What do you do?
I am the Program Development Manager for MORE mentoring (Mentoring Offers Rich Experiences). MORE mentoring is a collaborative effort between three Leona Group, LLC charter schools in partnership with the University of Toledo. The school-based program focuses on giving youth in grades four through eight opportunities to form positive relationships with caring adults to build skills, exercise leadership and help their communities. Essentially, my role is to develop, manage and implement program initiatives through strategic event planning and brand management through various new and traditional media outlets (twitter, facebook, website, etc). In addition, I manage and maximize opportunities to grow meaningful relationships with current and potential mentors and community partners in order to further enrich program depth and overall mentee experience.
What steps did you take to get where you are today?
With the help of prayer, family, friends and education, I was able to begin taking steps to get where I am today. While attending graduate school at the University of Notre Dame, I had the opportunity to study under a curriculum that had the mission to educate the heart and mind. As a result, I had a clear understanding that my education was to be a tool that should assist in leaving a mark on the world. Prior to receiving my MBA, I had been an active volunteer in many facets from raising funds by running races to a volunteer marketer for the MORE mentoring program. After graduation, it became obvious to me that my passion for philanthropy didn’t have to be recreational rather it was one that could fuel a career. After lots of prayer and the unconditional support of family and friends, I was able to ultimately take a leap of faith and move from a corporate job into a non-profit career.
What was the defining moment when you knew if you didn’t change you would never reach your goal?
My education immediately afforded me opportunities for career advancement. While I was grateful to have the chance for promotion to climb the corporate ladder, it became apparent to me that I had a different purpose. The defining moment came to me in the form of a greater and deeper calling to give back in order to give others the same and more opportunities that I had been granted.
Did you always know that you would get here?
From a young age, I truly felt that I was destined to do something great. Throughout my childhood my parents instilled this feeling and over the years ive found motivation in that feeling and even repeat it almost as a mantra, “You are bound for greatness”. As a result, I’ve always been diligent in my work, in my education, in my philanthropy actively working towards greatness.
Did you have a plan?
The basis of my plan was identifying non-profit organizations that had values that were in alignment with my personal beliefs and ethics. Having worked fulltime while attending graduate school for two years, I felt strongly that to deviate from this plan would be a great disservice to all my time, work and effort. As result, I was able to easily identify a clear path towards what I wanted to achieve.
What kind of distractions did you have to deal with or overcome?
The greatest distraction that I needed to overcome was fear. The stability of my corporate career was very appealing. Therefore, the decision to leave was one that pushed me completely out of my comfort zone. Despite having a plan, it truly felt like in order to answer this greater calling it was necessary that I close my eyes to fear and step out on faith.
How much of an impact did others play in your decision making during your building process?
In making my decision, I did a lot of soul searching and praying prior to engaging any outside thought or opinion. In addition, I sought out resources in order to empower myself with knowledge to make an informed decision. Primarily, the words of advice and feedback that I received were in the form of affirmation. Overall, the greatest impact was that of overwhelming love and support of family and friends.
Were there times when you wanted to give up?
While there is great security in corporate America, I feel that there is no greater reward than non-profit work. Despite the potential for lower wages and longer hours, I enjoy every minute of it and that is priceless.
What made you keep pushing towards your goal?
The idea that I am fulfilling a greater and grander purpose keeps me pushing each and every day. I truly believe I was meant to be of service of others to assist them in achieving their goals, their hopes, dare I say their dreams. During a recent mentoring session, I had the opportunity to ask over 50 mentees, “what is your dream?” After hearing everything from the President to a doctor, a mentee asked me, “what is your dream?” In short, it is to help these young dream believers become dream achievers and that is what keeps me pushing towards my goal every single day.
What advice can you give other women who are striving for their own goals?
Recently, MORE Mentoring implemented the BIG initiative: Build, Improve, Grow. In short, it is pertinent to surround yourself with peers, mentors, role models who are actively helping you to build in mind, improve in body and grow in spirit. I have been very fortunate to be surrounded with such positive influences throughout my life within my family and friends. In the end, I am blessed to say that these are the people who not only support me, but hold me accountable as I strive to achieve my goals.
How do you feel about where you are today?
I am extremely excited about where I am today and look forward to the many great things that lay ahead for MORE Mentoring. Each day, the program enriches the lives of youth and creates opportunities for them to flourish in all they strive to do. I am truly thankful to be a part of an organization that does such meaningful and fulfilling work. Mentoring truly is a powerful opportunity to fill the void in a child’s life and bridge gaps of social inequality; I invite and encourage everyone to become a MORE Mentor today!
For more information on Erin Baker and MORE Mentoring:
Visit MORE Website: http://www.morementoring.webs.com
Friend or Like MORE on Facebook: http://facebook.com/more.mentoring
Follow MORE on Twitter: http://twitter.com/morementoring
Email MORE: more.mentoring@gmail.com
Great interview! I had never heard of MORE and it sounds like a great organization! Go Erin!
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