Ms. Rowena Gesick has worked in education for over 20 years. She previously worked with Virginia Beach City Public Schools as a Family Outreach Representative and worked in the Health and PE department early in her VBCPS career. She also has experience as an online ESL tutor. Rowena earned her master’s in education in Education Policy and Leadership from the American University in Washington, D.C. and has a B.S. in Communications.

Rowena has lived in three different countries, four different states, and six different cities. She lived in Hawaii as a child and loved living in Germany and exploring Europe as a teenager. She enjoys going on hikes, traveling, cooking, writing, and new experiences. Rowena has lived in the Virginia Beach community for the past 25 years and is a proud sports/music mom to two daughters. She is also a dog mom to two German shepherds.

Growing up, Rowena was surrounded by the Christian faith through both of her parents’ religious upbringing. She believes that her faith and hope in the spirit continues to help her through the challenges that life brings. She is very proud to have been a part of a grassroots effort to introduce Seizure Safe Schools legislation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Her youngest daughter helped lead a group of amazing advocates to pass the Jamie and Brie Strong Act for Seizure Safe Schools in 2021. Despite the challenges it took, Rowena believes due to the promise she and her daughter made to each other and their continued faith this bill became law.