Hometown

Weaverville, North Carolina

High School

North Buncombe High School

Immediate Plans

To join Teach For America as a middle school English teacher in West Virginia before applying to doctoral programs in education policy.

Owen earned a BA with highest distinction in public policy, with minors in education and English. He worked as a research assistant with the Education Policy Initiative at Carolina (EPIC), a coach at the UNC Writing Center, and a substitute teacher with Orange County Schools. He conducted research on several salient issues in education policy, including coaching supports for low-performing schools, restorative practice, and teacher unionization. At Carolina, Owen served on the faculty’s Educational Policy Committee, was an Ethics Scholar with the Parr Center for Ethics, was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and was president of the UNC Marathon Team. He ran three full marathons and many other distance races during his time at Carolina, including the Boston and Chicago marathons.

Cloud Icon
Outdoor Leadership

National Outdoor Leadership School, Alaska Leadership Expedition

Puzzle Piece Icon
Civic Collaboration

Louisville Urban League, Louisville, Kentucky

Globe Asia Australia Icon
Global Perspective

Te Ngāpara Centre for Restorative Practice, Wellington, New Zealand

Briefcase Icon
Professional Experience

Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois