Since joining the Canterbury staff in 2018, Mrs. Mower has taught math, but this year, she has added sign language to her repertoire. 

When asked about where she was born and her childhood, “I was born in Jackson, MI, but moved to Huntington, IN when I was 2 months old. I lived in my mother’s childhood home until my Junior year in college. I played with the neighborhood kiddos until my mom would ring a big bell on our front porch so that I knew it was time to come in and play,” Mower said. 

Knowing that high school can be an awkward time for some, Mower provided a story from her teenage years in the hopes of giving some free advice. “I was the epitome of awkward,” Mower said. Elaborating on just how embarrassing teenage years can be, Mower said that “In seventh grade, I had the absolute worst home perm imaginable and headgear. 24 hours a day I had to wear it. I knew nothing about fashion and preferred baggie colored khakis over jeans because that’s what I was allowed to wear in my school.” 

Besides learning ‘fashion don’ts’ from her middle school years, Mower said that she also learned some valuable lessons. “I learned that you should always be true to yourself, because now when I see friends from middle school and high school, they appreciate that I was always me, and never let other people change me. I was okay being the excuse for not going to parties-people would come to my house and play euchre and eat Doritos and drink Mountain Dew. My parents were the best-always allowing people to just show up so that they would have a place to be instead of feeling pressure to go where they didn’t want to go.” 

As far as her teaching schedule, Mower has been tasked with a lot this year. “I teach Algebra I, team-teach Geometry with Mrs. Short, American Sign Language at the high school, and Pre-Algebra at the middle school,” Mower said. Mower is also in charge of the Learning Resources, Canterbury’s program for students who need extra support in classes, tips on study and organizational skills, or just a quiet place to get work done. 

Mower has always known that she belonged in the classroom. “My father was an elementary school teacher, and I always loved being in his classroom and helping out when I got older than his students,” Mower said. 

Mower’s life is not all about teaching though, Mower also loves to read, draw, ride her mountain bike, craft, and do DIY projects. “I have redone my kitchen, dining room, and living room so far in my house,” Mower said.

Like most, she enjoys a good meal. Mower describes her perfect dinner as “made by my paternal grandma-Grandma Adams, who cooked better than anyone I’ve ever met. She made fried chicken to die for in a giant cast-iron skillet. She also fried okra to go with it, made skillet fries with just enough real butter and onions, and to top it all off, her banana pudding made you wonder how it was possible to still be hungry after all of the amazing food you had just eaten. I miss my grandma immensely,” Mower said. 

Another one of Mower’s passions is travelling. She said that her favorite trip was to Italy, when her son Graham was only 10 months old. “My favorite part of the trip was my time spent in Lucca, Italy. I am planning a return trip there in three years. The shops were sweet. The people were genuine. The food was amazing. The quality of the workmanship of the wares was amazing. Words just really can’t describe the beauty and friendliness I encountered there. It probably helped that I bought a pair of Italian leather boots there that were my favorite pair of shoes/boots ever!” Mower said. 

If you are ever a little too adventurous and find yourself stranded in Antarctica, Mower would be great company! “I would want matches, warm clothing and boots, Burt’s Bees (coconut flavored), and an unlimited supply of books.” 

And, a staple of the Secret Life interview, Mrs. Mower shares a surprising fact about herself: “Something I find surprising about myself is how at home I feel moving back to Indiana, and that I was right in thinking this was where my kids and I should have been all along. My faith led, and I followed. The strength of my faith surprises me many times,” Mower said.