Linda Rowley Became a Teacher of Teachers

From an early age, Linda Monsen Rowley (’70) dreamed of being an elementary school teacher. SUU helped her reach her dream and more, as she became an educator, mentor, and teacher of teachers.

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Linda graduated from South High School in 1965. After some coaxing from an uncle, who was the superintendent of schools in Beaver County, she decided to visit what was then the College of Southern Utah (known now as SUU). Linda loved what she found on her visit: a small campus, friendly people, superior teachers, and an excellent education department. She chose to enroll at SUU, and says that decision proved to be one of the best of her life.

While a student, Linda immersed herself in academics and all that college life had to offer. She loved her education classes, worked in the education department, joined Chi Sigma Upsilon Sorority, and even participated in the homecoming tradition of mud football with members of the 5^th Dimension, who happened to be on campus for the homecoming concert. Linda was a catalyst for cooperation among the fraternities and sororities at the time, and served on a college council where she promoted Greek unity. Her years at SUU prepared her well to become a teacher, and along the way she gained stronger tolerance of others and leadership skills that positively shaped her future career pursuits. She also gained lifelong friends that still return to campus each year for homecoming.

Linda began her 34-year teaching career by running the Step Ahead Preschool with Vicki Wright Gomez, a high school and SUU friend. She taught parenting classes for the Salt Lake School District, was employed by the Jordan School District as an elementary school teacher, administrator, and facilitator of the Jordan School District/BYU Partnership. Linda also worked for BYU as a clinical faculty member and liaison where she taught courses and supervised all phases of pre-service education for the BYU/Public School Partnership. She trained and mentored many successful educators.

“My students have excelled to become remarkable teachers, authors, administrators, and to hold district and university positions,” she says. “It was my goal to be able to turn the most important position of educating children over to capable well trained professional teachers.”

While at SUU, Linda met and married Cedar City native Dennis Rowley. The couple will celebrate 48 years of marriage this year, and are the parents of three children (two attended SUU), and have eight grandchildren (one attended SUU and another is a freshman this year), and two great-grandchildren.

Family is Linda’s most important possession, and she enjoys activities with them such as “comfort” camping at their cabin at Bear Lake, golf, reading, traveling and sleeping in. She and Dennis have visited every state in the U.S., and have also visited Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Africa. She is actively serves in her church and remains involved with professional educational organizations, even though she has retired. 

Linda credits SUU for helping her define purpose in her professional life, discovering she could accomplish anything she set out to do, and that tasks have better end results when completed by a team.