By Nate Fisher

The importance of small business entrepreneurship has long been linked to the health of rural communities. Luckily for Mounds, one such potential entrepreneur walks in their midst. Senior Laniya Barnett is already demonstrating that she dreams of owning a small business and contributing to the economic health of the area where she lives and the physical well-being of its people.

As she completes her last year of high school, Laniya is on track to graduate with a high school diploma and an associate degree from Shawnee Community College through the Fast Start program. She hopes to become a physical therapist, and she says her wish is to help “people to function normally.” After going through physical therapy herself after overusing her knee in junior high, Laniya sees a need to assist others with injuries, especially older people, to overcome obstacles affecting their quality of life. She intends to get the necessary knowledge and resources to achieve this by attending Maryville University.

Laniya is driven by an innovative spirit, as she would love nothing more than to own her own business. Though she isn’t definite on the type of business she would operate, she says that the best feeling would be to have something that “will be [her] own.” Right now, that looks to be either a restaurant or a bakery. Whatever type of business it turns out to be, she says, “It will be something that I like, or I’m passionate about, or something important to me.”

Whether it’s assisting a patient as a physical therapist or serving the locals a delicious meal and fresh baked goods, Laniya’s aims carry an enthusiasm for the pursuit of helping others. She says her family is a great support system, and she’s shown a connection with the needs of her hometown. Simply put, she thinks there are always people around who need help. For instance, she feels her decision to attend college classes remotely is appropriate as her grandmother is undergoing cancer treatments, and Laniya wants to be close to home. Her awareness of this need might stem from the leadership she gave her siblings growing up, a role she’s strengthened through teamwork in softball and cheer.

In ten years, Laniya says you may catch her in St. Louis or maybe Cape Girardeau, depending on how she enjoys college. Even if she were to relocate, it’s safe to say she’d keep close ties with Mounds, returning any investment in her future to the area.

While countless people will benefit from her physical therapy work, many others will enjoy seeing this local rockstar bring not only good business but a new perspective to the community that’s lucky enough to call her one of their own.