Written by Sean Riedel

After a lifetime of teaching and advocating for students, Cynthia Hawkins-Bowland ('69) is helping future educators pursue their calling through a planned gift to the UNT College of Education.

There was never much doubt that education would shape Cynthia Hawkins-Bowland's ('69) life. Growing up in a family that viewed learning as both a privilege and a pathway to opportunity, she was surrounded by stories of perseverance, curiosity and academic achievement.

Raised in Beaumont, Texas, Cynthia was brought up by a single mother and supported by a close-knit extended family that placed a high value on education.

“My grandfather was an ardent believer in education,” Cynthia says. “He assured his five daughters would be able to earn a living for themselves by giving them the opportunity to go to the University of Texas Medical Branch nursing school in Galveston.” 

Beyond emphasizing education, her family also fostered a love of reading and storytelling.

“We were all a well-read family, and storytelling was also a big deal for all of us kids as my grandfather, grandmother and my mother told the best stories, which they made up based on family history,” Cynthia says. “There was no question that higher education would be in my future.”

And so, as a senior in high school, she began exploring college options and found herself impressed by then-North Texas State University’s theater program. Although she initially imagined a future on the stage, an unexpected tutoring experience with a fellow student helped her discover a different calling.

“We were in some classes together and would study together periodically. I noticed reading longer words was problematic for her as well as words that may be foreign to her,” Cynthia says.  “The meanings of unfamiliar words seemed hard for her. At the time I didn’t have the terminology to describe the challenge she was facing, but I knew how I learned to read so I started slipping in hints to decode longer words as we studied together.” 

Looking back, Cynthia recognizes that helping her friend develop strategies for decoding words and using context clues was her first experience as a teacher.

“We also worked on using context clues to gain meaning, which worked well with her,” Cynthia says. “It worked. Of course, she really wanted to improve her reading skills, so that helped. I realized I was pretty good at teaching and that I liked it.” 

While earning her degree in elementary education with a minor in speech, Cynthia's learning extended beyond the classroom.

“We met people different from ourselves and got to know them,” Cynthia says. “We learned how to get along, solve problems and use executive functions we didn’t have to use living at home. It was a microcosm of real life. When I graduated in 1969, I left with lifelong friendships and a job teaching in Dallas I.S.D.” 

After graduation, Cynthia began teaching in Dallas ISD, where she spent 35 years as both a general and special education teacher.

“I met my true calling when I began teaching special education,” she says. “It required not only knowing where to begin teaching each student, but how to teach them and when it clicked, it was always such a thrill for both the students and me.”

After retirement from Dallas I.S.D., Cynthia contracted with an outside agency as an educational diagnostician for 10 years.

“I loved working as a diagnostician,” Cynthia says. “The evaluation was one important part, but the high point was putting the learning puzzle together and making recommendations for the student’s success.”

Even in retirement, education remains deeply rooted in much of what Cynthia spends her time doing. She is currently a co-president and legislative chair of the Dallas Retired Teachers Association — a chapter of Texas Retired Teachers Association — and a past president of the Dal-Metro Chapter of Texas Educational Diagnosticians Association. Cynthia continues to tutor as time allows, most recently at the Lochwood Library summer reading program.

The same commitment to opening doors for students eventually inspired Cynthia and her husband, John Bowland, to support future educators at UNT.

“My husband told me I talked about UNT so much, why not make a planned gift? So, we did,” Cynthia says. “I enjoyed my time at North Texas so much, though financially it was difficult. I would like my gift to ease the burden and worry for other students going into special education. There are also adult learners returning to school, and I hope this gift helps them as well."

Through their planned gift, Cynthia and John are helping ensure future educators have the support they need to answer their own calling to teach.

“I just hope to help students who are going into special education persevere and continue to graduation,” Cynthia says. “We need more certified career teachers. Teaching is a career.”

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