Maggie Bowman decided to go back to school four years ago to earn a doctorate of educational leadership. Currently, she teaches two blocks of ninth grade world history, coaches track and cross country, serves as the dean for the class of 2025, and plays such a big role in so many lives of high school students. 

In May of 2020, both her and her husband made the decision to go back to school. They had both had hopes of doing it at some point, and Bowman believes by going back to school at the same time, “in some ways it made it even more crazy” but it also made sense, as “both of our lives were consumed by school” at the time. This commitment on top of both of their jobs required dedication, and “we had kind of a thought that Saturday evenings were our fun time, so we would spend time with friends or family, or go on a date, or whatever it is, but weekday evenings were for getting work done, and we pretty much had to stick to that schedule.”

Going into the program, Bowman didn’t have a specific goal in mind, however she also had hopes that by earning her doctorate, more opportunities in the future would be open. She isn’t sure exactly what her future looks like in administration and/or teaching, but knows that a lot more doors are open with her new degree. 

After graduating college is really where she figured out what she wanted to do when she grew up. She saw how professors supported the students, and really learned to “appreciate how much a professor could influence the experience of a college student.” 

Bowman became a dean around the same time she went to back to school. Her goal when starting out as a dean and educator was to make the same lasting impact she observed her professors having on her and other students in college. Even in the short four years she has been a serving as a dean, she has made a lasting impact in so many lives of students. Always having a smile on her face, Bowman is known for being able to brighten every room she walks into. 

She holds a bachelor in ethics, which is how she started teaching in the social studies department. The year between college and grad school is when Bowman realized that she would love to be in a role at a high school where she could also coach. She coached NCAA during this year. Today, she coaches both cross country and track. 

Bowman says that a key aspect of her being able to maintain her role as a coach of track and cross country, as well as being a dean was that “one of the reasons I was able to do it was that my colleagues at Blake were super supportive.” 

Although she didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do after college, it is evident that Bowman has supported and influenced so many lives of students, just as she had witnessed so many of her professors do in college.