Ms. Bowers is retiring after she finishes up her 24th year of teaching Ceramics. As a Somerset High School graduate, and long time teacher in our school, she has had many exciting experiences and memories at both the new building and old one. She and her classes have also created and put into action many ideas that helped to benefit the community. On June 8th, I interviewed her to learn a little about her experiences teaching and what kind of legacy she will leave behind once she has said her good-byes to our school.

Ms. Bowers recalled many great and exciting memories from teaching. Her favorites seemed to mostly have taken place in the old building. She described it and the new school as being “two [different] places.” Some of the funnier memories that she shared were the senior pranks, and an instance where a squirrel came into the building. She also mentioned a time when a kid jumped into, and got stuck in a bucket of clay. She then described the hilarity of extracting the student from the bucket.  She laughed about these experiences as fun times that no longer seem to happen in the new school.  When asked what she will miss the most about teaching, Ms. Bowers said that she’ll miss “moments like this.” She said that she loved being able to sit down and have one-on-one conversations with students.

Throughout her teaching career, Ms. Bowers has also contributed many things to the community with her art work, and with projects that she completed with students.  In her classes, Ms. Bowers didn’t just teach students how to create art, but she also taught students how art can bring a community together.  Many of their collaborations are also meant to help communities heal.  Among two of her most notable creations were the Wind Phone and the Remembrance Memorial.  The Wind Phone project, created with the help of the classes of 2024 and 2025, is a place where people can go to communicate with family and friends who have passed. It is a private area at the Elm St. Acres Trailhead in Somerset where a phone sits from which people can “call” their lost family members.

In November of 2006, Ms. Bowers began making the Remembrance Memorial. With the help of the 2008 and 2009 classes and notable members of the community including Gold Star families who lost loved ones, she completed the memorial, which was “Dedicated to U.S. servicemen and women who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as those who continue to serve.” Unfortunately, the memorial had to be taken down in July of 2013, but small pieces still remain to continue honoring these veterans. 

Throughout her teaching career, Ms. Bowers had many great accomplishments and creations that helped the community. Although she will be leaving our school, she will be leaving a legacy of kindness, compassion, and empathy for the next generation of Raiders. With the extra time that comes from retirement, she hopes to continue sharing her time and energy with the community, and helping the people and animals that she cares so deeply about. Ms. Bowers will definitely be missed!