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Our Way to Go Woman! winners will do whatever it takes to create a thriving community. They are driven by their desire to influence others in a positive way, and aren’t satisfied with the status quo. Read about how Kelly Bowles, one of our five winners, is paving the way to success for people in our city. Kelly, 32, is our Way to Go Woman winner in the Reinvented category.

Kelly Bowles
Library Media Specialist
Klondike Lane Elementary
Mattie Spalding, spouse
Finley and Arthur, children

After two years of practicing law, Kelly Bowles decided she needed a change. Not something trivial, like a new haircut or a week-long vacation — a real change. In 2014, Kelly decided to quit the law profession and make a career change. She went back to school and received her master’s degree in library media education. Kelly now works at Klondike Lane Elementary as a library media specialist — nurturing young minds and encouraging them to reach their full potential.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_code admin_label=”Ad” text_orientation=”center”][adrotate banner=”40″][/et_pb_code][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.12.2″]Biggest Accomplishment
“Being determined enough to switch careers after going to law school and practicing law for two years, to go back to school to earn my masters in library media education and become an elementary school teacher.”

For The Kids
“Working with the kids is the best part of my job. I know every student’s name in the school. In the professional world, especially in malpractice, you deal with these huge problems you can’t truly fix. With kids, the problems are things like learning to tie shoes. I can help fix that. Empowering these young people, whether it’s through a good book or working with classmates, that’s my goal – helping them become better people.”

Future Goals
“[I want to] raise my family and teach my students to be global citizens, working for the betterment of all people.”

Making A Change
“I found myself becoming a person didn’t want to be. In order to deal with people, I felt like I had to lie, be a bully. I tried changing firms, the type of law, but still dreaded work. Changing careers for my family and my personal life was very scary — after all, I have a ton of debt toward a legal education I never intend on using again. There are days I still think, ‘What the heck did I do?’ But my overall happiness is so much better since taking the risk and making the change. You may get crazy looks from people when you tell them about the change in your life, but it’s your life, you have to live it. You have to wake up every morning and live with yourself and your decisions from the day.”

The 2018 Way to Go Woman! winners are women under the age of 40 who were selected by the editorial board of Today’s Woman based on nominations from our readers.
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