Arriving with a piping hot cup of coffee in her hand, Custodian Barbie Wood began her interview with the Yamhill Carlton High School Journalism staff. She begins by jokingly mentioning she forgot it was picture day.
As a custodian for almost twenty years, Wood worked at the high school two towns over in McMinnville until hearing about a job opening up at YC through her sons.
Family is important to Wood, and she mentions the names and ages of each one of her children. She also doesn’t fail to mention her “Eleven-month-old granddaughter,” and her face lights up at the reminder.
Not only was working at a school where all her kids attended a benefit, living right down the road was an added benefit as well. Her home life is something to be proud of. Wood never stops working because she raises chickens and ducks, and used to horses, which means not only is she maintaining a job but rigorous farm work as well. She stated that she nurtures her baby ducks and had recently brought one’s health back to its normal self.
Wood said the one thing that disappoints her within the school is the third floor boys bathroom with the defacing of public property. The vandalism is so bad that she mentions the most recent scandal of the bathroom stalls being flipped to where they cannot shut.
However, at the end of the day Wood still enjoys her job. She was asked what she likes about YC. And after mentioning that the students are so positive here and students and staff can really get to know each other, she said, “I like the family atmosphere.”
