Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/706827
2020 VISION 24 BELOW Though she was first introduced to Linfield as a parent, Barbara has been teaching Biology and AP Biology for nearly 10 years. RIGHT She loves sharing her passion for science with her students, helping them get ready for college and beyond. C U L T I V A T I N G C O N F I D E N C E In particular, Barbara is proud of the way in which science is embraced in Linfield's culture. Instead of being afraid of contentious theories, the science department honestly addresses and studies them alongside the truth in Scripture. One of Barbara's goals is to work more in tandem with the Bible department in teaching about God's creation, but she says, "I have freedom to talk about everything from atheistic evolution to theistic evolution, intelligent design, old earth creation, young earth creation, and I really challenge the kids to know where they are on the spectrum because they're all theories. You have to know what you believe and why you believe it and then be able to validate it. You can't just say 'it's what my pastor says' or 'it's what my parents believe.' That's not a belief. You need to be able to back up what you're saying when you're challenged." As the parent of two Linfield graduates, CJ (Class of 2009) and Nikki (Class of 2013), Barbara has a very unique perspective on how the school effectively prepares students for college. She says, "For me as a parent, what was beautiful about Linfield went way beyond academics. The academics are excellent, but what really prepares a kid for college is helping them learn how to cope with life, with failures, with competitiveness, with feeling like [they] don't fit in. My son CJ found what he needed through the football team; my husband was overseas for the majority of his freshman and sophomore years, and so his male role models were those coaches and Trainer John Mitchell. They understood his situation, that here was a young man who needed a little extra attention, a little extra guidance, and they all took it very seriously. So while the academics prepared him incredibly well, he also learned to handle setbacks and how to get along with the other members of his team, and I can see that so much of who he is right now is a result of the way in which he was mentored during that time. Team sports at Linfield are about so much more than being good at the sport; they're about excellence as an individual and as a team member. It was huge for him."