My name is Felecia Bowser and I grew up in East Orange, New Jersey which is known as the “Town at the River.” My interest in Atmospheric Sciences started when I was just 7 years old, courtesy of a weather book my parents gave to me on my birthday. The book showed the different cloud types and a basic understanding of the water cycle. I was blessed to have parents that provided me with the best education a public school system can offer which resulted in a move once I finished the 6th grade. In high-school, a science teacher took particular interest in my fascination in Atmospheric Sciences and presented me a CD about the different types of severe weather and from there I was hooked! I had a fantastic guidance counselor who directed me to the best universities for my career interest which led me to earning my Bachelors in Science from the prestigious Pennsylvania State University. During my time there, I encountered a rather discourageable math professor who just because I did not get straight A’s on her test, decided to tell me that I mind as well quite and just work at a local fast food restaurant. One would think that would have discouraged me but on the contrary, it actually pushed me to find the help that I needed from any subject that confused me which resulted in my obtaining a 3.0 GPA from one of the toughest Meteorology curriculums in the nation.
I wanted to continue my studies and as such, received my Masters in Science from the Texas Tech University. It was there where I met a former National Weather Service employee who told me about the volunteer services that the local National Weather Service offered and I took advantaged of it. I started off in the Student Career Employment Program (SCEP) at the NWS in Lubbock, Texas in 2004 and worked my way up to currently becoming a Senior Meteorologist at the NWS Shreveport, LA office. Throughout my almost 13-year career, I can honestly say that the best thing about working for the NWS is my interaction with the public, be it through safety presentations, media interviews or basic telephone conversations, getting the word out about how to protect yourself if a severe weather situation ever strikes is my way of maintaining the NWS mission of the protection of life and property. In addition while in Lubbock, I had the pleasure to host over 200 female students from 6th-8th grade almost annually as part of the Women In Science Endeavors (W.I.S.E.) Program, which lets the young women see and interact with women who are a part of STEM Fields. The feedback was always positive but one thing I have encountered time and again is the hesitance these girls had regarding pursuing a STEM Field because of all the math and science involved. This is a huge deterrent and likely one of the main reasons as to why there are so few women in the NWS as a whole. All it takes is one person in the STEM Field to show an interest in one person who wants to become a meteorologist or an engineer or any other STEM Field and to motivate them, guide them and show by example what it takes fulfill their dreams.
There should be more women in STEM Fields and more women in the NWS because women can bring something different to the table; diverse ideas and projects from a women’s perspective can only strengthen an organization especially when the majority of the organization is male. My advice to anyone who wants to become a meteorologists or pursue any other field that is part of STEM is to never give up. If I would have listened to that professor from college I would not be where am I today; helping to motivate, teach and encourage young adults to pursue a career in the sciences has become my passion and I hope my story can encourage one of you to reach for the stars!
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