My name is Ashley Bowen, I was born in Clearwater, Florida on September 12, 1983. My parents, Tom and Stacy, had both relocated to Florida after high school where they met and eventually married, they had one more daughter, Jessica in 1985 before making the long treck north to Kalamazoo, Michigan. After a few years my parents had one more girl, Megan. The three of us are different as night and day but we are sisters and in the end share a very strong bond. My sisters and I grew up in Kalamazoo public schools where my passion for literature began. As a young student I spent most of my time outside climbing trees and riding my bike but in sixth grade my teacher, Ms. Castle would read to us every afternoon. This sparked my interests and curiosity in literature. I began reading books on my own and taking suggestions from Ms. Castle and other teachers. I was hooked, an official book lover! In seventh grade my family moved to Portage and I began at West Middle school. This was quite the change from Milwood Middle, and to say the least a culture shock. At first I didnt fit in so I retreated to books. As middle school continued I began to fit in and I found a good social circle, played on the basketball and volleyball team, and even worked for the yearbook in eighth grade. The following fall I began my high school career at Portage Northern High School, home of the Huskies! I began the year focusing on my athletic career. I played JV basketball and started on the local travel volleyball club. In Janurary, when volleyball season started I decided to change up my school schedule to lighten my load so that I could focus on my game. So I dropped biology, deciding to put it off until my sophomore year and picked up forensics. At first I thought that this would be a blow off class that I wouldn't have to worry about, but after the first day I was scared to death. That crazy teacher wanted us to give 3-4 speeches throughout the semester. That ment research, memorization, character development, and much more, none of which I understood at the time. I quickly went to my guidance counciler's office and begged to get out of the class. Her answer was "Sorry, I cant switch you back and there are no other classes that hour, you will have to deal, besides it is only the first day, you may end up liking it!" I thought she was insane, but I suffered through the first week and it actually started to seem fun. By the end of the forensics season I was competing and actually bringing home trophies, not only did I like it, I LOVED it! I was deffinantly hooked. Over the summer I spent most of my time at different athletic training camps working on my volleyball game, but I kept in touch with my forensics team mates. They were becoming a very important part of my life. In August Basketball training began. I spent most of my time in the gym conditioning for the season. During a schrimage with another team I was tripped and fell to the side of my ankle, I didnt think that it was too bad so despite my coaches warning I continued to play. Little did I know I had torn my achilies tendon, the fall had caused a tiny tear that was getting bigger as I continued to play on it. When the ankle didnt get better after a week I went to the Doctor's and got that bad news, no basketball and I had to sit the bench for most of volleyball season. Needless to say, I was in the dumps! My teammates were very supportive and made sure to keep my in the loop when it came to the team, but it was my forensics buddies that found me a solution for my misfortune. They suggested that I audition for the fall musical My Fair Lady. I thought they were crazy, I mean I couldnt sing, or so I thought, but I figured what is there to loose. I auditioned, and although it was rough, I some how squeaked into the cast. The next three months were spent doing somethings that were really out of the ordinary for me but I was having a blast. Singing my lungs out and pretending to be someone else, who could ask for anything more! Oh, and by the way, I found out that I actually could sing, and pretty well I guess. This was the begining of my new life. From here on in high school I was in shows and competed in forensics, and my senior year I even joined choir. As I started thinking about what I wanted to do in college I knew that I needed to combine my love for literature, team sports, and theatre. I declared a Secondary Education cirriculum with a major in English and a minor in Communications. That year I also joined choir at Western Michigan University, which by the way has one of the finest music schools in the country, and continued to develop this love. As the year went on my choir director, Dr Joe Miller began to notice my abilities. One day he pulled me asside and said, "You need to study voice, you have a beautiful instrument, you just need to train it." I thought it sounded like fun so I signed up. In the following months my voice really developed and my love for music flourished, I was encouraged to audition for the school of music. I did and I got in, this was the beginning of my double major here at Western. While at Western I was asked to come back and coach on my high schools forensics team where I am currently an assistant coach. We have won the state championship for the last five years in a row and hope to compete for it again this year. This team has brought many things to my life, a place for me to share my love for theatre and singing and also some of the most amazing kids a young educator could dream of working with. They are so inspiring and work hard and really support each other and the tradition of the program. After years and years of school I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. This past may I completed a BA in vocal performance and was accepted at Westminster Choir College's summer opera program where I was blessed to work with some of the most famous people in the music buisness. Now that I have returned my love for music and performing has only grown but I know that I love to teach as well. I am completing the final semester of classes required for my Education degree and will be interning in the Spring. Although I love many things and have been very lucky to have the opprotunities I have been presented I will struggle in the following years to balance my passions. The next year will be exciting and new because I do not know what is next for me. What I do know is that I will continue to fight for my dreams and find a way to combine my loves and create a happy and fufilling life.
Portage Northern Forensics Pictures
