Alec Bowden

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

My most recent tattoo is a small Y with a superimposed C. My left arm is full of tattoos I received in Ybor City, and my most recent addition symbolizes my love and dedication to this tight-knit community. When I first came to Tampa, I fell in love with Ybor and came constantly throughout graduate school. I eventually met my now fiancée in Ybor City, and we now live here happily with our two cats. It made sense for me to complete my left arm with the symbol of the most important place in

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

If my ink could speak, it would say so much. My ink would tell the story of my life: ​a tapestry woven with passions, memories, mistakes, and growth. It would say, "We evolve with you, capturing your essence and experiences, until we fade as you do." I love what tattoos symbolize: they're permanent on my skin, yet like my impact on the world, they too will eventually fade.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I could probably pay off my car or put it toward a house for my fiancée, Olivia, and me to live in, but that seems like too boring of an answer. I'd use the $25,000 to give my fiancée the wedding of her dreams, that she so rightfully deserves. We want to get married soon so her sick grandparents can see her on her wedding day, but we're not in a place where we can financially afford it at the moment. The money would help make this all possible.