Check Out Chara Bowie’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chara Bowie.

Hi Chara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I was sophomore in high school, a teacher invited me to a college recruitment meeting. I was surprised because college seemed like an unattainable goal.  I was a poor kid, mad at the world, living in the inner city of Kansas City, MO working part time at the local Burger King, seeing friends drop out and some, not living past their 16th birthday. But sitting in that classroom listening to those college recruiters, I started to imagine what my future could be. I could see myself outside of my current situation. I came to the conclusion that education was the key for me. I was fortunate to complete my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Louisiana Tech University while maintaining a part-time job. I chose the field of psychology because I wanted to understand people and learn how to help them succeed past their current situation. I firmly believe that every moment of every day is an opportunity to continue to grow and develop as a human being. It seems in my professional career. There has always been an angel. Someone there that gave me an opportunity because they saw something in me that I did not see in myself.  I am a children’s author, a licensed professional counselor-supervisor, and an advocate for many.  I have held positions in juvenile justice, as a college professor, a private practice therapist, a community mental health center administrator, the Director of Community Programs and Social Services and currently as the Director of Health Services for Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia. I am excited to lead our Health Services team. We are dedicated to improving the quality of life for the constituents of Precinct 2 by breaking down barriers and tackling health inequality.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. To accomplish goals, you have to deal with yourself and grow from the inside out. My biggest challenge was understanding and acknowledging my worth as a person. For most of my career, I was the youngest in the room and one of the few minorities in the room.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am very proud to be the author of a children’s book called “Survivor.” In which children can personalize this book and learn coping skills that they can use to help themselves. I am also proud to continue to help the precinct two community by really focusing on improving our health outcomes.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I have 6 principles that have helped me throughout the course of my career. They are 1) Never stop working on growing within yourself. 2) Know your strength and work on your weaknesses. 3) Know that nothing and no one is perfect. 4) Everything takes work. 5) There is always more than one perception of a situation. 6) Maintaining good relationships speaks to your character as an individual.