Jamila Bowser, a teacher at Lowe’s Grove Middle School, has been named as one of four finalists for the prestigious title of 2009 SECME Teacher of the Year, a national honor.

SECME stands for Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering. According to its Website, “SECME's goal is to increase the pool of historically under-represented, geographically under-served, and differently abled students who will be prepared to enter and complete post-secondary studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), thus creating a diverse and globally competitive workforce.”

A panel of six current or retired educators recommended Bowser as one of four finalists from a national pool of nominees based on submitted portfolios. The recipient will be announced at the organization’s conference next month in Daytona Beach.