By BARBARA GREEN
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After attending college at Texas A&M University earning a bachelor and master degree, Erik King has come home to do his student teaching at Bowie High School.
A 2010 Bowie graduate King is teaching horticulture, advanced plant and soil science and principles of technology working with veteran teacher Ronnie Mund.
There are several things you notice about King when you first meet him. A big smile, a deep strong voice, unbridled enthusiasm for teaching and a passion for nature. All traits that reveal a young man who has found his life’s path.
One other thing you may notice. The 27-year-old is in a wheelchair, and he is quick to tell you people will always see the chair no matter what, but he sees it as a stage and opportunity where he can present himself in the most positive manner possible.
Teacher or not?
The son of Karen and Mickey King, this budding teacher graduated from Texas A&M in December with his master of science in ecosystem science. His bachelor degree was in range land ecology and ecological restoration.
King explains he always felt ecology and agriculture go together and he wanted to create a curriculum that fuses them for community college or high school classrooms. His master’s degree focused on education.
His path into teaching was not always so defined. King’s grandmother, Jennie Ensey, longtime librarian in Bowie School District, told him as a youngster he was probably going to be a teacher. King laughs he proclaimed how he was going off to do all these “grand and wonderful things.”
It wasn’t until his junior year working on his bachelor degree the light bulb went off that “Me-Maw” was right.
“No matter how many times I found myself running away from it, I kept circling back where I began. It is something I enjoy. It got me excited to teach someone something new. Animal, plant or science facts I can go on and on about them,” he said.

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