Every Razorback Has a Beginning
For some educators, the journey home begins in the very classrooms where they first discovered a love of learning.
For Shandi Kowzic, the Texarkana Arkansas School District has always been home. A proud member of the TASD Class of 2000, she now returns to the district that helped shape her, not as a student, but as a teacher inspiring the next generation of Razorbacks.
After returning to TASD as a substitute teacher in 2016, Shandi found herself drawn back into the classrooms where her passion for education continued to grow. The following year, she joined Arkansas High School as a paraprofessional, spending nearly a decade encouraging students, supporting teachers, and preparing for the classroom she had always hoped to lead.
This fall, after earning her Bachelor of Arts in History from Texas A&M University–Texarkana, Shandi begins a new chapter as a Sixth Grade Social Studies Teacher at Arkansas Middle School.
For her, this achievement represents more than earning a teaching certificate, it is the fulfillment of a journey that has come full circle.
"My journey from a TASD student to a TASD teacher is a chance to give back to my community. Working in the same district that I attended is a proclamation that 'Once a Razorback, Always a Razorback' is more than just words."
Her story is a reminder that the influence of great schools extends far beyond graduation. Sometimes the students who once filled our classrooms return with a new purpose, to inspire, encourage, and invest in the next generation.
About Growing Our Own
Growing Our Own celebrates employees whose journeys have come full circle—individuals who have grown professionally within Texarkana Arkansas School District or returned to serve the district that helped shape them. Their stories reflect our commitment to investing in people, developing leaders, and building the future from within.
Built Here. Leading Here.