After earning the Undergraduate Distinguished Student Award, Maddie continues her journey in the Master of Speech-Language Pathology program.
When Maddie Baker stood in front of her classmates at commencement in May, she wanted them to know one thing: This was not the end, but a new beginning.
For four years, she and her fellow classmates had studied, questioned, bonded, and wondered whether they’d ever cross the finish line. And then, suddenly, they had.
But as she prepared to graduate from the Mount with her bachelor’s degree in speech pathology, Maddie also knew how much pressure can come with that moment. She wanted to remind her classmates, though, that life was still unfolding.
“I feel like a lot of people think that college is the best time of life,” she said. “And so I really just wanted to get that message across that this isn't the end. Even though it feels like it, it's not.”
In photo: Maddie Baker delivering commencement speech.
As the recipient of the Mount’s Undergraduate Distinguished Student Award—the highest award available at the University—Maddie delivered the commencement speech with an inspiring story that was also personal to her and her family.
In her speech, she mentioned a young woman with a terminal illness who was planning her funeral with her pastor. She chose the songs, the scriptures, even the outfit she wanted to be buried in. Then she mentioned she wanted to be buried with a fork in her right hand.
The pastor was surprised, so the woman explained that at church socials and potluck dinners, when the main course was cleared, someone would often say, “Keep your fork.” And that meant something better was coming—whether it be cake, pie, or another dessert, something unexpected was still on its way.
“So, she told the pastor, when people see me holding a fork and ask why, I want you to tell them, ‘Keep your fork; the best is yet to come,’” Maddie said.
That became the message of her commencement speech.
Though it wasn’t obvious during her commencement speech, that nod to the woman and her fork was a story of her mother. During Maddie’s senior year of high school, she lost her mother, and as she moved through college, that loss remained part of what motivated her.
To Maddie, the Distinguished Student award represented years of hard work, perseverance, and so much more. “It was such a proud moment for me,” Maddie said. “I was like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna do this for [my mom], and I'm going to honor her in this way.”
Originally, Maddie arrived at the Mount because of golf. She had played throughout high school, and one day received an email from the Mount’s golf coach asking her to tour the campus.
When she visited the Mount, it wasn’t only the golf program that stood out, but the size of the school and the possibility of having a close-knit community that piqued her interest.
“I like how small it is, because I don’t do well in a big classroom where I'm just a number to a teacher,” she said. “I don’t want to be number 214. I want to be Maddie…I want the professor to be able to know me.”
At first, Maddie planned to study exercise science on a pre-physical therapy track. She was not exactly undecided, but she was not fully certain, either. Then, during one of her classes, Dr. Erin Sizemore spoke about the speech-language pathology program.
The field connected to Maddie personally. When she was in grade school, she had gone to speech therapy herself. “I know what it's like on the patient side and how frustrating it can be,” she said. “So I want to be able to be the person on the other side that can also relate to the client, and just overall be able to help.”
By the fall of her freshman year, Maddie changed her major. A group of other students made the same change around then, and over the next four years, they became the people Maddie grew closest with.
Because of back issues and multiple surgeries, Maddie was not able to compete on the golf team. But the coach who helped bring her to campus found a way to keep her connected to the sport, whether by traveling to tournaments or offering advice and support to the team where she could.
That led to her favorite memory during the Mount—traveling to Scotland with the golf team during her sophomore year. “That was literally the best experience I've ever had in my life,” she beamed.
When they arrived at St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf, Maddie FaceTimed her dad with excitement.
Her dad has been one of her biggest supporters throughout her life and college experience. He also attended the Mount, making Maddie’s decision to go there feel even more meaningful.
“He's always meant so much to me in my life,” she said.
Whenever Maddie earned a grade or reached a milestone, he was often the first person she called. And when she received the email saying she had been nominated for the Distinguished Student Award, he was the one who encouraged her to apply.
In photo: Maddie Baker in front of the Catamount statue at graduation.
Now, Maddie is continuing at the Mount in the Master of Speech-Language Pathology program. For the moment, she is focused on school and looking ahead to full-time clinical placements.
After this semester, her program shifts into more intensive clinical work, including full-time placements in the fall and spring. Maddie is excited to experience new settings and continue figuring out where she feels called to serve.
“I'm super excited for that, because I'm hoping that I get to experience a couple of other different settings that I haven't been in yet,” she said.
Entering another transition, Maddie knows better than anyone that navigating injuries, loss, new programs, and challenges can all become part of a bigger story, one that each day continues to take shape. Her story is proof that no matter which chapter comes to an end, the best thing to do is simple: Keep your fork.