NORTHERN TODAY 6 SPRING 2022 News | NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSI TY OR NORTHERN STATE University alumna Nichole Bowman, a school assembly brought the surprise of a lifetime when she was presented with a prestigious national teaching award. Bowman, who teaches math at T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, is one of only about 60 teachers nationwide to win the annual Milken Educator Award, which carries a monetary prize of $25,000 and is called the “Oscar of teaching.” Bowman said receiving the award in a surprise presentation by Gov. Kristi Noem was an overwhelming experience. “It was all so great. I did feel like that day was all about me…which was/ is weird, I’m not one who likes the spotlight much,” she said. “I do what I need to get done, without needing praise. The outcomes are good enough for me, but my school and community definitely made the entire day special!” Bowman graduated from Northern in 2007 with a B.S.Ed. in Mathematics. She was very involved with the music department, and she also met her husband, Brooks Bowman, a music education major, at Northern. “Aberdeen and Northern will always have a part of our hearts, because we started our little family there,” she said. They now have three children: Gracie, 16; Bryce, 14; and Kameryn, 11. Bowman also has sisters who attended Northern, who now work in education as well. Originally from Armour, S.D., Bowman initially toured Northern because she knew NSU music professors there from area band festivals and loved the experiences they provided. “Once I toured, I fell in love with the smaller campus and the feel of the education and music department,” she said. Now in her 15th year of teaching, Bowman taught in Rapid City and Kimball prior to T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, where she teaches grades 9-12 Pre-Algebra, Geometry and Algebra II. She said she became a teacher because she was good at helping other people learn math, and she loved school. “I figured I’d be happy with my life going to school every day,” she said. “Now, I want to be a teacher to help the students. Life is funny in the way perspectives change.” Bowman’s favorite part of teaching is finding ways to help students understand themselves. “To see the impact of all the work I’ve put in to make them each start F NSU alumna wins prestigious Milken Educator Award The entire assembly, including South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Secretary of Education Tiffany Sanderson, gives an enthusiastic thumbs up for Milken Educator Award recipient Nichole Bowman. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem welcomes and congratulates Milken Educator Award recipient Nichole Bowman at a recent assembly. Veteran Milken Educators Carla Diede (S.D. ’17, left) and Amanda Christensen (S.D. ’16) welcome Nichole Bowman to the family. Photographs courtesy of The Milken Family Foundation
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