Jessica Barker: 2018 Lincoln Academy Student Laureate
Each year, Principia College nominates one senior for the prestigious Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award based on leadership and service in the pursuit of the betterment of humanity and overall excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities. Those selected from colleges and universities across Illinois become Student Laureates of the Lincoln Academy and take part in a gathering at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, in November. Jessica Barker, a theatre major with a minor in sociology/anthropology, is this year’s Principia College Lincoln Academy Student Laureate.
Jessica’s commitment to community service has led her to volunteer with several local organizations. She has provided workshops for residents of Beverly Farm, a community for adults with disabilities; coordinated volunteers for the 2018 St. Louis CommUnity Arts Festival, an organization that helps to heal the effects of violence through art; and created a drama workshop series for children in the Alton Boys & Girls Club after-school program. Alongside theatre classmates, Jessica also developed a “theatre for social change” piece with students at Alton High School.
Jessica has served in various campus leadership roles, too: as president of the Theatre Club and of Half the Sky Club, on the International Perspectives Conference Executive Board, as a writing tutor, and on her house board. In 2018, she received Principia’s Bertha H. Canova Scholarship in recognition of her commitment to global service.
As part of her interest in performance, Jessica has hosted livestreamed television broadcasts in Principia’s PCTV studios, including coverage of the 2016 presidential election. And she’s been cast in Principia’s theatre productions each semester since starting college, including lead roles in Pride and Prejudice, The Merchant of Venice, and Treasure Island. Jessica has also appeared in Principia’s annual Dance Production. This semester, she is taking a leadership role off stage as assistant stage manager for Urinetown: The Musical.