A lifetime of passion, hired at 22

Students and teachers alike have their own set of goals in which they dedicate time and effort into achieving. This is no expectation to Armijo teacher, Mr. David “DJ” Bowen, whose career goals have set him on the path of education.

Having attended Saint Mary’s College, Mr. Bowen was given the opportunity to participate in a service trip his sophomore year. This experience came to inspire his decision into a career in education as he worked at a Philadelphia grade school. As a mathematics major, Mr. Bowen saw the career to make sense with his field of study, “It fits well those two things kind of working simultaneously. My major sort of defining itself and also doing something I really enjoyed.”

Once his decision was made Mr. Bowen dedicated himself to his studies and was able to become a full time teacher even before his credentials were completed. This goal-driven attitude allowed him to take on many positions before accepting his current role at Armijo High School. He was hired for the position at the age of 22, the day before his 23 rd birthday.

Now, with seven years at Armijo, Mr. Bowen explains that his teaching style has changed over the years as he’s evaluated where he adds discipline and obedience into his classroom.

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Bowen has been coaching football and basketball for the past seven years. Having been a sports journalist for his college newspaper, Mr. Bowen has taken his knowledge to coach players. When asked if he finds any similarities between teaching and coaching he said, “Any good coach needs to be able to break down the learning just how a teacher does. I’m going to show you how to do it, I’m going to have you do it individually on your own, I’m going to give you feedback on that, and then I’m going to let you try it on your own without any of me and we’ll add more people”.

Mr. Bowen’s latest achieved goal was being an elected member on the Dixon School Board. During the midst of the pandemic, Mr. Bowen learned what it took to run a campaign and take on the responsibilities of a board member. Being a member of the Board has given him a new perspective on teaching. “I hadn’t really realized how important changes in law really affect what goes on in a classroom.”

Through years of dedication Mr. Bowen has been able to achieve his dreams and now is able to share his interest with education and learning with his own students.