“I remember Steph encouraging me saying you would be great.”

The “Steph” Jeff McGowan is affectionately talking about is his wife of nearly 20 years, Dr. Stephanie McGowan, the Dean of the School of Education at Felician University. On Saturday, September 12th, Dr. McGowan looked on as her husband got his master’s degree in Early Childhood and Special Education from Felician.

Sharing a Mission in Education

The couple has 13-year old twins, Amelia, and Jeffrey Jr. Through their children, Jeff and Stephanie have learned how to look at life through the eyes of uniquely-but-abled children. Inspired by these two beautiful gifts, both McGowans work toward building more inclusive communities, advocate for inclusive and assistive learning opportunities, and live the Felician Core values of social justice, respect for human dignity, compassion, solidarity with the poor and vulnerable, and transformation.

Jeff is currently a Preschool Autism Teacher with the South Bergen Jointure Commission (SBJC), which provides special education classes for children of various classifications, including Autism, Multiply-disabled, and Behavioral Disorders, from Pre-K to 21 years of age.

Like the children he has been called to serve, McGowan did not exactly take a straight line to get to the SBJC as a teacher. He admits to struggling with learning styles in high school, which eventually led to his decision to join the military which he credits with “getting him on the right path in life.” Jeff served in the United States Army as a Sergeant, where he was a Military Police Officer and was selected for the coveted Army Band. In fact, music has always been a big part of his life. McGowan has played piano since he was six, studied music privately, and jammed with some incredible acts such as Bon Jovi, Les Paul, Cool and the Gang, and Charlie Daniels. When friends would ask him why he did not make music his full-time job he would explain, “You really must hustle, and it just didn’t agree with me. I was always a weekend warrior.” His goal was to find a way to bring his passion of playing music to his day-to-day professional life.

After serving in the military, McGowan finished his undergraduate degree online at Thomas Edison State University, then earned a teacher certification online at Seton Hall University. He worked as a self-contained Special Education teacher in Newark and was eventually moved to middle school as a Language Arts and Social Studies in the district. “The kids were great. I loved the kids, but it just wasn’t for me.” Jeff’s heart was always with the younger children who needed the greatest assistance. Knowing the importance of having a caring, compassionate, and committed educator is something he holds dear as a parent of children who rely on that special gift. What better place to be prepared to work with children than a place like the Felician School of Education, where teachers are prepared to teach ALL children with ALL abilities. Now a teacher with the South Bergen Jointure Commission, McGowan feels like he has found his work home, where he can assist young people in finding their path in life. He has also incorporated “Music Fridays” with Mr. Jeff. His ability to infuse music into the learning of his students has become a “zoom” hit during the pandemic.  Music has always been the way he could express himself, and it also became a way to bring his students together with their families when everyone was sheltering and learning from home. His work at the SBJC is a beautiful combination that allows him to do what he loves.

McGowan says he was also grateful that despite a global pandemic, Felician students and faculty were able to have an actual commencement ceremony on September 12th. “I thought they were very generous under the tent. We were able to wear our gowns, and we were able to celebrate, and I thought that was nice. I’m grateful for the effort that they made.” It was very meaningful to have the Acting President and the Dean of Education present him with his diploma. The ceremony provided closure and time to reflect on the awesomeness of this accomplishment for McGowan.

Now with the stress of exams in his rearview mirror McGowan says he, “looks forward to giving back and trying to make a difference” in the lives of the children he has been called to serve. On graduation day, the Felician family was proud to acknowledge the incredible accomplishments of each graduate. As for Jeff McGowan the Dean was right, he will be an amazing life changer and wonderful example of Felician’s commitment to outstanding teacher preparation.

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About Felician University

Felician University engages over 2,300 undergraduate, graduate, and adult students through programs in Arts & Sciences, Business, Nursing, and Education. Universal Franciscan values of social justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity serve as an inclusive foundation for transforming the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. Felician University’s education is ranked 3rd best return on investment for private colleges in New Jersey 2018 by the PayScale.com College ROI Report and is ranked #1 safest college campus in the state by niche.com in 2018.