TOWAMENCIN – Not all people are able to dedicate their lives to serving others, but for Jim Bowen, a teaching assistant at North Penn High School, the desire to serve is only natural.  A full-time teacher and part time soldier, Mr. Bowen ensures that his presence is permanently felt at the local, state, and national level.

Following years of exposure to inspirational educators, Bowen set his sights on becoming a history teacher the moment he graduated in the North Penn Class of 2000.

After being a substitute for six months, Bowen began his teaching career by working as a full-time teacher’s assistant at Northbridge School.  He also attended graduate school in the hopes of earning a Master’s Degree in Education with certification, while taking on several part time jobs in the evenings.

He now looks back on earning his certificate to become a teacher in Pennsylvania as his proudest accomplishment, stating that it was “one of those things that everyone goes through at some portion in life to get ahead, that extra effort you always have to put through to get where you want to be.”

Teaching in the school he once attended, Bowen advises those who desire a teaching career to “try to focus on which subject area you want to teach in and go right for it-don’t hesitate, go right for what you want to do, and accomplish it.”

Many who meet Bowen understand that teaching has been a life-long goal, but many don’t know about the life he leads outside of the classroom. He accomplishes another aspiration one weekend every month when he exchanges his North Penn ID for an Army Combat Uniform as a Reservist in the United States Army.

Bowen knew that he wanted to go into the military from a very young age, and his goal was solidified after listening to the stories of relatives who had served.  He had the opportunity to exercise his patriotism by enlisting in the Army Reserves, and he spent his most recent birthday in the field during basic training.

His decision to enlist was one that came about from a variety of reasons.

“I went through my education in history, and in doing so, I learned about many different cultures and many different ways of life in the world… I have a deep interest in taking a greater and larger role in that, and to live out a little bit of history as well as study it,” Bowen explained.

Currently stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey, Bowen is a member of the 147^th Medical Detachment.  While a 68R Military Food Inspector, he specializes as a Veterinary Food Inspector, meaning that he can inspect food from the actual animal to a fully processed and packaged good, such as a Meal Ready to Eat.  Any institution that wants to serve food to American soldiers, their families, and veterans must first go through Bowen, and he takes his job of protecting the health of his fellow soldiers very seriously.

Bowen considers himself privileged to be a member of the United States Military. While serving his state and community as a teacher, he feels honored for the opportunity to serve his nation as a soldier. As an Army Reservist, he wears the uniform for one weekend a month and two weeks a year. The Military does not clash with his teaching career. In fact, Bowen feels that it diversifies it, stating that the things he learns and experiences through training or on deployment will aid in whatever he does.

“If you make that decision, show up to work…be flexible, well organized in your thoughts and be reserved when you need to be,” Bowen reflected. “You have to have discipline. When told to do something, follow that instruction. Everything they teach you leads up to something else. There are small things that you need to do a certain way so that it all comes together in a bigger process towards the end. Everything will come into play later on.”

Bowen is going to stay vigilant for the opportunity to attend Officer’s School should that opportunity arise.

“That’s the big thing in life, you have to know when those little opportunities are there and to reach out and grab them when they appear,” Bowen said.

A teacher and soldier, Bowen makes an impression on American people in many ways. Whether saying the pledge in a classroom, or saluting the flag on a parade field he puts service to others at the forefront of his life.