If a Queen Anne’s County High school student needs advice on time management, they can ask senior Sarah Bowyer. Bowyer packs a seemingly impossible number of activities into a school year. She is enrolled in six advanced placement courses, which is the most a student can take in a single year. And, she’s thriving with a 4.4 weighted GPA, which is good enough to be valedictorian of her class.
On top of all the coursework, Bowyer is playing three sports and is heavily involved in several school and community activities. “I have to give up hanging out with my friends, so I can focus on academics and playing sports,” says Bowyer, who will play lacrosse and study business at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania next year. “I have to give up a lot of different things. I study every day of the week.”
The school day can be grueling for Bowyer because of the challenging classes. It’s a nonstop grind. “Practices and games are a much-needed mental break,” she says.
With all of her time commitments, she wishes there were more hours in the day. “I really wanted to volunteer more and do things in my community,” she says. “I haven’t been able to do that as much as I have wanted to because of my academics.”
Outside of school, Bowyer has volunteered for Meals on Wheels. Kent School children’s camps, and as a Special Olympics swim coach and Queen Anne’s County Recreation lacrosse coach. At school, she’s senior class treasurer and a member of the Spanish Club and the Interact Club, which does service projects for the homeless and sends food packages to underserved populations in Africa.
“She puts 110 percent into everything she does,” Queen Anne’s Girls Lacrosse Coach Penelope Santos-Bates says. “I’ve learned from her. I have two girls and I want to tell them how she takes on great things and how she is good at everything she does.”
Bowyer, a three-year starter, leaves no doubt that she is a standout on the lacrosse field.
She’s a valuable member of the Lions, ranking among the leaders in several statistical categories. She racked up 36 goals and 10 assists while winning 45 draws this past spring. “I would call her the quarterback and a warrior in the midfield,” Santos-Bates says. “She is gritty and can sprint a full field, cause a turnover, pick up a ground ball, and get it right down the field.”
Bowyer also helps Queen Anne’s with her energy and competitiveness. It never seems like there is a letdown in her play. “She is a leader and the girls respect her for her intensity,” Santos-Bates explains. “The girls follow her and she raises the intensity of the entire team.”
The 5-foot-10 Bowyer is pretty good at field hockey, too. She earned North Bayside Conference First Team honors in 2018 while being named team MVP. The midfielder finished the season with seven goals and five assists.
“She is the fastest player I have,” Queen Anne’s Field Hockey Coach Shana Corder says. “And with her endurance, she can play so many minutes. She is a well-rounded athlete. She could have definitely played field hockey in college.”
In the winter, Bowyer excels in the pool. She qualified for the state championships in the 100-meter freestyle and backstroke during her freshman and sophomore years.
Bowyer enjoys sports, but homework is never far from her mind. “After a game or a practice, I go home and just dive into studying,” Bowyer says.
