Some of Barbara’s favorite joys are sewing, selfies with her two grown sons, chocolate, endless laughter on road trips with her husband, animated time with her four brothers, writing and the grace of her parents living their best lives over age 90. She works for the Education Department at Carlow University with a grant funded project to increase the diversity of certified teachers. She is quite proud of her past roles as a racial justice educator in the nonprofit world and a diversity and inclusion professional in the higher education community. Her creative spirit led her to a BA in Performing Arts/Dance, a full tuition benefit led her to an MEd in Educational Leadership and a desire to write keeps her on the path toward completing the final manuscript of essays on race/racism for her MFA in Non-Fiction Creative Writing. She is passionate about serving as a board member to two local non profits, Hill Dance Academy Theater (HDAT) and the Alliance for Refugee Youth Support and Education (ARYSE).