Senior year is often described as a victory lap, but for Byron’s Annabella Barker, it’s more like the opening stretch of a marathon whose finish line keeps moving forward. With her sights set on some of the nation’s most selective universities—Stanford, Rice, Duke, Harvey Mudd, Caltech, and Washington University among them—Annabella has balanced a schedule that would intimidate most with grace, tenacity, and a quiet joy for the act of learning itself.

Ask her where the drive comes from, and she’ll shrug modestly before explaining that learning has always been a natural part of her identity. “I just enjoy acquiring knowledge,” she says. “Math and science especially have always clicked for me.” That natural aptitude, paired with encouragement from her parents and teachers who recognized her talent early, has propelled Annabella into advanced coursework and a future brimming with possibility.

Her academic résumé speaks volumes. AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB and AP Biology last year, Physics this year, and AP Calculus BC—the most rigorous math course Byron offers. On top of that, she earned top scores on her ACT, including a perfect 36 in science and reading, while also achieving a 35 in English and math. But it isn’t just the numbers that make her stand out; it’s the way she uses her gifts with purpose, and the way she honors the mentors who helped her grow. Annabella tutors after school and enjoys helping other students.  She remembers her third-grade teacher, Mrs. Cravatta, who sparked her early love of learning, and Mrs. Schilling in fourth and fifth grade, who nurtured her curiosity through Byron’s accelerated program. Later came Mr. Boyer, who told her outright that she had a gift for mathematics and urged her to stretch as far as she could. That encouragement left a lasting imprint. “He made me realize not just that I was in the advanced classes, but that I belonged at the very top of them,” she reflects.

But Annabella’s story is far from being only about academics. For as long as she can remember, dance has been an anchor in her life. What started as a fun recital dance classes at the age of three, has evolved through plays, musical, numerous competitive seasons and recitals, to full length ballets on pointe. Annabella shines on the stage, using movement to express emotion and tell a story. Byron Civic Theatre and Byron Dance Academy’s programs have been key components of Annabella's development as a dancer, and a person. “Dance is such a part of who I am,” she says. “It’s where I can let go of academics and just express myself artistically.” More than just performing, she also enjoys teaching younger dancers, guiding three-, four-, and eight-year-olds through their first pliés and jazz combinations. It’s a role she cherishes, blending patience, mentorship, and joy.

And as if that weren’t enough, Annabella has been a steady presence in Byron’s band program since sixth grade, playing trumpet through both marching and concert seasons, with her favorite performance being Jazz band’s cabaret night. Balancing the brassy energy of football field fanfares with the subtler grace of lyrical dance routines, she embodies a unique duality—analytical and artistic, precise and expressive. It’s a reminder that the brightest students are often the ones who refuse to be defined by a single pursuit.

Her ambitions beyond Byron are as expansive as her talents. 

Engineering, applied mathematics, or research all call to her, though she admits she isn’t yet certain which direction she’ll ultimately take. “I like the idea of putting information together in a way that’s meaningful, whether that’s through research or engineering,” she says. “I want to build or contribute to something that matters.” She’s pragmatic about the hoops of standardized testing and admissions essays, yet her eyes widen when she talks about the schools that make her heart race. Caltech  is currently her top choice, but it’s a reach-school, even for academically talented students, having highly competitive and selective admissions.  “I feel like their mission and approach to education closely aligns with my future goals,” she states. 

Rice University is next in line; she loved the environment when she visited.  She is looking for smaller colleges with strong STEM programs that foster a collaborative learning environment, similar to what she experienced here in Byron.  What she knows for sure is that her Byron upbringing has given her a foundation many peers from large suburban or private prep schools will never experience. “Here, everyone knows everyone,” she says. “It’s a real community. You can go to the grocery store, and it turns into a twenty-minute visit because you’ll run into people who care about you. That sense of connection is something I’ll always carry with me.”

That closeness, she believes, has shaped her into the student she is today—one who thrives academically while remaining grounded in relationships and community values. It’s also something she plans to highlight in her college essays. “Growing up in a smaller place shaped me differently than students from big schools,” she explains. “It’s part of my story.” And it’s a story worth telling: the gifted learner who became a teacher in her own right, the scientist who is also an artist, the small-town student who dares to aim for the world’s biggest stages.

Wherever she lands next fall, Annabella will take Byron with her. She will carry the encouragement of her teachers, the pride of her community, and the lessons learned from dance studios, marching fields, and classrooms alike. And in doing so, she will embody exactly what Byron Schools hopes for every student—that they step into the world not just prepared, but inspired, with roots strong enough to support dreams as high as they dare to climb.