Barbara Popka

I was born and raised in New York City---Queens, so the city was my backyard.  I loved going to museums, the theatre, shopping, and all that Manhattan had to offer.  I still enjoy going back to the city to visit and play tourist, but I’m glad I don’t live there anymore. I attended Cornell University and majored in Human Development/Family Studies; that is where Ed and I met.  Later on I earned a Master’s degree in Guidance & Counseling.
 
After I married in 1971, Ed and I lived in Howard County, Maryland for 35 years, where I was a teacher in the county public schools.  I taught pre-school and kindergarten for 25 years, and for the last 10 years I taught Alternative Education and worked with at-risk students from Kindergarten through Grade 5.  This included children with social-emotional problems and/or behavior problems as well as working with students with academic risks in reading and math.  Much of my work was on Bullying Prevention and dealing with bullying behavior.
 
When our children were born, Ed and I became members of First Unitarian Church in Baltimore, Maryland (the William Ellery Channing pulpit).  We then joined the Unitarian Universalist Society of Howard County (Maryland), and after some conflict in the congregation we were part of a group that formed Channing Memorial Church, where I was a very active member while our children were growing up and until our retirement in 2008. 
 
After retirement, we lived in New Bern, NC for 3 years where we joined the Unitarian Church there.  We moved to Hilton Head Island in 2011 and became members of UUCL shortly after we arrived.  In retirement I’ve worked as the coordinator of a reading tutoring program for 2nd graders at Hilton Head Island Elementary School, working with anywhere from 12-20 tutors each year.  Once COVID started, I became part of a national organization called Reading Partners and have been tutoring students online from the Charleston area twice a week for the past several couple of years.  I’ve also been very involved in the Inspiritus program out of Savannah, which has been responsible for resettling Afghan refugees recently arrived from Afghanistan. 
 
Ed and I love to travel and hope to continue doing so for as long as we can.  One of the biggest joys in my life right now are my 4 grandchildren---ages 6 months, 5, 6 and 8; two of them live in the Atlanta area and the other two live in Maryland.  We try to spend as much time with them as possible.
 
I look forward to being part of the UUCL Board for the next year or so.  With Zoom, I can attend Board meetings while we are traveling or out-of-town.  I love this congregation and its ministers and have made so many wonderful friends here.  I look forward to our future together.