Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Race/Ethnic identity: Caucasian
College: Volunteer State Community College
Bio: Barbara Gooch is an undergraduate student at Volunteer State Community College in Tennessee. Originally from Toledo, she joined the SLAC because she loves having a platform to express issues involving experiences she has witnessed within the rural areas to obtain a higher education degree. She realizes that rural students are more often left out of the equation for experiencing greater educational opportunities. Barbara brings to the Council her lived experiences of being a non-traditional first-generation rural student, who also has a husband and four children in college. She is committed to helping others obtain higher education in rural settings.