Baker College student awarded scholarship to attend national conference

Baker College of Jackson student Cody Blair, of Hillsdale, was one of ten students across the nation who attended the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) with registration fees paid by NAEYC. He was awarded NAEYC’s merit-based Building a Lasting Legacy Scholarship to attend the annual conference, which drew 10,000 attendees to Dallas, Texas, Nov. 5-8, 2014.

NAEYC is a nonprofit association that acts on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources.

“Cody is highly deserving of this scholarship and of the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge teaching techniques and network with educators from across the country,” said Patricia A. Kaufman, Ed.D., Baker College of Jackson president. “He is the consummate professional in and out of the classroom, as he works with several professional educational organizations, including serving as a student representative on Baker College’s advisory board for the early childhood education program.”

As a scholarship recipient, Blair was recognized during the opening general session and attended an exclusive NAEYC business meeting. He also attended a number of professional development sessions that focused on innovative ways to enrich student experiences.

“My favorite session was about using cooking in the classroom as an educational tool,” Blair said. “It concentrated on using the practical skill to teach a variety of academic concepts. It’s a great way to get children interested and interacting with the lesson, and one that I will definitely use in my classroom.”

Blair, 28, works as an Early Head Start and Head Start teacher in rural southern Michigan for Community Action Agency Head Start. He has been a member of the advisory board for Baker College’s early childhood education program for two years, providing a student perspective that helps drive the program toward higher levels of quality.

Earlier this year, he was invited to participate as a student liaison at the Governing Board Retreat for the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children. Blair said that the experience was rewarding as he was able to network with many professionals across the state who are helping to drive best practices for children and families in the profession.

Blair expects to graduate in December with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. He holds a 3.53 GPA.

For more information about the early childhood education program at Baker College of Jackson, contact Kevin Pnacek in the admissions office at kevin.pnacek@baker.edu or 517.788.7800, or visit www.baker.edu.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves more than 28,000 students on multiple campuses and online. Baker grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 150 programs across diverse academic fields, including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. An impressive 97 percent of available graduates are employed. Every Baker graduate receives Lifetime Employment Assistance—free and forever. Baker is a pioneer in online education and offers students the option of completing a degree 100 percent online, without ever visiting a campus. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.