{"id":56052,"date":"2024-04-01T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-01T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=56052"},"modified":"2024-03-28T12:25:12","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T16:25:12","slug":"why-they-lovemu-akiel-baker-21-says-human-connection-feels-central-to-emu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2024\/why-they-lovemu-akiel-baker-21-says-human-connection-feels-central-to-emu\/","title":{"rendered":"Why they LovEMU: Akiel Baker \u201921 says human connection feels central to EMU"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editor\u2019s Note: This profile is the fifth of six about students and alumni leading up to LovEMU Giving Day on April 10. For more information about the day and to donate, visit love.emu.edu<\/a>.  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

EMU alumnus Akiel Baker \u201921 <\/strong>says a turning point in his life came while on a cross-cultural trip to Guatemala during his junior year. Being in a country where he didn\u2019t speak the language or understand the culture was a humbling experience for the Bowie, Maryland, native.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI came back a new person,\u201d Baker said. \u201cBefore that, I was always doing the bare minimum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he returned to the U.S., his whole approach to college changed. The social work major became more engaged in his coursework and more involved in the EMU campus community. He joined clubs such as the Black Student Alliance (BSA), the International Students Organization and the Student Government Association. <\/p>\n\n\n

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As vice president of BSA, Baker was instrumental in bringing the Black Lives Matter mural to life and shaping the creation of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Before graduating with a bachelor of social work degree, he served as senior class president for the Class of 2021 and earned 2021 Cords of Distinction honors.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can honestly say I\u2019ve not had a bad moment at EMU,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery moment has been enriching, and I\u2019ve enjoyed every bit of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like EMU provided the push he needed to reach his full potential, Baker is helping children reach theirs as a social worker for Harrisonburg City Public Schools. In his role, he connects elementary and middle school students and their families with resources in the schools and community that can help them perform at their very best. One day he\u2019s helping a busy mom with a busted transmission find an organization willing to help her, while another he\u2019s figuring out which special education services a child is eligible for.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love building that human connection and assuring parents they\u2019re not just a number within Harrisonburg City Public Schools… that they\u2019re actually cared for and that we want the best for them,\u201d Baker said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That feeling he gives the families he works with is the same feeling he got when he visited EMU for the first time. He said he had been accepted to both EMU and James Madison University, but the latter felt too big and didn\u2019t offer the same sense of community.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Everyone here was super nice and welcoming,” Baker said. “I love human connection and that’s something that feels central to EMU.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduating in 2021, Baker served as residence director at EMU for two years and worked as a site coordinator for On the Road Collaborative<\/a>, a Harrisonburg-based nonprofit dedicated to closing the learning gap and empowering youth. He earned a master\u2019s degree in social work from West Virginia University in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baker said he participates in LovEMU Giving Day to give back to the school that\u2019s given so much to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want people to have the same enriching experiences I had,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to see EMU grow and will continue giving back to keep it growing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join generous donors like Baker who give back to EMU to help students pursue a quality college education without financial barriers. Be a part of our 8th annual LovEMU Giving Day and contribute to the scholarships that empower future EMU students. Let\u2019s build EMU \u201cStronger Together.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read the previous profiles in our Why they LovEMU<\/em> series:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why they LovEMU: Julie Weaver \u201924 says professors at EMU ‘really care about you\u2019<\/a><\/blockquote>