Mother surprises daughter for birthday at ECMS

When Escambia County Middle School student Na’Kysia Boykin recognized a familiar face walk into the cafeteria Tuesday, she bolted toward her mother.

Dressed in Army fatigues, Specialist Tyesha Bowens nearly was knocked down from the force of her daughter’s hug.

This was the first time Boykin has seen her mother in some nine months. Bowens has been serving as a dispatcher in Kuwait.

“We have been planning this for about a week to surprise her,” Bowens said. “It was kind of hard trying to surprise her. She kept calling and trying to figure out what I was doing.”

Bowens landed on American soil on Mother’s Day, which gave her enough time to plan the surprise on her daughter’s birthday. She called her daughter’s aunt, ECMS Teacher Tanisha Henderson, to ask for permission from school officials.

“It was exciting,” Bowens said when her daughter saw her. “Of course, there were tears of joys. When she did notice me, she took off running. She about knocked me over. It was a bitter sweet moment.”

Bowens has been in the Army National Guard for five years. She served the last nine months as a dispatcher in Kuwait. She said as a dispatcher, she dispatched trucks for missions, logged miles and issued licenses.

Bowens is an Atmore native, but lives in Montgomery, where she’ll return to work for Wind Creek Casino & Hotel in Wetumpka.