Through the Walls

Dr. Cowell was born in Portsmouth, Virginia to a teenaged mother. He is the oldest of her children but the third oldest to his father's children. Biologically, he has five siblings. Through marriage, he has two step-siblings. Dr. Cowell grew up in various cities in Tidewater, Virginia. In Norfolk, he completed grades kindergarten through seventh grade. From eighth through part of his 11th grade years, he grew up in Chesapeake. Dr. Cowell graduated from high school and attended community college in Suffolk. At the age of six, he was diagnosed with a speech impediment and struggled academically due to his disability and other precipitating factors, which included domestic violence, family alcohol and drug use, and poverty. Although these circumstances impacted him, Dr. Cowell was able to excel in football and weightlifting, which earned him an opportunity to play college football at Virginia Union University on a full scholarship. In 2001, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. He immediately began a career in social work and residential youth counseling. Dr. Cowell enthusiastically served as a life coach, mentor, and tutor to students with emotional and behavior disorders, learning disabilities, and attention deficits. Through that experience, he became passionate about special education and earned a Master of Arts degree in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction from Central Michigan University in 2004. In 2005, he began his teaching career as a special education teacher and football coach in Hanover County Public Schools, where he was recognized as the Beginning Teacher of the Year. In 2007, Dr. Cowell earned his first teaching endorsement in Emotional Disturbance through Virginia Commonwealth University. His passion for education had increased tremendously, which led to him earning a Doctorate in Education with a concentration in K-12 Educational Leadership from Argosy University in 2012. His dissertation was entitled, "HowOrganized School Sports Impacts the Organization and Time Management Skills of ADHD Students with Executive Functioning Weaknesses." This research motivated Dr. Cowell to investigate the controversy of how interscholastic athletics may deter or enhance the student achievement of pupils with academic challenges and how valuable educators are in helping student athletes achieve their academic goals. In 2014, he completed his post-graduate certificate in Educational Administration and Supervision from The George Washington University. In the state of Virginia, he is licensed as a special education teacher and administrator. Currently, Dr. Cowell works in Northern Virginia as an educator, mentor, and coach. His motto is "DILIGENCE, PERSEVERANCE, and CONFIDENCE generates SUCCESS!" Through respecting authority will encourage self-discipline which fosters tremendous work ethics to build self-assurance and lead to success. Dr. Cowell's accomplishment in being the first in his immediate family to earn a college degree has pinned him as a proponent of breaking the cycle. He is a life-long learner and instructional leader who is passionate about closing the achievement gap and serving as a change agent and barrier combating the school to prison pipeline theory.