Stephen Bowser Email & Phone Number

Hello, my name is Stephen Bowser, a resident lover of history in all forms. Ever since I was young, the quote by Winston Churchill "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it," has resonated with me. I am a firm believer in this statement and I believe history has a lot to teach us, if we are willing to listen. For this and many other reasons, I am in the homestretch for my Bachelor's degree in Secondary Education in Ottawa University, slated for graduation, 2022. When I was young, I learned that my maternal grandfather had fought in the German army in World War II. The version of history I learned about in school about fighters for the Axis Powers was that they were unfeeling monsters. Even though I did not know my grandfather, my mother would tell me stories about him and there was no way I could see him as an unfeeling killer. That sparked my interest in history and how different cultures look at one historical event from different viewpoints. Through my personal study of World War II, specifically foreign people's pressed into service by the Germans, I learned that my grandfather did not have a lot of choice and even recently discovered my family are included in Peoples Persecuted by the Nazis. This singular event opened my eyes to how one-sided historical events can be taught by different countries. Due to this revelation, I strive to teach history from the most balanced viewpoint I can, teaching the facts, figures and trying to pull as much truth and pass that along to the young minds that will be under my care.I have been working professionally with children since I was fifteen years old, in various Boy Scout camps, day care centers, in school districts with special needs populations and in behavioral health inpatient facilities with children with a variety of mental health concerns. The experiences I have gathered have given me a unique view of children and adolescents today and the unique struggles that these populations face. While I love history, I enjoy teaching ecology and science also and worked for several years at ASU's camp Tontozona, a science camp north of Payson. I authored several of the curriculum for the camp, including Forest Fire Ecology which is still used by the camp to this day. One of my proudest accomplishments is obtaining my Eagle Award in the Boy Scouts of America. I had the privilege of having many great mentors that have taught me to value honesty, hard work, adaptability and most of all, empathy. I carry these values with me every day and try to implement them in every job I pursue.