Photo Courtesy of Professor Rhonda Dugan.
For Professor Dahna Stowe, becoming a sociology lecturer at CSU Bakersfield is more than a career milestone: it’s an embodiment of coming full circle. The proud CSUB alumna earned her bachelor’s degree in 2011 and her masters in 2013 from the very department she now teaches in, sociology.
“It feels good,” Stowe said. “Because I know the expectations of the [sociology] department. I know what the rigor of the curriculum did for me as a student, and now I have the ability to teach it.”
Her academic journey represents what she proudly describes as a “full-circle” experience. Today, she stands at the front of the same classrooms where she once sat, teaching courses like Introduction to Research Methods, the same course Dr. Rhonda Dugan taught her as an undergraduate.
Her journey back to CSUB was inspired by the deep love she has for the university community and by the gentle hand of the mentor who guided her, Dr. Dugan, professor and department chair of sociology.
“She genuinely took me under her wing,” Stowe said. “If it weren’t for my relationship with Dr. Dugan, I wouldn’t have even thought about teaching here… I tell students to develop relationships with their faculty. Those mentors can guide you both professionally and personally.”
The experience of being mentored by Dr. Dugan influenced Stowe’s teaching philosophy and how Stowes approaches her own students. She believes mentorship can not only benefit a student’s academic pathway but also support their sense of belonging in higher education.
For Stowe, teaching sociology is more than explaining the dynamics of society, it’s about showing students that they have the power and the ability to create change. Stowe’s teaching philosophy centers on the belief in transformation.
“We often think issues in society are too big for one person to change… all great social change has somehow started with young people,” Stowe said. “You are a legitimate member of this society, and you have the right and responsibility to be engaged in it.”
As a first-generation college graduate who grew up in poverty, Stowe understands the significance of opportunity and representation in higher education. Stowe knows firsthand the various social and academic barriers students potentially face.
“People like me and you weren’t supposed to be here,” she said. “Someone fought for our right to be here, and we need to honor that sacrifice by doing our best and helping others come after us.”
Stowe’s pride in CSUB is deeply rooted, not only is she a faculty member but also the proud parent of three CSUB alumnae and a donor who continues to give back to programs that align with her core values.
“I’m the first in my family to graduate from college,” she said. “Now my daughters have master’s degrees, and another is close to earning one. Education changes families, it changed mine.”
As Stowe and Dugan relationship developed from mentor-mentee to colleagues, their friendship only deepened.
“She [Stowe] is a friend now, a really good friend,” Dugan said. “She is very considerate, generous, and supportive in thinking about how she can help students in all sorts of ways,”
For Stowe, teaching sociology at CSUB is more than a profession, it’s a way to give back to the community that continues to shape her while inspiring the next generation of students.