectus that each student will design and adapt in their given field.
According to Stowe, the institute is all about helping students to emerge as global leaders in their vocation of choice, with emphasis given to multiculturalism in an increasingly diverse global economy. "Because of the
Internet and better communication today, we need an even better global understanding, we need to understand other people's cultures in order to do business," Stowe said. "ENMU offers classes in global diversity in its
business program."
Curtis is looking forward to the global institute, saying, "I'll be able to get a lot of insight because everybody will have different points of views, coming from different parts of the world. Every culture has its good and its
bad, its wealth and its poverty, and I believe we all have something to offer to each other."
Stowe is majoring in family and consumer sciences with an emphasis in business. Following graduation, she wants to start a business in Portales of designing and manufacturing girls' Western wear.
Stowe recently received an outstanding achievement award in family consumer science. She considers herself a late bloomer, beginning her career in 2002 after raising two children. She and her husband also have a three-year-old granddaughter.
As for Curtis, 31, she is a single mother of three children ranging in ages from 8 to 13. Curtis is a sophomore from Post, Texas, majoring in multicultural studies. She eventually wants to earn a Ph.D. and teach at a college level.
After exploring careers in nursing, criminal justice, medical office and secretarial, Curtis believes she has found her passion now in multicultural studies and has been active in promoting multiculturalism on campus. She is the student director of the Office of African-American Affairs. In addition, she is an ordained evangelist and is active with Deliverance Temple in Clovis and is involved with an on-campus, nondenominational Bible study. As leader of the African-American Affairs Office, Curtis has been active in many cultural functions on campus. Her pet project with the office has been the Wusuta project in which the office sponsors a small impoverished village in West Africa. During Easter, the office did an outreach program with the Baptist Children's Home in Portales.
Curtis and Stowe will take items that represent New Mexico and its cultures to share with people at the global institute. Stowe said they will likely take something like green chili and Native American jewelry. To help pay for
the trip, Curtis has received a $1,000 scholarship from the University of the Virgin Islands.
Johnson said both women are also getting financial assistance from ENMU.
