Thirty-two years in high school education.
Twenty-two years at Cardinal Gibbons High School.
Twenty years in Gibbons Administration for leadership and academics.
After more than two decades of dedicated service to Cardinal Gibbons High School, as a teacher, administrator, and assistant principal, Mrs. Nancy Barkan is stepping away from her post to explore a new career path with passion.
There are people who come into a school community and leave a mark so deep that time cannot erase it. Mrs. Barkan is one of those people.
“Working here for almost 25 years has been an absolute gift from God. I came here through what I believe was a Holy Spirit moment,” Mrs. Barkan said.
The impact she has made on students is truly phenomenal, but the impact the school has made on her is just as notable.
Barkan’s Journey
The year before Mrs. Barkan came to Gibbons, she was planning on leaving teaching.
Another teacher at her previous school brought a cut-out of the newspaper which read along the lines of: “English teacher position available at Cardinal Gibbons High School.”
This other teacher taught at Gibbons for years and recommended the job for Barkan.
“That person literally changed the trajectory of my life,” Barkan said.
Memories
Looking back to almost 25 years of being a part of the Gibbons family, Barkan physically brought her real family into the school. Her son, Will, is a junior and just three years ago, Barkan took on the parent role for Gibbons as well as the educator one.
“Being a parent here has been the most rewarding. It’s just recognizing that every parent is me. I’m just in a position to try and improve and make the experience better for all parents and students,” Barkan said.
Although this is the highlight of her Gibbons experience, there are many memories that Barkan will never forget.
She notes that one of her favorite experiences is being lucky enough to go on overseas trips and retreats such as the Girls Retreat and Kairos.
“Spending over a week with 40 kids and seven adults, 24/7, you get to know kids and you are amazing. You guys were fun,” she said. “Your enthusiasm, your energy, your curiosity, and you were good to humans which makes us proud.”
Another highlight for Barkan is when she gets to go back and teach English every couple of years. While juggling being assistant principal, she is allowed to take put the “teacher hat on” and enjoy what she calls a “recess.”
Barkan also reminisced on this photo in her office of her riding a Harley motorcycle in the gymnasium right before COVID-19.
The kids asked for her to be in the pep rally that was Mario Kart themed and she rode on the back of Mr. Dean Monroe all around the gym.
This was one of the last community moments before COVID hit, and one of Barkan’s favorite memories was unmasking in March 2022.
“It took this barrier away and showed us why we do education and that felt really good,” she said.
As Barkan steps into a new chapter, her legacy remains woven into the fabric of Cardinal Gibbons. She is forever a part of the story, the spirit, and the soul of the school she helped shape.
