By Valeria Quezada.Although Sarah Joe Bowman has lived in Carlsbad for almost four years, her background showcases a wide variety of interests and careers. Sarah is the Program Assistant focusing on Youth Media for the Carlsbad Anti-Drug/Gang Coalition, specifically social media campaigns“I typically edit videos and photos, graphic design, community manage, and pick up any odds and ends that need to be done. Sometimes that is event coordination and other times it’s filming a live event. There’s never a dull moment at the Coalition, and my job keeps me engaged, I think that’s the thing I love the most about it,” she explained.Before Sarah came to live in Carlsbad, she was a born and raised Californian. She grew up in Fairfield, California, a suburb of Napa Valley wine country. Her father was a hospital administrator for a convalescent home in Napa. One of his most famous clients was Tom Hanks’ mother. She spent most of her child hood in California, later temporarily living with her father in Peterborough, England, for her junior year. Her senior year was spent back in California with the hopes of having the “high school” experience, such as Prom and Graduation. Ironically, upon returning, Sarah was placed in all AP classes because of her year in Europe. Sarah recalled, “I ended up leaving prom early to go home to study!” Sarah’s first job was as a Recreational Therapist at a Senior Day program for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease in Fairfield,California. During college, she worked as a National Retail Field Representative for the AT&T in the Sacramento region. After she received her Bachelor of Business Management, she opened her own senior care business in California, which she sold upon her move to Carlsbad. In Carlsbad, she worked at the CARC Early Intervention Program as a Family Services Coordinator. She explained, “When Covid hit, I took inventory of what I wanted to do with my career and chose to wait for the perfect opportunity to arise. After 6 months of waiting, the position with the Coalition was posted. I applied, and the rest is history!”Gaming has been a huge part of Sarah’s life since she was eleven years old, when she began playing StarCraft 2: Brood Wars ondial up internet. Gaming also brought her Dale, her husband. Sarah and Dale met inthe videogame World of Warcraft, where Sarah is a Guild Master and Raid Leader for a Top 10 raiding guild. They became friends and a year later, on her 30th birthday party, they began dating. Shortly after that, she made the decision to move down to Carlsbad where her husband Dale has lived for the last twelve years. Now they live a very simple life in our community full of love and videogames with their miniature schnauzer, Ebon, and theirChihuahua, Lincoln. Her other hobbies include embroidery and singing, being professionally trained in classical opera. At only five years old, she performed professional opera in San Francisco, California! Sadly, she left the industry at thirteen years old due to the pressures it was causing on her mental health. “Now Ireally only sing in my car or around the house to my puppies, Lincoln and Ebon,” she says.Aside from all that, Sarah is also an entrepreneur. She recently started her own business called “Sarah Bowman Consulting,” specializing in community management andbrand management. Her main goal is to help elevate her client’s presence online. She also has other exciting plans for her contribution to the community, “I also look forward to helping Ms. Robbie Camphouse this year with Jefferson Montessori Academy’s Esports Club! I will be joining her again this year as the Assistant Coach for the Overwatch Team. I also run the OVERWATCH Facebook Group in my obviously limited spare time and head my Neighborhood Watch. I have also decided to run for the district 4 position on the Southeast New Mexico Community College in Carlsbad.” Sarah Jo Bowman is quite a unique individual to have within the community and is sure to make her own contribution to it. Sheadvises, “Don’t listen to that voice telling you that you can’t because you can. Find that thing that truly sparks joy and follow it with all of heart. If you have passion in what you do, anything can be effortless!”