NCHS Alum Comes Home to Washington Township
We love sharing stories of our alums who have moved back into Washington Township to settle down and start their families. Leslie ‘Boyd’ Bowles is a proud member of the North Central High School Class of 1998, and now a proud Washington Township Schools parent!
Leslie has deep roots in Washington Township. She and all of her siblings, as well as a host of her nieces and nephews, attended Washington Township Schools from Kindergarten through High School. She even met her husband in the hallways of North Central High School. Although they did not date in high school they reconnected years later at an event in the city and the rest was history.
Remembering the sense of community and friends she made during her time in MSDWT, she said, “You can find your way in Washington Township in a way that is not possible in other districts.” During her time at North Central, Leslie was involved in Key Club and recalled the rich diversity within our township saying, “The diversity-ethnic, socio-economic culture, languages. It is like the rest of the world. North Central gave me a level of respect for other cultures. Because of that, NC helped people build community.”
25 years later, Leslie and her husband have lived all over the country but eventually made their way back home and made a commitment to live in Washington Township because they believe in this community and want their children to have the same experiences they did growing up. Their three kids all attend Washington Township Schools and she says, “This community is strong. The parent involvement, teachers, and leadership are unmatched.”
Over the past couple of years being back in Washington Township, Leslie herself has continued to get more involved in the community, working with the Washington Township Community Coalition which focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as volunteering with her church, Mt. Carmel, and sitting on the board of The Association of Fundraising Professionals-Indiana Chapter. Leslie is an avid supporter of public education and believes in the power of bringing together diverse voices and perspectives from our community. In partnership with two other Washington Township parents, Leslie has started the Washington Township Parents in Support of Public Education PAC, whose mission is to protect our district’s diverse, high-quality public schools from privatization.
Outside of her volunteer work, Leslie holds a business degree from Marian University and a Masters in Public Affairs from Indiana University. She currently works as Vice President of Development at VOW for Girls, a growing global movement to expand girls’ rights and end the international child marriage crisis, which impacts 12 million girls every single year.
We are so excited to have Leslie and her family here in Washington Township and privileged to have her generosity and spirit supporting our schools, our children, and our community.