Answering Hope's Whisper
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Photography by Gary Lawson
Amanda Baker’s story is one of perseverance and determination. It’s one of discovering
a passion and making a difference.
Baker graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in leisure studies and therapeutic
recreation in December 2009. Her pursuit of that degree began more than seven years
earlier, and the reasons for her career choice formed well before that.
Baker gave birth to a son, Jacob, when she was 15 years old.
“Having a child young carries a stigma that you are going to be a statistic,” she
says.
Baker decided she would not become a statistic. Her goal was to get an education.
She graduated high school at the top of her class and a year early.
“My son made me grow up and set goals and be motivated,” she says.
Baker completed an associate’s degree from Tulsa Community College in 2007. She already
had an interest in psychology or social work, and then a faculty member at TCC told
her about OSU’s therapeutic recreation program.
“That’s what I want to do,” she thought.
Recreational therapists use leisure activities to treat patients in physical rehabilitation
hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment facilities, schools and other
areas, helping them recover from illnesses or injuries or maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Baker had grown up as an OSU fan. Her dad, Robert, graduated from the OSU Institute
of Technology, formerly OSU-Okmulgee. Feeling energized and excited about the next
phase of her educational experience, she prepared to transfer to OSU.
A serious car accident threatened her study at OSU. Though she didn’t know it initially,
Baker had broken her neck and required major surgery at the beginning of August, including
the placement of plates and screws in front and behind her spine and the fusion of
two discs that had dislodged and were pressing her spinal cord.
Forced to wear a neck brace for three months, Baker couldn’t drive, a major obstacle
since she was planning to commute to Stillwater from her home in Inola, Okla. She
was determined to continue, and her mother drove her to Stillwater to enroll for the
fall semester.
Baker began the semester hoping she would be able to take the Big Orange Bus from
Tulsa, but the commute and pain from the injury proved to be too much.
“Since I couldn’t look down to take notes, a leisure studies faculty member, Donna
Lindenmeier, made a desk for me and took it to all of my classes. The faculty members
were very accommodating and helped me so much,” Baker says.
“I really wish I could have finished that first semester, but I wasn’t able to apply
myself the way I wanted to,” Baker says. “It was really discouraging, but I knew that
as soon as I got the neck brace off, I was coming back.”
And she did return in January 2008. Tim Passmore, associate professor in the School
of Applied Health and Educational Psychology, recalls Baker’s daily commute and her
strong work ethic.
“Amanda was a dedicated and very successful student. She excelled in all of her courses
and was always at the top of her class in GPA,” he says.
Along with Passmore, Baker credits Jerry Jordan, the Christine Cashel Endowed Professor
in Leisure Studies, with guiding her through the program.
The leisure studies program requires two internships. Baker completed the first at
the L.E. Rader Center, a residential facility for male delinquent youth in Sand Springs,
Okla., operated by the Office of Juvenile Affairs.
Many of the Rader Center’s residents were involved in gangs, and all came from tough
situations. Baker had to overcome trust issues and build relationships. The internship
provided an opportunity to make a significant impact, and she embraced the challenge.
“Being around at-risk youth when I kind of was one, I could see that you could take
that, wallow in it and stay there, or you could say, ‘I’ve been there, done that.’
It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. When I left there, I felt like
I had 180 brothers.”
Baker not only provided direction and guidance during recreation time, she recognized
needs and took the initiative to meet them.
She helped juveniles study for the GED and fill out applications for financial aid,
trade school or college. She offered tips on how to dress and how to interview for
a job. Baker even wrote a community reintegration program the superintendent approved.
“I felt like our biggest responsibility was to empower them and motivate them,” she
says, noting that being able to share her story and background helped make a connection.
“I could say, ‘I haven’t been in your shoes, but I’ve been through some things.’”
The experience empowered Baker as well. “The staff taught me how to break barriers
and how to be realistic and optimistic at the same time. They got me in the frame
of mind that if I can help just one individual succeed, I feel like I have done my
job.”
During her senior year, Baker accepted an internship at Parkside, a psychiatric hospital
and clinic in Tulsa. She worked in the inpatient acute adolescent and acute adult
units helping patients find coping skills through leisure and recreation.
“I had an amazing supervisor, Millicent Nole, who graduated from OSU. She taught
me so much,” Baker says.
“After working at both facilities, I found that therapeutic recreation is my purpose.
I was fortunate to have had these internships. The experiences were exactly what they
should be, and I felt prepared to go out into the workforce. ”
Baker’s determination and perseverance paid off in December 2009 when she participated
in commencement exercises at OSU. It was a special day she shared with her now 9-year
old son.
“Jacob has been my complete motivation,” she says. “He wanted to sit on my lap at
graduation so he could throw my hat. He made me a card that said, ‘You finally finished
it, Mom. I love you and I’m proud of you.’ That was the greatest.”
After graduation, Baker immediately began a full-time position as one of two certified
therapeutic recreation specialists at Parkside, where she provides daily recreation
therapy for the youth in residential treatment units and has passed the national certification
exam.
“I love my job,” she says. “I believe in my profession and am proud to be a part
of it. I am truly able to see the value and importance of the positive outcomes we
reach every day through recreation therapy.
“There is always the opportunity to learn and grow through every situation and challenge
we experience in life.”
This article was featured in Education Magazine. View full publication below.