The early-morning seminary program -- with all its attendant adventures and blessings -- is highlighted with a series of profiles on students, teachers and families from around the country, on MormonTimes.com beginning May 10.

When Jenni Bowman wakes up at 6:15 a.m. on weekdays, she only has 15 minutes before a high school senior, junior and sophomore walk through her front door.

The three students -- a boy and two girls -- will enter without knocking. She has to be ready.

Bowman teaches early-morning seminary in Charlottesville, Va. Her husband, Jeff, will graduate from University of Virginia School of Law this week.

Both are from Utah and keep their 801 area code cellphones. They've been married for about three and a half years.

"I grew up in Utah, so I had release-time seminary," Bowman said. "I could not imagine getting up earlier than I had to, to go to school. I thought, 'If I lived ... where there is early-morning seminary, I don't think I would be a seminary student.'"

Bowman turns on the lights downstairs in her townhome. She wants her students to see that she is awake, so she opens the blinds. She turns on the computer and selects some music to play. If it is winter, she turns on the gas fireplace "so it's warm and cozy."

"It really surprises me how much these kids are motivated to get up, get ready, get out the door and come to seminary -- and come on time," Bowman said.

Bowman knows about using time wisely. She runs her own part-time business selling self-designed home decor items: mouthwatering replicas of cupcakes, cakes and other baked wonders. She even made an appearance on the Martha Stewart show in 2007. She also works as a personal assistant.

Parents drop off the students. The three come in the door and plop down on the beige hand-me-down camelback sofa. Bowman puts a kitchen chair across from her students, with a coffee table between them. She chooses a hymn on the computer and they sing along.

"I think that this call, as an early-morning seminary teacher, it's probably one of the most dreaded callings you can have -- but that's only by people who have not had it before," Bowman said. "Because, wow, I have really enjoyed my time as an early-morning seminary teacher. This year, it has been so fabulous."

E-mail: mdegroote@desnews.com