5 Minutes with a Northwest Arkansas Mom: Lynette Duncan -

I (Shannon) met Lynette Duncan when I was a newspaper reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. At the time, I was covering education and writing Right Time, Right Place — a feature in the newspaper for married love stories. I interviewed couples about their origin story and brought readers up to date on how the marriage had changed and evolved. It was so much fun to meet all these amazing couples and I learned some valuable lessons about how to make my own marriage thrive.

I interviewed Lynette and her husband, Peter, MANY years ago for that feature and we’ve remained friends. I thought it would be neat to get an update from Lynette here:

Kids’ names and ages:

Ruth 15 and Iain 12 [first letter is an “i” not an “L”–Iain is the traditional Scottish spelling of Ian]

How long have you lived in Northwest Arkansas?

27 years

Where does your family like to hang out in NWA?

With Ruth on swim team and Iain playing soccer and tennis, we mostly “hang out” on I-49 shuttling between the Jones Center, Mt Kessler, and Mount Sequoyah. We enjoy disk golf and biking at Lake Fayetteville when we can.

Burton’s, Freddy’s, and La Huerta are some of our fave places to eat.

Tell us about your new job at JBU:

I’m the Director of Institutional Research which is a fancy title for number cruncher. I spend my days coding and developing my Excel ninja skills.

It’s a behind-the-scenes job that provides the administrators and faculty with the data they need for decision making. As a JBU alum, I love being back on campus even if I’m now the same age as the student’s parents.

What’s your best advice for moms of little kids now that yours are a bit older?

Build a network of real life friends (not just online ones) with whom you can be brutally honest about your struggles. Being a mom of littles is hard and having friends who “get it” is invaluable.

What’s something you do every day?

Make my bed –except on Sundays because those are nap days!

What’s the funniest thing that happened to you as a mom most recently?

I was at my son’s soccer game cheering loudly for him until my husband pointed out that it wasn’t our son–he was sitting on the sidelines. (I’m going to the eye doctor soon!)

The scariest?

My daughter has her learners permit. Riding with her in the construction zones that were on 49 is probably the scariest thing I’ve done in years. (In her defense, she did a good job–I was just all nerves.)

Where’s your favorite place for “me time”?

Walking on the trails in Fayetteville.

If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Colorado Rockies in the summer.

Is there a hobby you’d love to pick up again?

Cooking/baking

If you could be amazing at anything, what would it be?

Conversation. As an introvert, making conversation does not come naturally and can be very stressful in certain situations.

How would your best friends describe you?

A kind nerd who’s a bit obsessive.

What do you most want people to remember about you?

That I love Jesus and love others.

What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?

Most recently, it was applying for my job. The fear of failure loomed large, and it took a lot of emotional energy to face that fear and push through.

One word to sum me up: Inquisitive

Click here to read more 5 Minutes with a Northwest Arkansas Mom interviews. Our many thanks to First National Bank of NWA for sponsoring this feature, which celebrates all the unique moms here in Northwest Arkansas! CLICK HERE to visit the FNBNWA website or follow them here on Facebook. FNBNWA is a full-service bank and has multiple branches, including: