Stories
Alumni Journeys: solving crimes
January 14, 2022
Carryn Barker ’06, from pre-med to law enforcement
“ACDS taught me the importance of teamwork, and to never give up on your dreams! The teachers would always push us to be better and teach us to love achieving our goals.”
– Carryn Barker ’06, left, shown at S.W.A.T. training
- Years at Aspen Country Day School: PreK to Eighth Grade
- High school: Cate School, Carpinteria, California, including SYA program in Italy
- Undergrad: UC Berkeley, BA in macrobiology
- Grad school: American Military University, MA in homeland security
FIVE QUESTIONS
What are you up to today?
I work as a detective for the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. I am also on the S.W.A.T. Team. More importantly, I am a momma to an amazing 1.5 year old boy, Tyler.
How did you choose your current career?
I was planning to go to medical school. My senior year in college, I was working as an EMT. I found that I hated hospitals, but I loved going on calls and ride-alongs with law enforcement. So I went to the police academy right after I graduated. Now that I’m working as a detective, I actually use my biology and a lot of what I studied in college, because there’s a lot of forensic science involved in what we do.
You were in Fourth Grade when 9-11 happened. Did that have an influence on your path?
Perhaps, yes. I was feeling I needed to do something to make the world a little better, and this is a way I found to do that. We do everything, homicides to burglaries, but my primary focus is sex assaults involving kids. The work is hard, because obviously these are bad people, but to be able to put them in jail and give the victim a little peace of mind is rewarding.
Favorite memory and core value at Aspen Country Day School?
Sail boat races across the pond on Blue and Green Day! And for a core value, perseverance! Definitely had a few mountains to climb to get where I am at today, but it was so worth it. I learned that no matter how far fetched your goal is, the sky is the limit if you set your mind to something.
Blue team or Green team?
Green!