Barb Wells has spent most of her life connected to Forreston. She grew up here, graduated from Forreston High School in 1992, married a fellow graduate, and later watched both of her children walk across the same stage. For her, this place is more than a town. It is a network of relationships that stretches across generations—teachers, classmates, neighbors, and friends whose lives remain intertwined long after the final bell rings.

That sense of connection is what drew her into the work she does today.

Wells serves as president of the Forrestville Valley School Foundation, a twelve-member board established in 1990. Her path there began with the PTO when her children were younger. When the opportunity arose to join the foundation board in 2019, staying involved felt natural. “The foundation is the board that oversees additional academic opportunities ,” she explains, “by providing grants and scholarships to both students and teachers.

While the school board focuses on operations and budgets, the foundation concentrates on supplemental learning. Sometimes that means a new set of classroom books. Other times, the needs run deeper. Recently, the foundation replaced aging microscopes in the biology and agriculture programs—equipment that had been serving students since the late 1980s.

The foundation also administers scholarships through donations and trust funds, honoring the wishes of the donors who created them. Fundraising events like the annual Vedra Golf Scramble—which began as a small gathering organized with the support of  Louanne Vedra Glisan—bring together alumni and community members who understand the impact of investing in the next generation.

That cycle of support is something Wells understands deeply.

“Your classmates become family,” she says.

Growing up in a smaller district meant learning alongside the same peers year after year. Wells still takes summer trips with classmates she graduated with decades ago. Her husband keeps a group chat constantly going with men from his own graduating class. And the closeness extends to teachers. “They become very impactful in your life,” she says. If her car broke down on the road, there’d be a whole handful of people willing to help—probably before she could even send a text.

That culture of care shows up in the classroom, too. Her daughter experienced it firsthand while participating in the College Now program. Even while taking courses at Highland Community College, a Forreston teacher—Mr. McClellan—tutored her and her classmates on chemistry concepts, making sure they didn’t fall behind.

“There’s just this family that is looking out for you and wanting you to be successful,” Wells says. “Feeling safe in your classroom. Feeling safe with your teacher.”

That belief became especially meaningful when the foundation received an extraordinary scholarship gift from the late Max Wenzel.  Through the generosity of Max, every student who graduates from Forreston High School and enrolls in college will benefit.

To add to Max’s generosity, the District and Foundation have partnered with 7 Illinois universities offering first year free tuition and fees for Forreston graduates alongside Wenzel’s scholarship.

Wells remembers moving through a whirlwind of emotions during the November meeting when news of Wenzel’s gift was released: shock, skepticism, even a moment of jealousy when she realized her own children had graduated just before the opportunity arrived.

But those feelings were short-lived.

“I thought of all my friends and family and their children and their grandchildren that are going to benefit from this type of opportunity for decades to come,” she says. “The entire day I was just overcome with awe.”

What moved her most was not only the amount but its spirit. Unlike many scholarships that lean heavily on GPA or test scores, this one carried fewer restrictions—offering broader access for all  students pursuing their educational dreams. Wells knows the weight of that philosophy personally. She had an average GPA and terrible ACT scores, yet went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University and a master’s in social work from the University of Illinois. Today, she serves as clinical director of Voices of Stephenson County, supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault for nearly three decades.

From that vantage point, she understands what a gift like this means. “This is what we dream about,” she says.

She thinks about students who stumble through freshman year, still figuring out the dynamics of high school, whose GPAs never recover, no matter how hard they try. She wouldn’t want them to give up and say, “Well, why bother?” Grades may measure one part of a student’s journey, but they rarely tell the whole story.

In a place like Forreston, education does not stand alone. It is supported by neighbors, strengthened by alumni, and carried forward by families who believe deeply in the power of opportunity. And thanks to people like Barb Wells, that foundation—both literal and symbolic—continues to grow stronger for every student who will build their future upon it.