 She attended Oakland Elementary School, Woodlawn Intermediate School, Carroll County High School and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where she earned a degree in clothing and textiles in 1978.Barker won the Miss Pulaski County pageant, the Miss Virginia pageant in July 1978, and the Miss America 1979 pageant on 9 September 1978.Her talent performance at the Miss America pageant was gymnastics.