Current Release: April 28th, 2009 | Vol. XXX Iss. 10

Photo By meghan see

Rothwell: A rebel in her own right

By adam marx

apmarx@vwc.edu

Have you been walking near the mailroom and felt a feeling of comfort take over your body? The smell of warmth waft into your nostrils? This magnificent atmosphere doesn t come from the cafeteria or even the Grille. Just open the door into the ambiance of the business office and you will find the source of that cozy atmosphere.

 I like to melt candles, says Ronda Rothwell.

She is the welcoming woman who sits on the other side of the window, answering and helping students all day. One day Dean of Students David Buckingham opened the door and asked,  What is that awful smell? Since then, Rothwell has a candle melting in the eating area, where students often find themselves scratching their heads over numbers and papers.

This spunky young-hearted lady isn t just a cashier, although it is her job title. She is also a grandmother to three kids: 7 - year - old Avery; 9 - year - old JP and 14 month old Austin.

 I get them on the weekends, and they stay over on Saturday nights, she says with a bright smile.

She enjoys taking them shopping and riding bikes with them as well. Ronda also does pottery about once a month in her free time.

 Ronda has never changed, said junior Tricia Wilhelm.  She will always be the humble and gracious woman that everyone knows and loves.

Wilhem often finds herself scrambling for last-minute bookstore vouchers to pick up some last-minute books.

 Ronda has become a good friend here at campus, said Wilhem.  My mother has even taken up the habit of weekly phone calls to keep in touch.

If you re looking for her between noon and 1 p.m., you re not going to find her in her usual spot on the other side fo the window. This is her time to work out. She hits the gym on campus every day during lunch hour.

 Go to the gym, shower, back to my desk to eat lunch, Rothwell said.

She claims that it keeps her happy and vibrant. Don t try and join her. She gets her workouts done alone.

I don t think I could do it any other way, Rothwell said.  Alone and rocking to the beats of FM radio station 104.5.

Where does Rothwell s  Life is too short attitude come from? She is a breast cancer survivor. Three years ago, Rothwell was diagnosed and started treatment. She wore a scarf over her head when she was going through radiation.

 Everyone was very supportive during my treatment, she said.

She missed just three months of work before she was back in the window serving students.

For five years she and her husband, a government contractor, lived on the beach of Andros Bahamas.

 This was the most exciting time of my life, Rothwell said.

Rothwell read depth and target charts for the U.S. Navy while in Andros. In a poverty - stricken area, she often exchanged clothes and dishes with locals for braiding her hair. A tax-free, cheap lifestyle filled with sand and sun and scenic bike rides was her routine. Rothwell and her husband have since kept in touch and even visited their friends on Andros Island.

Rothwell hasn t always been the business office cashier at Virginia Wesleyan. Six years ago she worked in the mail room, across the hall form her current desk. Her husband s job forced them to move to Florida for a couple of years. When she got word that they were moving back to Chesapeake three years ago, she contacted a friend who was still employed by VWC. This friend told Rothwell three was a job open in the business office. Without hesitation Rothwell applied for her current job.

 The kids, that s what makes me so happy and youthful, Rothwell said.

The students are her favorite part of the job. With a giggle she explains that she is frequently moving flags on students accounts so that they are able to drop or add classes. This helps the students slip by the financial burden for a day or two, allowing them to situate their schedule. Helping students is what she does best.

Don t be surprised if the next time you walk into the business office you might find Rothwell with her nose pierced.  Just a little stud, nothing big. Her bright smile widens, as if she were a young teen discussing rebel thoughts. She has been thinking and wanting a little spunk, like a nose piercing This is part of the freedom in her lifestyle that she enjoys so much.  I m a people person, she said,  and I just enjoy and love the students.