Professor Jefferson Bowers is a familiar face for many students at Piedmont University. His Spanish classes promote a high-energy form of learning, one that also keeps and makes connections.
Bowers graduated from Presbyterian College, then later received his Master’s degree at Appalachian State. His teaching career began in 2015.
He makes students feel valued by asking them about their career interests and athletics, and by always cracking jokes in class. His classes strike a balance between lightheartedness and seriousness.
“I want students to know that I care about them, and even if they didn’t learn Spanish, that they matter as a person and an individual,” said Bowers. “I want someone to feel like they matter, like they’re not just a number and that they have a unique personality and a unique set of gifts.”
Bowers’ classes are intensive, but easier if students apply themselves.
“I feel like he controls his class easily,” said senior Michelle Cates. “I feel like I understood the material without having to do any extra work.”
Professor Bowers also goes by Profe., which is short for professor in Spanish. Many students call him Profe when they see him around campus, or even when he makes an occasional appearance in the cafeteria.
Despite the birth of his first child in the middle of the semester, Professor Bowers has maintained an ecstatic class environment.
“[Having a child] has made me want to be a little more strict by seeing how my actions will one day affect my kid and how she performs in college,” said Bowers. “It gives me a different perspective about some of the hardships that some people face, or the things that people carry with them into class or into the workspace. Everybody at one point in time was just a baby whose parents had hopes and dreams and aspirations for their kid.”
Professor Bowers won Outstanding Advisor of the Year in 2021 and advises students who are indecisive about their major.
“That was one of my favorite moments, probably one of the most rewarding moments here at Piedmont,” Bowers also mentions.
Professor Bowers continues to make a difference in students’ lives as the semester rolls to a close.
