After being a stay at home mom for 16 years, Stefanie McDowell felt the time was right for her to re-enter the workforce. McDowell is the new CHS student service secretary; she assists the students with scheduling to see the counselors  and loves to fill in where needed.

Although she misses being a stay at home mom, McDowell loves her job at Combs,“The people are awesome, the kids are fun…never a dull moment,” McDowell said.

Throughout her life McDowell says she’s had many ups and downs, especially as a kid. She wants to help put a smile on peoples’ faces so they know someone is there and cares.

McDowell is an only child and was born April 26, 1980. She was raised in Mesa, Arizona where she attended Mesa High School and has lived here since.

“Growing up in Mesa was nice, I lived right down the street from the high school and it was a smaller town back then, the kind of small town where everyone knew everyone,” McDowell said.

When she was around six years old, however, life took a slight turn. Her parents decided to separate which was hard for young McDowell.

“It was my mom, dad and me until they split up, but I survived it,” McDowell said. “The divorce really did affect how I wanted to raise my kids.”

When she was 13-years-old, McDowell’s mom remarried. Around that time, it was rough for her because she wasn’t sure how life would change.

Trinity Glandon

“Being 13-years-old is a difficult time; you’re no longer in elementary school, and you don’t know who you’ll meet or how people are going to treat you,” McDowell said.

She pushed through and made a new life for herself. She went to beauty school for a year as a senior and also taught preschool for four years before deciding to stay at home.

McDowell is now a mother of five children, three girls and two boys, and has been married for 19 years. Her family enjoys time together, especially outdoors.

Although going back to work means that McDowell might get less time with her family, she is grateful that CHS took a chance on a stay at home mom.