Cynthia Mertens - Family
I am married to Jim Rowan, a lawyer-turned computer guru, who is a Senior Programmer in Information Technology at Santa Clara University. We have three grown children – Laura, Mike and Kevin – who add color and adventure to our lives. Laura is a massage therapist, working in two locations: at Burke Williams at Santana Row in San José and at Body Therapy Services in Campbell, where she specializes in CranioSacral massage. She is married to Trent Collins who is in the process of completing his undergraduate education. Laura loves to read and travel and is an outstanding creative writer. She is currently writing the biography of a very interesting friend of mine. Mike graduated from Chico State University with a degree in Medical Services Administration and recently completed a year-long paramedic program. He currently works for both the Lake Almanor fire department and Enloe Ambulance Service in Chico. Kevin is following his passion – cooking. He graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and is employed as a chef at the Ritz Carlton. When we are lucky (which isn’t often), we are the beneficiaries of his culinary skills – they are truly remarkable.
In August 2006, a young student from Uzbekistan joined our household while he studied at the SCU Law School’s Center for Global Law & Policy. Jon quickly became our Uzbek "son" and an important part of our lives. He is now entering his second year of law school at SCU and is going to be in the J.D./MBA program here. We feel very lucky to have him in our home, as he is thoughtful, kind, funny and extremely intelligent! (In addition to Uzbek, Russian and English, he speaks Turkish, Polish and German.)
I enjoy traveling, which explains why I ran overseas programs over the years. In my last year as a Stanford undergrad, I studied in Vienna, Austria, and traveled extensively, going as far as Istanbul, Turkey, and up to the Scandinavian countries. After working in California for a few months, I returned to Europe and hitchhiked and traveled through France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, what was then Yugoslavia, Austria, and over to Spain, Morocco and Portugal. Since graduating from law school, I have run Santa Clara’s overseas program in Hong Kong, and have traveled to China, Russia, Israel, Mexico and many other places. I also ran the law school’s Geneva/Strasbourg program in 1995, 1997 and 1999. In the summer 2006, I directed the Strasbourg portion of the program. In the summer of 2007, I co-directed our relatively new program in Costa Rica which was an amazing experience. The course was extremely well-done, and having the opportunity to experience Costa Rica’s beauty was quite an experience. My son Mike joined me and, the first weekend, we white-water rafted (many Class IV rapids) 19 miles down the Pacquare River, staying overnight in a gorgeous eco-lodge. He also convinced me to try zip-lining and repelling – and I’m glad to say I’ve "been there, done that" and may not do either again. Needless-to-say, getting to know people in different cultures is fascinating.
I've taken two law student groups on immersion trips to El Salvador, once in January 2004 and again in January 2006. In January 2009, I will take my third group. While there, we study the justice system and human rights. The students prepare by taking an academic course in the Fall before the trip. The trip was inspired by a previous SCU faculty immersion trip to El Salvador that I had taken in March 2001. The student immersion trips, as well as the faculty trip, have been the most intense professional development experiences in my life.
In August 2006, I was asked to assume the responsibilities of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, an administrative position that has allowed me to interact daily with both faculty and students which I enjoy. We are also working on improving the curriculum, making sure both our day and evening division students get the courses they need. Scheduling classes is always a challenge!
In addition to teaching and research, I fill my time in a variety of ways. I am particularly interested in (1) open adoptions (two of our children are adopted and we maintain a wonderful relationship with both birth mothers and their children), (2) reading, (3) hiking and (4) exercising. Exercise is central to my mental well-being!
I am currently training for a sprint triathlon to raise money for cancer research. SCU has put together a team of 20, and the camaraderie and support among the members is a wonderful experience. Of course, I may drown swimming that quarter mile, but the 12 mile bike ride and 2 mile run shouldn’t be a problem. I figured it was "now or never" – as I’m not getting any younger. Luckily my adventurous husband is doing it with me.
Our family maintains a very open house, and we have had people from all over the world live with us for various periods of time. We love to entertain, as my students can tell you. We gain so much from those who share our lives!
