{"id":687,"date":"2017-05-26T18:17:29","date_gmt":"2017-05-26T18:17:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/?p=687"},"modified":"2017-05-26T19:22:28","modified_gmt":"2017-05-26T19:22:28","slug":"being-a-nurse-is-her-dream-now-kelli-bowdy-has-to-pick-a-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/2017\/05\/26\/being-a-nurse-is-her-dream-now-kelli-bowdy-has-to-pick-a-college\/","title":{"rendered":"Being A Nurse Is Her Dream. Now, Kelli Bowdy Has To Pick A College"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Kelli Bowdy, a senior at O.D. Wyatt High in Fort Worth, wants to be a nurse &#8212; she took special classes through school to make it happen. She\u2019s planning to go to college. But, first, it&#8217;s time for prom.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h5>Following In The Family&#8217;s Footsteps<\/h5>\n<p>It\u2019s a full house at the Forest Hill home where Kelli lives with her mom. Preparing for prom isn\u2019t just a day jammed with details. For Kelli, it\u2019s a family affair.<\/p>\n<p>Her aunt Loria, her mom\u2019s identical twin, is at the house. So is 21-year-old Tanisha Williams, who says her cousin Kelli is more like her little sister.\u00a0Williams\u00a0actually made Kelli\u2019s prom dress.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s always been smart. Well, her grades show it,&#8221; Williams says. &#8220;I mean, she helped me with some work before when I was in school. So she\u2019s smart \u2014 proud of you, Kip.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- meta slider -->\n<div style=\"max-width: 800px;\" class=\"metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-761 ml-slider\">\n    \n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_761\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_761\">\n            <ul class=\"slides\">\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-693 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli10_1024x683-800x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"800\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-761 slide-693\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2017, getting ready for prom: Kelli's cousin Dianette Ewing did Kelli's hair before the O.D. Wyatt High School senior prom. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-765 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli5-800x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy\" class=\"slider-761 slide-765\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2017: Kelli getting final touches on hair and makeup for prom at her home in Forest Hill. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-764 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli8-1-800x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy\" class=\"slider-761 slide-764\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2017: Kelli's cousin, Dianette, helped Kelli with her heels. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-652 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli11-800x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-761 slide-652\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2017: Before heading out to prom, Kelli's family fussed over her and took pictures. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-659 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli19-800x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-761 slide-659\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Kelli Bowdy, class of 2017. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-658 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli18-800x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-761 slide-658\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2017: Kelli struck a pose for family at her home in Forest Hill before heading out to senior prom. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-653 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli12-800x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-761 slide-653\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2017: Kelli had fun with her family while posing for pre-prom pictures. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-656 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli16-800x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-761 slide-656\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2017: Kelli (center) marked the milestone of senior prom with photos and family. Here her mother, Gloria Mason, and her father, Calvin Bowdy, stand next to her, surrounded by other close family. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-655 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli15-800x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-761 slide-655\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2017: Kelli cut up with family at home before the O.D. Wyatt prom. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-657 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli17-800x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-761 slide-657\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2017: Kelli got a hug from her little brother, Calvin Bowdy Jr., before leaving for prom. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-660 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli20-800x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-761 slide-660\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2017: Kelli, as she waited for a car to pull up and take her to meet friends for prom. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        var metaslider_761 = function($) {\n            $('#metaslider_761').addClass('flexslider'); \/\/ theme\/plugin conflict avoidance\n            $('#metaslider_761').flexslider({ \n                slideshowSpeed:6500,\n                animation:\"fade\",\n                controlNav:true,\n                directionNav:true,\n                pauseOnHover:true,\n                direction:\"horizontal\",\n                reverse:false,\n                animationSpeed:600,\n                prevText:\"&lt;\",\n                nextText:\"&gt;\",\n                slideshow:false\n            });\n        };\n        var timer_metaslider_761 = function() {\n            var slider = !window.jQuery ? window.setTimeout(timer_metaslider_761, 100) : !jQuery.isReady ? window.setTimeout(timer_metaslider_761, 1) : metaslider_761(window.jQuery);\n        };\n        timer_metaslider_761();\n    <\/script>\n<\/div>\n<!--\/\/ meta slider-->\n<p>Kelli&#8217;s other cousin, Dianette Ewig, 26, is working on Kelli\u2019s makeup.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was very excited when she said she wanted to be a nurse, because I\u2019m one,\u201d Ewig says.<\/p>\n<p>Nursing kind of runs in the family.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy grandmother was a nurse. My mother was a nurse; I have aunts that were nurses,\u201c Ewig said.<\/p>\n<p>Kelli chose\u00a0to pursue nursing four years ago after caring for her infant nephew, Kaiden, who was born premature. Thanks to nursing classes at O.D. Wyatt, Kelli has earned CPR certification while gaining practical experience. Several days a week, as part of the program, she works with older patients. They reinforced her decision.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_695\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-695\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli13_1024x683-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy's family takes pictures of her before she leaves for prom at her home in Forest Hill, Texas on Saturday, May 13, 2017. (photo \u00a9 Lara Solt)\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli13_1024x683-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli13_1024x683-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli13_1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli13_1024x683-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli13_1024x683-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" >Kelli Bowdy&#8217;s family takes pictures of her before she leaves for prom. Photo\/Lara Solt<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cJust me going to the nursing home and seeing like how I can help people and how I can make them feel happy. It just makes me want to do that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>What Kelli eventually wants to do is work in a neo-natal unit, caring for the most vulnerable newborns. Thanks to her high school program, she\u2019s found caring for people in their 70s and 80s teaches similar lessons.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re really back to their baby stages,&#8221; Kelli says. &#8220;So it\u2019s just like I\u2019m still helping a baby.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She didn&#8217;t expect older people to need as much as care as younger patients do.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But it\u2019s really the same,\u201d Kelli says.<\/p>\n<div class=\"quotemark \"> &#8220;Seeing how I can help people and how I can make them feel happy. It just makes me want to do that.&#8221; <div class=\"quote-source\">Kelli Bowdy, Fort Worth senior<\/div><div class=\"quote-rating-0\"><\/div><\/div>\n<figure class=\"mt-insert\"><\/p>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_711\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 5394px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-711\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli21.jpg\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy waits for the car to pull up before leaving for prom. Photo\/Lara Solt\" width=\"5394\" height=\"3438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli21.jpg 5394w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli21-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli21-768x490.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli21-1024x653.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli21-1360x867.jpg 1360w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli21-800x510.jpg 800w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli21-450x287.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5394px) 100vw, 5394px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 5394px\" >Kelli Bowdy waits for the car to pull up before leaving for prom. Photo\/Lara Solt<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<p><\/figure>\n<h5>Weighing Her Options<\/h5>\n<p>Kelli would like to move away from home for college and be on her own, even if it\u2019s nearby.<\/p>\n<p>She likes the large, respected nursing program at UT-Arlington, but hadn\u2019t heard yet about her application.<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019s also considering historically black Texas College, located between Dallas and Shreveport, Louisiana.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what her mom, Gloria Mason, wants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I wanted her to go off, you know and venture the world. Not just stay around home,\u201d Mason says.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_654\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-654\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli14-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of '17 series\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli14-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli14-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli14.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli14-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli14-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" >Mom, Gloria Mason; Kelli; and dad, Calvin Bowdy. Photo\/Lara Solt<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Texas College was still looking over Kelli\u2019s transcripts.\u00a0Tarrant County College is another option. She could go there for two years while saving money from part-time nursing work. Then she would transfer to a four-year program.<\/p>\n<p>Keeping her close might suit mom\u2019s twin, Loria Norwood.\u00a0 She sits comfortably in a chair with her wrapped left foot raised and resting on another chair. When aunt Loria broke that foot recently, Kelli jumped in.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe put ice on it when I first did it \u2018cause it swelled up like instantly,&#8221; Norwood said. &#8220;Then she wrapped it up and put a boot on it. I was in so much pain so I went to the hospital. They did X-rays and all that. She took care of her aunt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, it\u2019s Kelli\u2019s family now taking care of her, so that she\u2019s ready for the prom &#8212; and then graduation on the first Sunday in June.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h6 class=\"p2\">Kelli Bowdy, Through The Years<\/h6>\n<!-- meta slider -->\n<div style=\"max-width: 1024px;\" class=\"metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-639 ml-slider\">\n    \n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_639\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_639\">\n            <ul class=\"slides\">\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-640 ms-image\"><a href=\"http:\/\/keranews.org\/post\/meet-class-17-eighth-grader-aims-high-help-granny\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/kelli_june2013_8th-772x579.jpg\" height=\"768\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-639 slide-640\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">June 2013: Kelli Bowdy (right) celebrated her last day in eighth grade at Morningside Middle School in Fort Worth with her mom, Gloria Mason (left), and her \"granny,\" Louise Nealy Hodges. She was excited about the coming school year at O.D. Wyatt High \"because I'm finally going to high school, so I know that I can be something.\" (Photo\/Bill Zeeble)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-641 ms-image\"><a href=\"http:\/\/keranews.org\/post\/class-17-high-schooler-hopes-graduate-early\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/kelli2014-1-920x690.jpg\" height=\"768\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-639 slide-641\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">April 2014: Kelli, 15, in her bedroom, at the end of her freshman year at O.D. Wyatt High School. One of the reasons she chose the school was because of its accelerated nursing classes. She also played basketball and volleyball. At the time, she wanted to graduate high school early, but \"because Kelli\u2019s into sports, I think she'll stay for her senior year,\" her mom, Gloria Mason, said. (Photo\/Bill Zeeble)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-642 ms-image\"><a href=\"http:\/\/keranews.org\/post\/class-17-high-schooler-hopes-graduate-early\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/kelli2014-2-750x563.jpg\" height=\"768\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-639 slide-642\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">April 2014: 15-year-old Kelli with her \"granny,\" Minnie Hodge, and her mom, Gloria Mason, at Mason's home. Hodge said of Kelli, \"She's very smart, she's very gifted. But she still has this thing about her friends. She doesn't really want to be as smart as she is when she's around others. She wants to fit in, and I don't like that.\" (Photo\/Bill Zeeble)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-664 ms-image\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/2016\/05\/02\/family-charts-the-future\/\" target=\"_self\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/kellismile.jpg\" height=\"768\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, Class of &#039;17\" class=\"slider-639 slide-664\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2016: Kelli at the end of her junior year at O.D. Wyatt High School in Fort Worth. She studied in the Nursing Assistance Program as part of the Health Science and Technology Program of Choice. She's wanted to be a nurse ever since eighth grade. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-644 ms-image\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/2016\/05\/02\/family-charts-the-future\/\" target=\"_self\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/kelli2016-2-1024x768.jpg\" height=\"768\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-639 slide-644\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2016: Kelli, a junior, practicing infant choking rescue as part of the Health Science and Technology Program of Choice at O.D. Wyatt High. Back when she was a freshman, she told us, \"I want to work with the babies, with premature babies, because my nephew was premature. Just going up there visiting him made me work even more because I know what people go through when babies are premature.\" (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-645 ms-image\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/2016\/05\/02\/family-charts-the-future\/\" target=\"_self\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/kelli2016-3-1024x768.jpg\" height=\"768\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, KERA American Graduate \/ Class of &#039;17 series\" class=\"slider-639 slide-645\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2016: Kelli, toward the end of her junior year at O.D. Wyatt. The strongest academic influence in Kelli's life is her grandmother, Minnie Hodge. \"You see, me, I have high expectations. And I know how gifted [Kelli] is. And I know what she could do with that. She could be over the nurses, you know what I\u2019m saying?\" Kelli said of her grandmother, \"She's been saving up since 2007, 2008. She's been saving up for me to go to college. Because that\u2019s, like, her main dream, is for me to go to college.\" (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-663 ms-image\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/2016\/05\/02\/family-charts-the-future\/\" target=\"_self\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/kellihall.jpg\" height=\"768\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy, Class of &#039;17\" class=\"slider-639 slide-663\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">May 2016: Kelli, left, and Program of Choice Coordinator Javetta Jones-Roberson talking in the halls of O.D. Wyatt High School in Fort Worth. Kelli's mom and dad divorced when she was 3. She grew up with her mother in Forest Hill, on the southeast edge of Fort Worth, with her father living nearby. By her junior year, Kelli was already looking at several college options, but her father, Calvin Bowdy, wanted her to stay close. \"My biggest thing \u2014 my kids being off and needing me, and I can\u2019t get to them as quick as I need to be.\" But Kelli said, \"You have to grow up at some point. So I want to get out on my own and get a feel of the real world.\" (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-767 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/05\/Kelli7-902x677.jpg\" height=\"768\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"Kelli Bowdy\" class=\"slider-639 slide-767\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">A year later, May 2017: Kelli took the first look at herself in the mirror after getting dressed for her prom. (Photo\/Lara Solt)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        var metaslider_639 = function($) {\n            $('#metaslider_639').addClass('flexslider'); \/\/ theme\/plugin conflict avoidance\n            $('#metaslider_639').flexslider({ \n                slideshowSpeed:3000,\n                animation:\"fade\",\n                controlNav:true,\n                directionNav:true,\n                pauseOnHover:true,\n                direction:\"horizontal\",\n                reverse:false,\n                animationSpeed:600,\n                prevText:\"&lt;\",\n                nextText:\"&gt;\",\n                slideshow:false\n            });\n        };\n        var timer_metaslider_639 = function() {\n            var slider = !window.jQuery ? window.setTimeout(timer_metaslider_639, 100) : !jQuery.isReady ? window.setTimeout(timer_metaslider_639, 1) : metaslider_639(window.jQuery);\n        };\n        timer_metaslider_639();\n    <\/script>\n<\/div>\n<!--\/\/ meta slider-->\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/2016\/05\/02\/family-charts-the-future\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Long Road To Becoming A Nurse<\/a> (2016)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/keranews.org\/post\/class-17-high-schooler-hopes-graduate-early\" target=\"_blank\">Class Of &#8217;17: This High Schooler Hopes To Graduate Early<\/a>\u00a0(2014)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/keranews.org\/post\/meet-class-17-eighth-grader-aims-high-help-granny\" target=\"_blank\">Meet The Class Of &#8217;17: An\u00a0Eighth Grader Aims High With Help From Granny<\/a>\u00a0(2013)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/keranews.org\/post\/kelly-and-ricky-class-17-make-their-teams\" target=\"_blank\">Kelli &amp; Ricky From The Class of 17 Make Their Teams<\/a>\u00a0(2013)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kelli Bowdy, a senior at O.D. Wyatt High in Fort&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":701,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"audio","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[25,16],"class_list":["post-687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-audio","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-graduate-class-of-17","tag-american-graduate-class-of-17","tag-kelli-bowdy","post_format-post-format-audio","byline-bill-zeeble"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=687"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":779,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687\/revisions\/779"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/class-of-17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}