Christy Bowman-White

Educator paves the way

How the Power of Education Helped Transform Highline Alumna

“I was in the 7th grade, when I began to ruin my life.”

This candid admission, from Highline College Alumna Christy Bowman-White, reveals the downward trajectory she faced at an early age before eventually finding her feet. The 42-year-old Federal Way resident would go on to become an accomplished school principal.

Back in her teenage years, Bowman-White was mostly left to fend for herself, with a mother suffering from a debilitating mental illness, and a working father. She subsequently started skipping school, accumulating suspensions and engaging in risky behaviors.

“By the 10th grade, I had run away from home, served time in Juvenile Hall, and mostly dropped out of high school. I had plotted myself a course for a lifetime of struggle. It was during this time that I discovered I was pregnant,” Bowman-White said.

With a baby on the way, and desperate to improve her situation, Bowman-White enrolled in the Highline School District Teen Parent Program. There, for the first time, she encountered a teacher who saw her potential. Her teacher not only encouraged her to graduate high school, but to apply for a two-year scholarship called the Washington Award for Vocational Excellence.

“I thought about my future and realized that I had the power to choose and plan the life I wanted for myself and for my daughter,” Bowman-White recalls.

Bowman-White went on to win the scholarship, enabling her to attend Highline College, where she enrolled in the summer of 2000. At Highline, she studied towards her associate degree as she continued to turn her life around. She credits Highline’s instructors for giving her the support and motivation to excel in college. For instance, when a creative writing instructor read Bowman-White’s journal entries about her struggles, she connected her to a counselor on campus.

Realizing she could achieve at high levels by applying herself, Bowman-White dug deep and reached out for the support of those around her. She also found the key to her success at Highline was having a sense of curiosity and a belief that, “there was always more to know and understand.”

“Highline College laid the foundation for my future! It set me on a course of action of learning and achievement that I continued over many years,” she said.

Graduating from Highline in 2002 with her associate degree, Bowman-White transferred to Central Washington University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in education. She went on to earn a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction in reading from Grand Canyon University. Along with a principal certification through the Danforth Educational Leadership Program at the University of Washington.

Bowman-White says her experience with failing out of school led to a passion for contributing to the field.

“I wanted to believe in and teach children like me, and later, I wanted to transform schools, and the educational system to achieve high levels of learning for all students in partnership with students, staff, and families,” she noted.

Bowman-White was a teacher for 10 years in Highline Public Schools, in the diverse neighborhood she grew up in. She continued on to become a school leader for 10 years in Seattle Public Schools. She was an Assistant Principal at Mercer Middle school and the Principal of Maple Elementary, who under her leadership was awarded the Washington State Distinguished School Award in 2024.

Starting her own business in 2023, North Star Leadership and Development, Bowman-White currently coaches school leaders and provides educational consulting for school districts. She continues to give back to her community, having lived the life-changing power of education in her own life.

Her advice to current Highline students: “Be proud of yourself for the decision you have made to invest in your education and your future. Your choices in the short term will improve your quality of life in the long term. You can do anything you can dream by applying yourself and reaching out to the support that is around you.”