Barb Janzekovich
Barbara Janzekovich has assisted with the SBU women's tennis team since 2005. In 2003 she served as assistant tennis coach at Bolivar High School where the BHS team competed in the Final Four for the fourth year in a row, ending a highly successful season capped by the naming of two players to the all-state team.
Barb received her education as a registered nurse from what is now Barnes-Jewish College of nursing. She worked as a registered nurse at Second General Army Hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, as well as Christian Hospital Northwest in St. Louis, Missouri, before moving to Bolivar in 1972.
She worked part-time at the Bolivar Nursing Home and Humansville Hospital before accepting a teaching position as Health Occupations Instructor at Dallas County Career Center, where she taught for 17 years. Barb received her teacher certification from Missouri State University and then her bachelor of science in nursing from Southwest Baptist University, where she was a charter member of the nursing honor society. She also completed her master's degree in Health Administration from Southwest Baptist University.
In 1990 Barb started the Health Sciences program (co-sponsored by Citizen's Memorial Hospital) at Bolivar High School and served as drug-free coordinator for the district. The Health Sciences classes at Bolivar High School were dual enrollment with SBU as well as MSU. Her students were frequent winners at district, state, and national competitions through Skills USA VICA. In addition, she and her students were selected to present at the International Service-Learning Conferences three consecutive years.
Barb has been honored with the Master Teacher Award for Bolivar Schools, Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year, Golden Apple Award for the State of Missouri, and multiple nominations for Who's Who Among America's Teachers. In 2004 she was chosen as one of the top 100 nurses in 100 years from Barnes-Jewish College of Nursing.
While employed by Bolivar Schools, she wrote and administered over $1,000,000 of educational grants for the district. She retired from 31 years of teaching in 2004.
Barb is married to George Janzekovich, a retired Missouri State Highway Patrolman who currently serves as Safety and Security Officer for Bolivar Schools. They have three daughters: Erin Mashburn, who attends Bolivar Technical College; Robyn Bays, who just received her master's degree from MSU and is now a PA; and Stephanie Aug, who will graduate from SBU in May and plans to continue her education as a PA. Barb and George also have seven grandchildren. In her spare time she enjoys quilting and playing tennis.
