KATHLEEN H. BARNES – A PASSIONATE LEADER & PHYSIOTHERAPIST
Passion for doing something enables an individual to succeed. People become experts in their profession when they are passionate to give relentless effort. Some enormous individuals have big dreams to achieve for themselves. Such people dream of reaching their desired destination, eventually achieving it with devotion and hard work. These successful individuals live a happy and upgraded lifestyle after achieving their dreams successfully. On the other hand, some people have a passion for achieving something, not just for themselves but for their society. These passionate individuals think out of the box and are willing to make their community (or country) progressive.
That’s what is a major difference between an individual and a leader. Leadership skills enable people to grow as a society, not individuals. Every society needs people with such a mentality who have the courage and passion for overcoming challenges, implementing ideas, and working for a better change. Kathleen Hildreth Barnes is one prominent example of a leader who aims to serve society. She is a former physical therapist who served various patients to get rid of muscle pain and live an active and happy life. She is also an educational leader working to reform the education system through creative ideas and innovations. She has been leading in the education industry for decades.
A leader is someone passionate about their nation. They prioritize their society first. No matter what the profession is, they aim to bring the best. It doesn’t matter if they are healthcare practitioners, teachers, physiotherapists, entrepreneurs, or any profession. What matters the most is whether they are leaders. Leadership quality allows people to create solutions for the ongoing issues in society. Leaders of society create their future. It depends on their decisions and their efforts for their society.
A leader thinks about society’s developments, but an educational leader aims to prepare future leaders. Their responsibility includes reforming the education system allowing students to think broadly and give effort to their society in the future. The youth is the future of any society. With the help of proper education, they can improve their lifestyle, stabilize their families, and develop their societies.
Dr. Kathleen Barnes believes that education has the power to change society. She has been working to reform the education system for years. Barnes was born on October 11, 1952, in Springfield, Massachusetts. She spent her early life in Monson and later moved to Old Saybrook, Connecticut, in 1962, along with her family. She started her career as a physiotherapist. Barnes earned her degree in Physical Therapy and taught students in the field. On the contrary, she has been serving as an educational leader.
Kathleen completed her high school education at the Old Saybrook Senior High School. Later, she attended Endicott College, Massachusetts, where she completed her Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts. In 1976, Barnes completed her B.S. in physical therapy. Throughout her college days, Kathleen participated in various co-curriculum activities, which improved her leadership skills. In fact, she was a leader in various student-based clubs and organizations.
After completing her graduation, Kathleen started practicing physical therapy. She had a license to practice physiotherapy in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations. The mission of serving society enabled her to become a member of various associations. Since her graduation, she has been a part of the American Physical Therapy Association. She also handled state chapters of the neuro-development treatment therapist group. In addition, Barnes was also an active member of the Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America. She had the responsibilities of multiple positions in that organization in the period between 1988 to 2004. In 1998, Barnes completed her M.S. in Physical Therapy from the University of Indianapolis. She also pursued her Ph.D. from the Union Institute & University and completed her Ph.D. in Arts and Sciences in 2009.
Kathleen was an active member of the Board of Allied Health Professions from 2001 to 2010. She joined as a member but later served as the chair of the board. She had a successful career in the field of physical therapy. She has worked as a pediatric physical therapist in various places, including Meeting Street School in Providence, Rhode Island, North Shore Consortium in Beverly, Massachusetts, and CAST. Currently, Barnes has a license to practice physical therapy in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Maine. The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts appointed her for this position.
Dr. Kathleen H. Barnes received recognition and awards for her true commitments in the industry. She received Distinguished Service Award from the Federation of State Boards in Physical Therapy in 2010. She also received the same award from the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). The organization gave her two Distinguished Service Awards in 1999 and 2002. She also received an outstanding service award for revising the model practice act for physical therapy. In addition, Kathleen’s research in physical therapy ethics and legislation was recognized by the Federation of State Boards in Physical therapy.
Besides physical therapy, Dr. Kathleen Barnes has served the educational industry for years. She has held multiple responsibilities and roles in higher education, including being the interim president of Endicott College. Kathleen began her journey at Endicott College in January 1993. She spent her 28-year career in college while fulfilling diversified responsibilities. In her tenure of more than two decades, Kathleen led the campus-wide retention efforts, and she increased the 21% retention and 19% graduation rate in the college.
Being a mentor, she guided students in choosing the right educational path and helped them achieve their academic goals. Barnes also taught several courses to students during their first-year experience in the college. She taught several courses, including physical therapy, athletic training, physical therapy, and special honors courses.