Where Are They Now? Renee Arnold McGlothlin

Born in Trinidad and Tobago and raised in Canada, Renee Arnold McGlothlin moved to Landover, Md., for 10th grade.

More than two decades later, Arnold McGlothlin says the decision to stick close to her new home to play collegiate volleyball at GW changed her life.

"There's so many people who believed in me at GW, and I think that's what I needed at that time," Arnold McGlothlin said. "It certainly has helped me. It gave me the confidence to know that I can do so many things."

Since winning an Atlantic 10 title with the Colonials as a senior in 2000 and graduating the following spring, Arnold McGlothlin has devoted her career to higher education.

At 23, the former GW outside hitter became a Division I head coach at Delaware State to kick off an eight-year run before moving on to the administrative side. Today, she's a Title IX investigator at Towson University, where her duties include serving as a liaison to the athletic department.

Arnold McGlothlin's commitment in the classroom has endured, as well. Since graduating from GW, she has earned two graduate degrees, and she's currently pursuing a PhD in education from Morgan State in an effort to take the next step in a career built around uplifting college students.

"For me, it's about helping other people," Arnold McGlothlin said. "That's what my dad always taught me: It's about people. Not money, not the things that you have. It's our interactions with people every day that are most important."

Arnold McGlothlin is still using the leadership skills she developed as a member of the Buff and Blue.

She was a two-year captain leading the Colonials, culminating in an A-10 regular season title, tournament championship and NCAA trip to Nebraska to face South Carolina. That 2000 group featured five senior starters who were determined to finish their collegiate career on top.

"We were intentional about everything we were doing," Arnold McGlothlin remembered. "We had meetings about 'How do we help these younger kids help us?' It was about our senior year and what we were going to do."

That mix of maturity and competitive fire helped Arnold McGlothlin land the job at Delaware State in 2004 after one season as an assistant at Maryland Eastern Shore.

That first season she brought in a handful of junior college prospects who were only a year or two younger than she was, but she made it work to launch a run that included 108 victories and seven MEAC Tournament appearances.

After a brief break to focus on her son Logan and daughter Bailey, Arnold McGlothlin switched gears toward student affairs, first at Delaware's Wesley College and at Towson since 2017.

Working in the Title IX office, her duties are split between education across campus and investigating cases of alleged sexual misconduct. There can be tough days, but it's rewarding work.

"Most of the time, you're coming in when someone's gone through probably one of the worst things that can happen to you," Arnold McGlothlin said. "We're there to help as much as we can."

While balancing a full-time job and two kids at home in Baltimore, Arnold McGlothlin is progressing towards her PhD with a focus on the history of education. Things can get hectic, but she still makes time for volleyball as a referee for club games on the weekends.

The sport has done so much to open doors for Arnold McGlothlin, especially making the jump from Northwestern High School to Foggy Bottom back in 1997.

Her 2000 team's legacy is secure. Coming up on the 20^th anniversary of the program's most recent title, GW head coach Sarah Bernson has made sure to share their story, highlighted by a recent Zoom chat with Patrice Arrington, a former U.S. National Team member who was a volunteer assistant with that squad.

Just as important, Arnold McGlothlin's prowess on the court led to important moments in her life off of it, such as the chance to speak at the groundbreaking for the new GW Hospital building, that set her on the way to a fulfilling career.

"People just placed a lot of opportunities in front of me," Arnold McGlothlin said. "I'm glad I was brave enough to take them."

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