Nathan Stowe was the 2003 valedictorian of Maurepas High School, a public school in southern Livingston Parish. He has his own personal training business: Stowe Training Systems. He is married to Laura Dally Stowe and they have a daughter, Ella.
When you were in high school, was being valedictorian something you pursued?
Yes! Since as long as I can remember my parents encouraged me to do well in school, and I wanted to make them proud.
If so, what study habits did you use to get the best grades possible?
Fortunately; most things came easily to me. I simply read the chapters and did the homework each week as assigned; it still astounds me that 99% of success in almost anything in life can be found in simply showing up. When things didn’t come easily to me my mom hired a tutor for me whom I saw one to two times per week and did all the required homework that she asked for.
How big an accomplishment did you feel it was to be valedictorian?
At that moment in time it was the biggest dream I had made come true and proved to me that I could do almost anything if I showed up consistently and did the required work.
Did you get one or more college degrees?
A degree in business with a concentration in finance. I was six hours short of minoring in sports … but thought I would never use that!
If so, please describe. Did you get the degree(s) you originally planned to study, or did you change majors and/or colleges?
Ever since I was 12 years old I wanted to work in finance and achieved my goal of being accepted to the Student Managed Fund at my university: It was a class of 16 hand-selected by the professor and only available at seven universities in the entire USA. This class is 99% of the reason why I chose to attend Trinity University. The other 1% was weather.
What was your first job, and how has your career progressed up to today?
My first job was working in new car sales for Toyota. I had the pleasure of graduating in 2007 into one of the worst economic situations our country has ever faced. After 18 months (and actually winning some awards for my salesmanship), I became a personal trainer. After being a personal trainer for five years and being promoted into management, I left that company to start my own personal training business: Stowe Training Systems.
I have now been in business for nine years and just had my best year ever in 2022 despite COVID really targeting my industry. I now am married to my dream gal, have my dream house and get off work at noon every day to have plenty of time to spend time raising my amazing baby Ella.
Is your career where you expected or hoped it would be 20 years ago?
Yes and no. No, because I thought for sure I would be a banker. Yes, because even if I was a banker I always knew that I would own my own company one day.
What are your future career goals?
My career is literally ideal. I work with people I love, playing a role that I designed, working an easy schedule of my choice while making an income that provides security for the future while simultaneously allowing us to live the life we want today.
My biggest goal is to not muck it up!
Interested in learning more about Louisiana’s 2003 valedictorians? Take a look at our introduction story here.
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