Piedmont alum Addie Bowen leaves an impressive legacy as she moves to her next chapter

If you are a member of the Piedmont community, you have likely already heard her name. Addie Bowen, with her myriad accomplishments, is a popular figure around campus; professors frequently mention her as a model student, and Piedmont’s own publications and posts have featured her multiple times. Now, as she prepares to leave for graduate school, Addie shares some of her own thoughts on her college years.

Addie’s Piedmont journey actually began with someone else’s: her mother’s. Addie’s mom attended Piedmont as a student of education, which inspired Addie to investigate and eventually choose Piedmont for herself. With an interest in a career in forensics, she initially chose that and biology as her majors. That was until she took a class with Dr. Elaine Bailey.

“Dr. Bailey is the professor that has inspired me the most,” Addie says. “She has cultivated my thoughts and ideas into projects that have challenged me.” Inspired by her professor, Addie changed her biology major to chemistry. Along the way, more chemistry professors inspired her.

“I would also like to mention Dr. [Areatha] Ketch. She has challenged me more times than I can count,” Addie says. The guidance from these professors and the rest of the Piedmont community shaped Addie’s college years and exemplify the personal connections students make with our faculty. In fact, Addie cites her friends and relationships with faculty as the most meaningful part of her college experience.

Aside from her work in the classroom, Addie has been an active student in extracurriculars. She has served as a tutor and lab assistant, worked on eight research projects, and joined multiple organizations including the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, SAIL, MANE, and more.

Now, after years of accomplishments at Piedmont, Addie is setting off to make her mark in graduate school. She will attend the University of South Carolina to pursue a PhD in Environmental Analytical Chemistry. Her hope is to work for the government in bioremediation, which is the process of using organisms to clean up pollution, to help people and the environment after an accident.

Before she departs, she shares one last piece of advice for future Piedmont students: “School is important, but so is taking care of yourself. College is what you make it, so don’t miss the forest for the trees.”

With her wisdom, intelligence, and drive, Addie is sure to be an exemplary Piedmont alum. Congratulations, Addie, on graduating as part of the Piedmont class of 2025!

For more information about forensics, click here. For more information about chemistry, click here.