A Midland College love storyDecember 06, 2024

Midland College holds a special place in the hearts of Lindley and Johnny Burnett. The college is where they began their higher education journeys and where they also fell in love in the spring of 2006 while taking American History from a young history professor Dr. Damon Kennedy, who is now the current MC president.

“I think we both noticed each other, but it took us a few weeks to introduce ourselves,” Johnny recalled. “We started studying together. Lindley was the smart one in history. She helped me more than I helped her!”

Both Lindley and Johnny are native West Texans. Lindley grew up in Midland attending Fannin Elementary School and San Jacinto Junior High School. Johnny grew up in Monahans and graduated in 2005 from Monahans High School. In 2006, at the time they met at MC, Lindley was in high school at Midland Christian School and enrolled at MC as an early admission student.

After they left Midland College, Lindley transferred to TCU majoring in Education, and Johnny transferred to Texas Tech majoring in Petroleum Engineering. They continued to date while they worked on their respective bachelor degrees.

“I majored in education,” Lindley said. However, that was after changing my major five times! Finally, I took an education course, and it just ‘clicked.’”

Johnny, on the other hand, majored in Petroleum Engineering and received his bachelor’s degree in December 2009, just one month after he proposed marriage during the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday.

“I had already talked to her parents and had the ring for about two weeks,” Johnny explained. “I was just waiting for the right moment. So, during the Thanksgiving holiday when we were both in the Permian Basin, we decided to go see the movie The Blind Side, but it was sold out. I hadn’t planned this at all, but while we were waiting for the later showing of the movie, I suggested that we go to MC and walk around the campus. We walked in front of the Fox Science Building where we first met, and that’s where I got down on one knee and proposed. Fortunately, Lindley said ‘yes,’ because then I told her that our first home would be in Hobbs. I had accepted a job working for Mewbourne Oil Company, and the company was sending me to Hobbs.”

“Surely Johnny knew that I really loved him,” Lindley stated. “I previously had the opportunity to do my student teaching in Belgium at an international school. During that time, I traveled throughout Europe and was thinking that after I graduated from TCU in spring 2010, I might would go back to Europe to teach. Instead, I traded Europe for marrying Johnny and living in Hobbs!”

The couple married in June 2010 and spent approximately five years in Hobbs while Johnny worked for Mewbourne and Lindley taught elementary school in Hobbs and Lovington, NM. Now, they are back in Lindley’s hometown of Midland and have two daughters—Rian, age 10, and Kate, age 7.

Lindley obtained a master’s degree from Walden University. After teaching Texas History at Goddard Junior High, she accepted a position at her high school alma mater Midland Christian School, first teaching English and now teaching World History.   

“History always interested me, and I use some of the same teaching techniques that Dr. Kennedy used when I took his class at Midland College,” Lindley noted.

While she never moved to Europe, Lindley does enjoy travelling, and she shares her affinity for travel with her students. Last summer, she took a student group to the Washington, DC area and northeastern United States. In summer 2025, she is planning a student trip to Greece and Rome.

Johnny has climbed the career ladder at Mewbourne and is now a production superintendent, and he said that while Lindley is the world traveler, he prefers to stay in the United States. However, they are planning a Rhine River cruise to celebrate their 15^th wedding anniversary.

Lindley, Johnny and their two daughters are also avid skiers, and at least twice a year, they visit Heber City, UT to enjoy the mountains and ski. Back home in Midland, they play pickle ball at Bush Tennis Center.