Kimberly’s Story
Growing up on a dairy farm in southern Illinois, Kim Lintker especially enjoyed her science classes while also devoting time to basketball. Involved in both the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Student Council, Kim was president of the Student Council her senior year, when her basketball team won third place in the Illinois State Tournament.
Awarded a basketball scholarship to Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC), Kim pursued physical therapy at first. “I soon realized that this was not what I wanted to do, so I changed my major to chemistry. I had a wonderful chemistry professor who made the class fun and easy to understand.” During Kim’s second year at SWIC, she tutored math and science and her basketball team placed second in the nation for junior college women’s basketball.
Kim went on to Saint Louis University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and decided there that she wanted to teach. She began work on her master’s degree in chemistry at Saint Louis University, while taking classes at Southern Illinois University for her teacher certification.
After graduation, Kim returned to her home state to teach chemistry and physics at Freeburg Community High School in Freeburg, Ill. Whenever she has spare time, she gets outdoors. “Chemistry buildings get very stale after a while! I enjoy running, canoeing, camping, traveling, and spending time with family.”