Jacob Barker was recently honored for representing Midway High School and North Carolina in a prestigious gathering for upcoming science and technology leaders.
In the summer, Barker attended the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders meeting in Lowell, Mass., a suburb of Boston. Principal Monty Strickland and the Sampson County Board of Education recently recognized Barker for his achievement.
“Jacob has a very scientific mindset,” Strickland said about the senior student. “He has a vast interest in the sciences, which is above average or more than other students.”
For Barker, it was his first time traveling to Massachusetts. According to the organization, it was created by the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists to help students by providing networking opportunities and assistance as they pursue careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Wearing jeans and a dark blue Superman T-shirt, Barker was unaware that he was supposed to dress up for the event.
He smiled as he talked about some of the attention his shirt received. One professional told him he was the first Superman he saw during the day.
“I thought that was pretty funny,” Barker said.
But Barker was still confident while talking about the wardrobe experience and it wasn’t the end of the world for him. Even Apple Inc. Entrepreneur Steve Jobs was known for his casual appearance.
In the future, he would like to become a tech professional too, by making an imprint in the world of video games. Barker is a member of the Midway’s gamers club, an organization which allows participants to share their love of video games. Some of the current ones on his playlist include Skyrim, Call of Duty and Dynasty Warriors.
“I enjoy the competitive spirit of gaming,” Barker said. “I’m a very competitive person myself, so I like that other people are taking it seriously and actually trying to compete to win.”
Also, he was recently inducted into The Society of Torch & Laurel, an honors program developed by The National Society of Collegiate Scholars. To become a member, students must have a 3.5 GPA, an SAT score of 1900 (2400 is the highest) or an ACT score of 27 (36 is the highest score).
Its purpose is to recognize high school students with vital tools to enter college. After graduating from Midway High School, Barker said he would like to study computer programming to become a video game designer. Currently, his school of choice in North Carolina State University.
“They have a really nice technology program,” Barker said.