https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84 Arriving at CK in 1984, Señor Bowdy has touched the lives of students from classes that cross five decades. Share memories, well wishes, stories and photos here. Click the plus sign in the lower right-hand corner to add your message and a photo if possible. Don't forget to sign! en-us 2021-05-05 18:46:37 UTC 2025-09-28 20:11:32 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1526313429 Hi Ric. It's been a while since we last saw each other but I assure you, you touched the lives of many CK students, including my own. It was such a pleasure to be in your classroom, learning from someone who truly enjoyed what they were doing. You made Spanish class fun, informative and educational! I wish you much travel and relaxation in your retirement years! I'm in Connecticut now so if you find yourself on the east coast, let's get together for a coffee - Christina Afif McVaney]]> 2021-05-14 22:08:12 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1526313429 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1550672752 Thank you for teaching me all about poems that don't rhyme, and for making Gallimaufry the kind of quirky community that I've sought out ever since. 

All the best wishes for your next adventure! May you have "more than [your] fair share of joy" (Todd Boss).

-Tessa Huttenlocher, CK '10

]]> 2021-05-23 01:00:17 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1550672752 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1556288808 Señor Bowdy! AP Spanish with you was such a joy - your energy was infectious and you made learning fun. I feel so lucky to have had you as a teacher.
Thank you for all the care and dedication you showed your students, and I hope you have a wonderful and well-earned retirement!
Best,
Olivia Chen, CK '13]]> 2021-05-25 04:29:42 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1556288808 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1566680489 Thank you so much for your years of dedication to CK, and especially to all the girls in the dorms. While I never had you as a teacher, I so appreciate all the time you spent every week on dorm duty to make sure that we all were safe, doing our work, and having a good time. I didn't truly understand the commitment that it takes to be on dorm duty until I became an adult and realized how much you have sacrificed your own personal time after work and how you always did it with a smile. I hope you enjoy your much-deserved retirement how ever you want to spend it! 

Thank you!
-Theresa Tejada, CK '06]]> 2021-05-27 21:12:27 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1566680489 CKshares https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1566890268 2021-05-27 23:25:58 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1566890268 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1571899745 Señor Bowdy,

Thank you for making AP Spanish one of my favorite classes in high school, and for taking the time after many classes to answer additional questions I had about Spanish and about differences I'd noticed between Spanish and English. Those conversations helped me decide to major in Spanish in college, and also influenced me to enroll in a linguistics class my first semester at university... which lead to the PhD in Linguistics that I'm a couple of months away from finishing.

!Felicitaciones por su jubilación, y espero que disfrute esa nueva era de su vida!

- Sarah Harper, CK '10]]> 2021-05-30 18:51:49 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1571899745 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1579965724 Señor! Que tengas un buen jubilación, tu mereces por supuesto. Ahora estoy escribiendo esta nota en Berga, Catalonia y estoy pensado mucho sobre mi tiempo aprendiendo Espanol en CK. Lo que me has ensenado, el Espanol y mas, contibuyo a mucho exito hasta ahora. Trabajando en Argentina, tener una novia de Espana... mucho suenos eran posible con tus ensenos y charlar como un giri. Gracias para todo, y suerte :)
-Eric Harbour, '09]]> 2021-06-02 16:01:47 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1579965724 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1584140232 Congratulations on your retirement, Senor Bowdy! You were the first teacher I met on my Cranbrook tour and talking to you really convinced me of the great environment at CK and was a major factor why I ended up enrolling and had an amazing time! And thank you for being a fantastic dorm advisor at KW!  I hope you enjoy this new chapter of life! 
- Linh Tran, CK ’17]]> 2021-06-04 01:36:54 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1584140232 CKshares https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1584211788 2021-06-04 02:07:23 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1584211788 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1587304424 Ric, you have many accomplishments to celebrate, but please know that it's not the students alone who applaud you! I was always grateful for our conversations, even the ones where you would spoil the best part of the Sunday NYT before I had a chance to read my own copy. ;) Just imagine the number of novels that await you in the coming years...both to be read and written. Sending warmest retirement wishes from Tennessee. Sincerely,
Ash Weber]]> 2021-06-05 21:33:21 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1587304424 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1588167182 Congratulations Señor Bowdy! Truly one of the best professors I ever had the pleasure of learning from.  I know your mentorship played a huge part in my development as a strong writer and advocate, and I always felt respected and heard in your class. I hope your retirement is full of adventure and a great novel or two. Un abrazo fuerte, Concha ‘07]]> 2021-06-06 17:38:30 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1588167182 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1588261332 I can’t believe you’re retiring. When did this happen??!! You are the best colleague, mentor and teacher ever. I will always remember how you and Mr. Watson helped me survive my first few years of teaching. I wish you all the best. Enjoy!! Jenny Boeberitz Diaz ‘90.]]> 2021-06-06 19:28:43 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1588261332 ndvs7mhmq5 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1588360483 Señor Bowdy! Congratulations on an amazing career! I have such fond memories of your classes, and without a doubt, your teaching has influenced me to keep up my love for Spanish language and culture so many years after my time at CK. I went on to complete a BA in Spanish from Syracuse, including a semester abroad in Spain and an Honors thesis researched in and translated from Spanish (no one in the honors department could read Spanish jaja). Although my current career (I’m a physical therapist) has little to do with my undergrad degree, I wouldn’t have traveled this path had mi fuego para español not been fueled in your classroom. Gracias para todo y un abrazo de Alicia! - Alyssa Trudeau ‘10]]> 2021-06-06 21:39:26 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1588360483 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1589027198 I have such fond memories of you and your class.  Thanks for inspiring a lifetime love of the Spanish language, literature and culture.  I've tried to keep up my Spanish over the years, and my daughter is now in a Spanish immersion school here in California.  Congratulations on an incredible career where you made a positive impact on so many lives, and I hope you enjoy your retirement!
All the best,
Karen Kramer Mizell '02]]> 2021-06-07 05:01:44 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1589027198 CKshares https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1589116815 2021-06-07 05:48:52 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1589116815 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1589634837 Cheers to an amazing career, Señor Bowdy! From our legendary classes to our irreverent and enlightening advisor meetings, your warmth and commitment to your students has stuck with me since day one. Cranbrook will not be the same without you but you can be assured that your contributions will be remembered forever.

All the best,
Jourdan "Tito" Merritt - Cranbrook '01]]> 2021-06-07 11:12:44 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1589634837 amvalt315 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1590329987 Congrats on starting a new chapter, Señor Bowdy! I enjoyed your class and all our talks whenever you were on duty in the KW dorms. I'm only one of many who want to thank you for making Spanish fun and for supporting me as a person and a student. Congratulations on a wonderful career y ¡que ten una jubilación fantastica!

Un abrazo, 
Adri Valtierra '12]]> 2021-06-07 15:39:39 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1590329987 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1593305583 2021-06-08 15:57:18 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1593305583 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1594425741 Congratulations Señor Bowdy! Thank you for all the good times in your advisory group and for being an amazing teacher for me! I use Spanish almost every day and am still inspired to keep practicing because of teachers like you. Enjoy your retirement, you’ve earned it! ~Camara Singleton CK ‘11]]> 2021-06-09 01:12:18 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1594425741 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1596956437 You were a wonderful Spanish teacher and being in your class was a wonderful experience. You really instilled a love of the language and inspired me to continue classes on into college, and to this day I credit you with my ability to somewhat sort of have an actual conversation with a native speaker. Thank you!
Brian Razzaque CK '96]]> 2021-06-09 22:09:09 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1596956437 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1597144862 2021-06-10 00:28:27 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1597144862 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1599124118 even though you are absolutely atrocious at responding to emails, i'm so happy we've remained friends all these years. thank you for being a pseudo-parent to me, calming me down when i freaked out all the time in high school, college, law school, and after. i certainly would not have read as many books as i did if not for you. don't worry, i'm not just re-reading harry potter. you are a wonderful nerd and thank you (and gail) for coming and dancing happily at my wedding! hope you enjoy retirement and find time to respond to emails, i mean, seriously, like come on now.
love, carlen zhang-d'souza (CK '07)]]> 2021-06-10 17:00:46 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1599124118 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1599319253 Congratulations on your well deserved retirement Senor! 
York Ragsdale ‘95]]> 2021-06-10 18:17:22 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1599319253 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1601698446 Felicitaciones! Thank you for being an awesome human being. I feel most grateful for how you treated all of us, your students, with a humble authenticity and how you inculcated in us a real curiosity about the world, just by your example. Something from your classroom that I'll always hold onto and feels timely given your new horizons: "Que es lo que se pierde cuando cruzamos una frontera? Cada momento parece partido en dos. Melancolia por lo que quiere detras, y por otro lado, todo el entusiasmo de entrar en tierras nuevas" - Kashif "dinero en efectivo" Ahmed]]> 2021-06-11 18:19:19 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1601698446 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1601958426 Señor Bowdy,

You are one of those teachers that leaves a lasting impact on your students. You helped to spark a fire in me that made me fully obsesionada con Spanish & España for the rest of my life, inspiring me to travel to Madrid and Barcelona. Thank you for being such an incredibly passionate, kind, wonderful teacher. Wishing you the best and most relaxing years ahead. 

Con admiración, 

La Mindy (Mindy Welford) ]]> 2021-06-11 21:37:41 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1601958426 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1602447249 Dear Bowdy,
Our conversations always made the journey up to the third floor and procrastinating unimportant homework well worth the time. Thank you for being your lively self. Yo soy una manzana. Évidemment j’ai appris le français en lycée pas espagnol.  -Sherrye ‘20]]> 2021-06-12 11:53:13 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1602447249 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1604228386 Congratulations Señor Bowdy!  I’ll never forget the time you gave me a guitar magazine all about the group The Kinks…in Spanish!  Well played sir! 😊👍🏼❤️🎸🎶
Graçias, Steve Capp ‘88]]> 2021-06-14 04:10:22 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1604228386 aaronmelaas https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1608630446 Mil gracias por no solo infundir un amor para el español en todos sus alumnos, sino enseñarnos a buscar oportunidades para conocer el mundo más allá del aula. Te deseo buena salud, mucho amor, y tiempo para disfrutar de los dos en su retiro. 
Un abrazo fuerte,
- Aaron Melaas '02]]> 2021-06-15 23:09:28 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1608630446 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1609807792 I remember laughing (and of course, learning) A LOT in your AP Spanish class and at the 3rd floor dorm duty desk at Kingswood! Muchas gracias for mentoring us with your warmth, wisdom and patience. Your teaching inspired me to continue learning Spanish throughout college and beyond! (Beyond = I was a part of a Spanish conversation group a few years back in Korea..!) 
You will be missed, and I cannot imagine Cranbrook without a Sr. Bowdy... 
I hope you enjoy your retirement! :) 
Jennifer Yu, CK '07

]]> 2021-06-16 12:17:03 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1609807792 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1613495292 You have made a positive difference in the lives of so many students - impressive work Ric.   I also personally appreciated your thoughtful voice with regard to student and faculty concerns over the years, especially in department head and faculty meetings.  I wish you the very best in retirement my friend.
Sarkis Halajian ]]> 2021-06-18 02:22:00 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1613495292 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1614407644 Congratulations, Señor Bowdy, and thank you for a class that taught me so much about literature and art and writing, on top of how to speak and engage with a new language. It was such a joy to learn from you. Enjoy your retirement!
Kate Zyla '92]]> 2021-06-18 14:21:41 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1614407644 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1625584566 I am so grateful to have been a student in your class -- you are such an inspirational, energetic, thoughtful teacher.  Your love for the Spanish language and many cultures it accompanies is contagious --ahorita soy abogada en el área del derecho internacional de los DDHH con un enfoque en América Latina :) Mil gracias por todo y que disfrute de su jubilación! 
Un abrazote, 
Christine Vlasic '08]]> 2021-06-25 15:49:55 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/1625584566 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/2019609089 If I remember correctly, your history was from Sud Americano. I loved hearing about "Spanish" culture from a new perspective - not Spain or Mexico. Have a fantastic rest of your life! Juliet Hurley]]> 2022-01-30 03:24:41 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/2019609089 https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/2176869192 Not your entitled daughter’s Spanish class! Tales of clever campesinos and indigenous peoples exploited by casinos replace the childish chupacabra and cuentitos bonitos. I was challenged to fight through my own pain, being made aware that brutal injustices I witnessed as a teen broke people in Michigan and Michoacán alike.

Transition to Guantanamera en la guitarra, on a wooden stool, Birkenstocks n socks,….. Hombre Sincero, te agradezco por enseñarme  la lucha buena. 
Angela “Bonita” Gilchrist C/O ‘93]]> 2022-05-10 03:45:36 UTC https://padlet.com/CKshares/Bowdy84/wish/2176869192