Life Events

Austin Baker: Life-Changing Events

Calvary Pre-School- In pre-school, I was able to learn how to do many activities and complete tasks for the first time. I believe that pre-school shaped my life in a very strong manner as I headed into elementary school.

Kindergarten Teacher- In kindergarten, I was constantly finding myself in trouble and Mrs. Williams, my teacher would strongly agree. However, she realized that although I was getting into trouble on a regular basis for talking, I was always eager to learn and she understood that. I believe she proved to me that public speaking and talking were an important aspect of my future.

Olde Providence Baseball- Growing up, I played baseball at Olde Providence with all of my friends. We still today look back on OP and all the good memories we had. A majority of my friends today are the same ones I played with when I was seven or eight years old. Some of my best friends were ones that I met on the baseball field. You'll meet some of the greatest people doing the things you love most.

Carolina Blast Baseball- The Carolina Blast consisted of some of my greatest friends and I learned a lot from the coaches about following my dreams. We took a trip to Cooperstown, NY for a national tournament and I was chosen for the "Golden Arm" competition. However, after that tournament, they wanted stronger players and I was removed from the team. I realized that you must always be ready for an abrupt change and you should have a plan when it does occur.

South Charlotte Sports Report Newspaper Delivery Man- I worked for Tripp Roakes when he first created this company. He hired kids from all around South Charlotte to deliver the newspapers to their specified neighborhoods. It was my first "real" job and I was getting paid $16 per month to deliver it twice per month. However, when Tripp found a delivery man who would deliver the newspapers to all of the neighborhoods for a lower price, he laid us all off. I learned that no matter how well you do your job, you are never safe in the business world. I discovered that in business, it is not about being someone's friend to keep your job. For many money is the primary factor and I had to understand that.

Traveling to Costa Rica & Other Countries- Traveling to Costa Rica and seeing the beauty all around made me realize how great our world is. I discovered that I should not stress out over the things I am faced with in my life. This was the first time in my life that I saw poverty in a real-life image with my own eyes. I felt that something needed to be done and today, it has changed my life in the form that I want to make a difference when I grow up by creating a homeless shelter.

Ardrey Kell Baseball- I never missed a practice or workout in two years at Ardrey Kell. We practiced long and we practiced hard, but I never gave up. I did not make the team my freshman year and I was thinking about quitting, but I decided to work even harder so that I would have a stronger chance the next year. The next year came quickly and I worked harder than the year before and when the decision came, I did not make it again even though the coaches said I was better than a majority of the other players. I discovered that as long as you work your hardest, you cannot change the outcome. You can do all that you can, but sometimes the decision is not to be made by you, so you must believe that God has a plan for you; a plan for the best of you.

Working at Krispy Kreme, WBTV, and Chick-fil-A- Working at Krispy Kreme was in a way life-changing because I had a manager who told me how she reminded me of her when she was growing up. During the interview process, we spoke about our aspirations and mine were relatively similar to the ones she had when she was in high school. At WBTV, I received an understanding of what goes on at a news and radio station. At Chick-fil-A, I was able to be a part of the fastest drive-thru of the 96 stores in the Southeast. After working these two jobs and the internship, I realized that I needed a job that was more stimulating and took more knowledge. I needed to find a job that I could operate on my own. I respect people who work fast-food jobs; however, I am in a position where I need a job that is difficult so that I continue to stay motivated because working in a fast-food chain was not challenging and did not take much effort. I want a career that will keep me involved and a job that will enable me to stay driven.

NYLC Leadership Conference- Attending the NYLC leadership conference two summers ago was a life-changing experience. When I first arrived in DC, I was already ready to go home because it was not interesting. But after the first day, things changed. I met hundreds of people and several of them were friends that I still currently talk to on a regular basis. On the final day, we all felt emotional, but we did not understand why. We only knew each other for a week, but I felt closer to some of them than I did to friends I have known for ten years. The experience taught me to cherish the time you have with your friends and it made me think of high school and how on graduation, we will be leaving all of our friends.

Moving Houses- This past May, I moved from my house in Cobblestone that I had been living in for 14 years. I felt excited to move, but when the day finally came, I began to think about how I was going to miss the house, my pond, and my friends in the neighborhood. It made me realize that things are going to change in your life, but you just have to move on and learn to adapt to the new changes.

RockBridge Young Life Trip- The Young Life Trip this past summer was something I was unsure of doing. However, many people such as Graham and Chad, the Young Life leader persuaded me to go. On the bus ride there, the bus broke down and I was already preparing for a mediocre trip. However as the days progressed it was getting much better and on the final night we watched a video that made me emotional for one of the first times in a very long time. The guest speakers were inspiring and very interesting. I met a lot of great people and I developed a lot of strong relationships. When I came back to Charlotte, I made changes to my life, As of today, I can truly say that I have changed my life since I attended the camp and God has been a great part of my life.

New Jersey Trip With My Best Friend- Since age five, each summer I have always flown up to New Jersey for a few weeks to spend with my grandparents, cousins, uncles and relatives. This past summer, I brought my friend Matt and we had an amazing time, We went to the beach almost every day in Atlantic City. We went on the boardwalk a lot and went to a Phillies game. The trip made me realize how I know so many people in this world, but I can only count my true friends on my fingers. I learned that you must cherish your friends and the experiences you have with them, because at some point, we will all split ways.

 

The life events will continue to be added and the memories will continue to be experienced. Life has so much to offer and we have the opportunity to become whatever we choose to be. It is up to us to determine what direction we wish to follow and how we want to live our lives. Make the most of your life and never let anything hinder you from reaching the success you have been working towards.

 

 

 -Austin McClain Baker

 

 

Austin Baker

Twitter: @ABakerPresident

Email: DreamsDriveDetermination@gmail.com