鈥淲hen something happens, life doesn鈥檛 stop. But for me, time stood still on鈥疐riday, August 25, 2023. That鈥檚 the date Pastor Brian Hutchinson officiated my mom鈥檚 funeral,鈥� said Meghan Bowman, a USF College of Arts and Sciences mass communications alumna.
Bowman stands between her mother and father at her wedding in 2011 in Austin, TX. (Photo courtesy of Meghan Bowman)
Bowman first recorded those words as a student in Wayne Garcia鈥檚 independent study class, processing the grief of her mother's recent passing. What began as a student project would eventually gain such powerful resonance with its audiences that it earned her several awards, including first place for student podcast in the prestigious national Edward R.鈥疢urrow鈥疉wards.
Of the awards given to journalists, the Murrow Awards are among the most respected journalism awards in the world.
The podcast, 鈥淥ne More Time,鈥� is a three-part series dedicated to the life and accomplishments of Bowman鈥檚 mom, who dedicated her life to dance. But that wasn鈥檛 the initial plan for this production.
鈥淚 planned to do an independent study with Prof. Garcia in Fall 2023. I wanted to continue a podcast I began in his Radio and Podcasting class that was an expos茅 into the darker side of the dance world,鈥� Bowman said.
鈥淭he week before the semester began, my mom passed away. I met [Garcia] in his office the first week of class and was a wreck, I said I couldn鈥檛 in good conscience do a piece on the dark side of dance when the art form was so incredibly important to my mom. I tried to drop the independent study that morning,鈥� she explained.
But Garcia, an award-winning journalist himself, recognized a special talent in his student and helped her move forward.
鈥淢eghan had the storytelling savvy to know that her mother鈥檚 life was a great story, and she had the emotional courage 鈥� while mourning 鈥� to begin working to report that story. Those two strengths are a rare combination,鈥� Garcia said.
Bowman on stage with her mother, Gloria Jean, in the early 1990s before one of her mother鈥檚 recitals. (Photo courtesy of Meghan Bowman)
Thanks to a combination of talent and dedication, 鈥淥ne More Time鈥� won three major awards within a year of its release, including a highly coveted for podcasting.
鈥淚鈥檓 still shocked and honored that the podcast won the awards it has!鈥� Bowman said.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more proud of what we accomplished. I think the key to its success is the rawness. I wrote these episodes during a time when my mom鈥檚 death was fresh on my mind, and I think the emotion comes through. While not everyone has a relationship with their mothers 鈥� I think most everyone can relate to loss. And for me, the biggest loss I鈥檝e ever had was that of my mom,鈥� she added.
鈥淭he podcast works because it is so authentic,鈥� Garcia explained. 鈥淪he tells the tale as both a grieving daughter and a probing journalist, giving context to a life well lived and tragically ended too soon.鈥�
Winning this award means so much more to Bowman than any other career achievement 鈥� to her, it鈥檚 proof that she was meant to create this podcast for her mom.
鈥淲hen Mary Shedden from WUSF told me that I won the student podcast category for the National Murrow Award, I started crying on the phone. Mary congratulated me on the love letter to my mom 鈥� we never called it a podcast while I was working on it and funny enough, it was always her love letter,鈥� Bowman said.
鈥淎t the end of the day 鈥� I think if my mom heard it, and I鈥檓 sure she has, she would鈥檝e loved it. And she would鈥檝e been really proud of it, and that鈥檚 more special to me than the award itself.鈥�
Bowman鈥檚 mother (left) holds a trophy for the winning ensemble group from Hoctor鈥檚 Dance Convention in the early 1980s. (Photo courtesy of Meghan Bowman)
Meghan鈥檚 mother hugs her immediately after her first solo tap performance in the mid-1990s. (Photo courtesy of Meghan Bowman)
Bowman learned about her win just one day before the anniversary of her mother鈥檚 passing.
鈥淭his was a wonderful, healing, cathartic journey to take,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t was meaningful to not only me, but my family, my mom鈥檚 friends, and her students as well. I hope that people will give it a listen.鈥�
You can listen to 鈥�,鈥� on the Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications鈥� website.