"Don't Ever Give Up!"
That was one of the strongest beliefs held by Barbara Jamison, teacher at Oasis High School from 2007 to 2014. Despite battling terminal lung cancer for her last two years, she taught until just 13 days before her death. She held her obligation to teach her students to be her greatest duty, perhaps secondary only to loving her family. She displayed a character that found good even in the worst of situations. A quote that illustrates her attitude is:
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."
She believed a positive attitude was your best survival tool. She was also firmly convinced that what you did in life was a choice, so you'd best choose well. To her, backbone was displayed by what you did when the going got rough. She set an example of perseverance exemplified by the quote:
"Courage is not how you choose your battles, but how you respond when your battles choose you."
A former Headmaster said, "She lived her life transparently – you always saw the real Barbara."
Her Oncologist said, "She is the toughest fighter I've ever met."
A student wrote. "She was incapable of being shallow, of only seeing a person's appearance. In every single student she found a light."
A parent wrote, "She had a knack of holding our sons to a high expectation, always expecting them to challenge themselves."
A friend wrote, "Her dedication and spirit will live on in others."
The students of Oasis High School made a moving video tribute to her.
Click here to watch
To keep her spirit alive, and allow her to continue to "help those who help themselves", the Barbara Jamison Scholarship Fund has been established to make a donation toward further education expenses for a deserving student. This award is given to: a student who never gave up even when faced with a serious adversity, a student who faced life’s storms with admirable courage and attitude, a student who demonstrated the values cherished by Barbara Jamison.
Award Recipients:
2015 Scott Dauphinais and Maria Kohn More About the Recipients
2014 Emma Nelson
Nominations by OHS Faculty and Staff members only.
Contributions may be sent to: The Barbara Jamison Scholarship
C/O Oasis High School 3519 Oasis Blvd Cape Coral, FL 33914