GAFB dependent to change world

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Stephen Musal
  • Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Maryn Barnes says she wants to change the world.

The 18-year-old daughter of Chaplain (Capt.) Martin Barnes, who goes by Aaron after the High Priest of the Hebrews in the biblical book of Exodus, may well get her chance as she heads off to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 18.

The young scholar plans to major in linguistics, with the hope that she can help people communicate not just with words, but the ideas behind the words as well.

"Language," she asserts, "is the key to understanding each other."

Ms. Barnes has been awarded the Air Force Aid Society's Gen. Henry H. Arnold Education Grant, a scholarship which was awarded based on financial need, scholastic achievement and moral character.

In applying for the Hap Arnold Grant, Ms. Barnes said she and her family made a case for stability despite Chaplain Barnes' 23 years in the military, first enlisted and then as an officer.

"We wanted to demonstrate that just because you move around a lot doesn't mean you can't make something of yourself," added her mother, Mandy Barnes. Maryn agreed.

"After so many moves and so many high schools, you don't have a lot of history with any one place," said Ms. Barnes, who graduated from Central High School, San Angelo, Texas, June 1. "I had to push to become average, and after that, pride motivated me to push harder to be better than average," she added.

Paved with many moves, the road to becoming an adult was the subject of Ms. Barnes' entrance essay for SMU, "Rites of Passage." While writing it, she said, she realized that many of her ideas about adulthood come from her father's example, which led to another essay.

That essay, "My Dad, My Hero," was selected as one of 25 winners of the American Patriot Freedom Scholarship Award for Military Dependent Children. In addition, Ms. Barnes has been awarded a General Board Ministry Knowles Scholarship from the United Methodist Church, a scholarship from Trinity United Methodist Church in San Angelo (her local branch of the church), a United Methodist Higher Education grant (which SMU matched), and a Distinguished Scholar scholarship from SMU.

Ms. Barnes was also selected for SMU's Hilltop Scholar Program, a freshman honors program that puts like-minded academics in the same building to live, learn and study together.

"HSP means you know that everyone in your dorm has the same priorities scholastically," Ms. Barnes said. "It also means that you have a group of people you can use as a springboard for your network."

Also a part of the program are smaller, concentrated classes in the same building the students live in. Ms. Barnes was one of 80 students selected out of almost 1,200 freshmen.

"I don't mind being excited about what she's done," said Chap. Barnes, though he said his daughter is humble about her accomplishments so far. As a Methodist minister, however, Ms. Barnes said her dad was very happy with her choice of colleges.

"I came home and said 'Hey, dad, I'm going to apply for SMU,'" she said, "and then he fell over. He literally was laid out on the ground," she added with a smile.

She explained that she had talked with a counselor at Central High School that day about her possible choices in colleges, and though her dad had mentioned SMU to her before, this was the point when she decided she was going.

Ms. Barnes said the best advice she could give to a young military dependent trying to decide about their future is to know themselves.

"Know who you are, and who you will be," she said, "and then live every moment as who you're going to be. Treat everyone else as if they have an effect on your future, because you never know who might."