Home is Where the Heart is: Latasha Gatling Builds a Business on a Bowie State Foundation

The first thing Latasha Gatling ‘02, who has a B.S. in history & government with a minor in Pan-African studies wants you to know is that Bowie State University will always be home to her.

“Even two decades after I graduated, Bowie State is like family because of its community. I love that it's such a nurturing campus, from the faculty and staff to the students. The whole community continues to feel like home, and I know I can always rely on everyone there.”

Gatling has taken Bowie State’s culture of unity and connection with her throughout her career and personal journey. After earning a Master of Arts in history from Morgan State University, she became a historian for the Army National Guard. While in her 20s, she became the youngest person in history to be elected as councilmember-at-large for the city of Seat Pleasant, Maryland. A highlight of her term was an invitation to the White House, where she met President Barack Obama, who hosted a group of young elected officials from across the nation.

Gatling is a native of Prince George’s County with deep roots in the community. She is a history teacher at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, a national Blue Ribbon School recognized for outstanding academic performance. With more than 16 years in higher education, she has taught a variety of courses, including U.S. history, African American history, military history and the history of Africa.

She also is the founder of 4.10boutique , which blends her values of communal bonds and creative flair with an entrepreneurial drive. Her online clothing retail site specializes in customized branded apparel and accessories for sororities and fraternities nationwide. She exemplifies the entrepreneurial mindset Bowie State University instills in its students — transforming vision into venture and purpose into sustainable impact.

Gatling’s business evolved from an events planning company she started a decade ago. “After my son was born in 2015, I planned elaborate birthday parties for him every year,” she says. “Friends, family and neighbors noticed the attention to details and began asking me to design themed decor for their own celebrations, such as customized cups, plates and cakes.”

Since then, Gatling scaled her business and brought her services to an audience she knows well. “Today I get inspiration and ideas from my own experiences at Bowie State as a member of the Eta chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.” Her participation in Greek life was just one of the many student activities she pursued as an undergraduate.

“I was president of my freshman class, and being involved in the Student Government Association was a great experience. It’s one of the ways I found my voice at Bowie. A big activity was the Homecoming pep rally and that’s how I learned to juggle a lot of planning details.”

Her deep sense of family-style connection at Bowie State is especially obvious when she’s asked about her fondest memories. “I clearly remember hearing the marching band practicing as they came through the yard from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center down to the football field,” she recalls. “When we all heard that band, we really came alive.”

As a mother and a teacher, Gatling’s instinct for nurturing is unmistakable. She was graduate advisor for Bowie State’s Eta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for more than 10 years. "I have a lot of relationships on campus that I still foster." As a way to show her appreciation for her Bowie State experiences and opportunities, she founded the Latasha Gatling/4.10 Boutique Endowment . “I definitely like giving back to the Bowie State community and youth. I plan on this scholarship being available to Bowie students very soon. ”

Speaking of current students, Gatling has encouraging words of advice: “Soak in all the knowledge you can get from Bowie State and learn as much as you can. Because once you leave Bowie, you’ll find that there's nowhere else like Bowie! It will always be home, and you will always be a Bulldog no matter where you go.” Although she attended graduate school elsewhere, Gatling says Bowie State still gets top billing.

“When people ask me where I went to college, I always say Bowie.”

In her free time, Gatling and her family pursue their passion for world travel and consider themselves part of the global community.

“We've been to Dubai, Europe, various Caribbean islands, Canada and Alaska. Bowie State is where I really learned to love the concept of one community, and it’s where I learned how to go out and navigate the world.”