B. Barbara Adams Scholarship
Keenly interested in education, Barbara Adams decided in Grade 6 that she would one day go to university. At the time, she was attending a small rural school where library facilities were very limited. Barbara's teacher suggested she write to the university for information on Asian countries for her social studies project. It may be difficult to imagine how impressive a large parcel filled with pamphlets, including coloured pictures and illustrations, arriving by mail could be to a child of that age, at a time when there was so little print available and no television. Is it any wonder then that this young girl would decide that university was definitely the road for her to follow in the future?
At the University of Victoria, Barbara completed her B.Ed., M.A. and her Ph.D. degrees. She went on to work as a psychologist for the Greater Victoria School District, working in elementary and secondary schools. Other positions included teaching in elementary and secondary city schools, and at university. She also held a position as administrator and teacher in a rural school (Grades 1 to 10). Fond memories included teaching in a learning centre, assisting in training students in specialized teaching areas. This was a joint project sponsored by the University of Victoria and the Greater Victoria School District.
Barbara held executive positions in various professional organizations. Some of these include Delta Kappa Gamma-Lambda (treasurer, vice-president, and president), the Greater Victoria Teachers' Special Education Association (chairperson), and the International Reading Association - Southern Vancouver Island (president).
Encouraging students to continue studies at university was a natural choice for Barbara. She received many letters from students thanking her for her enthusiasm regarding education, as it spurred them on to pursuing higher education. Barbara also had an influence on her family; all three of her children and three of her grandchildren have pursued education at the University of Victoria
Barbara enjoyed working with all students, from kindergarten to university level. Her wish was that teachers continue to learn to teach all students, including those who are gifted or who require special assistance. She has established this scholarship to assist university students with this goal, in order that all students may be better prepared for the future
Apart from educational pursuits, Barbara's interests included travelling, camping, hiking, beachcombing, music, dancing, bowling, photography, card games and following current political and economic issues.