Hometown Brag: Dr. Meg Rithmire, BHS Class of 2000 By K. Coats
When choosing which novels to cover in class, language arts teachers try to be deliberate with their choices. Something meaningful and appealing. Something unique. Something the students will like. Moreover, as much thought as teachers give to those novel choices, they aren’t usually anticipated to be life-changing. Well, for Brookwood class of 2000 graduate Dr. Meg Rithmire, that is exactly what happened. She remembers, “I started thinking about China because I had a project in my senior year at Brookwood on a book called Waiting by Ha Jin. The author lived in our community at the time and worked with our class. I am so grateful to him for caring enough about high school students to share his work and insights, and to Ms. Collins for pushing her students to see the world through literature.” The “Ms. Collins” Dr. Rithmire refers to is Brookwood High School retiree Jolinda Collins. “I have always been a dedicated reader,” Dr. Rithmire says, “and she worked so hard to push students to express their best ideas about what they read and encountered.” In addition to AP Literature, Dr. Rithmire also credits AP Government for introducing her to politics. After high school, Dr. Rithmire began a journey that would eventually lead her through Emory University before landing a position as a F. Warren McFarlan Associate Professor at Harvard. “I am a professor at Harvard Business School,” she explains, “where I primarily teach MBA students. My research and teaching focus on politics and the economy, and my regional focus is Asia and China. I teach about globalization from a wide range of perspectives, and my current research is about China’s domestic politics and US-China relations.” She credits both her school as well as her community for her interests. “I benefited a lot from growing up in the Atlanta area around a diverse group of people, and I am glad it grew more diverse as I grew up there,” Dr. Rithmire says. “I am sure my interest in Asia and the world comes from encounters with people who had lived
such different lives from mine. I am grateful I encountered them. I also got a great education at excellent public schools.” Another area Dr. Rithmire credits her success to is debate. “I started as a freshman and continued throughout high school, competing nationally and attending summer camps at the University of Michigan,” she remembers. “I did the fast talking, sort of crazy kind of debate, not the polished speech making. We did serious research. I learned to use a college library at fourteen. Nothing had a bigger impact on my development than debate. I also participated in a lot of volunteer organizations and student government.” No doubt, this also came in handy when defending her thesis, one of Dr. Rithmire’s proudest accomplishments. Reality can take some of the wind from one’s sail when pursuing one’s passions, and China was no exception for Dr. Rithmire. “I startContinued on page 20
now Open Sundays FIRST ANNUAL
OPEN TO
TALENT SHOW SIGN UP HERE >
ALL
WHERE
WHEN
MUSICIANS, SINGERS, DANCERS, RAPPERS, ACTORS, COMEDIANS, MAGICIANS, ETC. 144 E. CROGAN ST. LAWRENCEVILLE, GA 30046 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24 STARTING AT 9 PM
Whiskey & Cigars March 22 @ 6:30 pm Sponsored By
Bloody and Mimosa Bar Saturdays and Sundays
144 E Crogan St Lawrenceville, GA 30046 770-338-9274 info@socialoncrogan.com Working Hours: Sun - Thu: 11:00am - 12 am • Fri- Sat: 11 am - 2 am February 2022 Our Town Gwinnett
PAGE 11
