Still a UI freshman with plenty of college to go, Lynn Barnes wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to do with her life.
And then one day, out of nowhere, this happened to the future Carle executive:
“During the spring semester of my freshman year, I lived in Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall and was taking a music theory class at nearby Smith Music Hall. It was early in the semester and I was still an eager freshman. I sat in the front row of my classroom in a fold-down seat with a fold-up writing table.
“Right next to me, lying on that seat, was a brochure about careers in occupational therapy. I picked up the brochure and read it, having not heard of this field.
“There was an address stamped on the back of the brochure, and after my class I decided to drop by the office on Goodwin Ave. to get more information. I was ‘interviewed’ on the spot and enrolled in the on-campus occupational therapy program shortly thereafter.
“I started my career at Carle as an occupational therapist after graduating from the U of I. I have been at Carle ever since.
“On that day in 1972, I certainly sat in the right seat."
