Montgomery County Community College: Faculty Awards: Valerie Baker

Press release from the Montgomery County Community College:

Eric Devlin

June 16, 2021

A part-time Psychology faculty member is being honored for her work in the classroom
this year by her students. Psychology Senior Lecturer Valerie Baker was named a recipient of the Part-Time Faculty Teaching
Excellence Award presented by the eCampus Bookstore.

Teaching Excellence Awards recognize part-time faculty whose teaching is intellectually stimulating,
accessible for all students, and demonstrates a commitment to the well-being of students
both inside and outside of the classroom. Part-time faculty, who have attained the
rank of regular or senior lecturer no later than the beginning of the academic year
in which the award is conferred and are in good standing with the College at the time
of nomination, are eligible for the part-time award. Baker shares the award this year
with Biology Senior Lecturer Amy Vallette.

Teaching Excellence

During Commencement, Dr. Gloria Oikelome, Vice President of Academic Affairs, shared
why Baker’s students felt she should receive the award. 

“Valerie’s students shared how she always works to apply course material to real-life
events, as well as pushes students to discuss, learn and apply the material in practical
ways,” said Dr. Oikelome. “Students know that they can come to her if they need any
help, especially if they are in distress. A student nomination highlighted how extremely
patient, understanding, and phenomenal of an instructor she is. Congratulations Valerie!”

Baker was humbled by the honor.

“I’m flattered and I feel I’ve met my goal. Not everybody gets to achieve their life’s
goals.  My purpose is to make a difference in my students’ lives and provide them
with an education and knowledge,” she said. “The fact that they’re learning and I’ve
made the material interesting to grasp is very satisfying to me.”

Baker’s philosophy on education is simple: “It’s the one thing that no one can ever
take from you.  People can take your freedom, your money, your house,” she said, “but
no one will ever be able to take your knowledge or education.”

Baker has taught at the College for more than 20 years, with previous faculty positions
at Bucks County Community College and Gwynedd Mercy University. After graduating with
a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from La Salle University she began her career as
a Commercial Lines Business Underwriter.  Feeling unfulfilled with her career choice,
she decided to pursue her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chestnut
Hill College. After graduating, she worked as a counselor in Ambler and has been seeing
clients for 28 years.

“I was inspired to choose Psychology because my parents didn’t always get along,”
she said. “It was hard for me to watch my parents bicker. But I thought, maybe if
I couldn’t help my parents’, I could help others.”  That’s what motivated me to pursue
a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.”

She remembered driving past Montco’s Blue Bell Campus on her way to work one day and
having an awareness wash over her that she would one day teach at the College.

“It was a really weird sensation,” she said, “and I’m not into woo-woo stuff. I just
had a visceral feeling that was where I was supposed to teach.”

Trusting her gut, Baker began applying for Psychology teaching positions in the area
and was quickly hired at Bucks. Before long though, she felt ready to move on.

“I wanted to work closer to home,” said Baker, who was living in Blue Bell. “My husband
and I had a young child and my mother was still alive, so I wanted to be closer to
all of them.”

That’s when she landed the teaching position at Montco.

This past year, she said, has been incredibly difficult for students as they tried
to navigate earning an education while surviving the pandemic. Baker said she’s used
her classroom as a place for students to feel open to express their thoughts and feelings.

“Students really open up and share very personal issues publicly in class with me
and the other students,” she said. “During COVID, it’s been especially therapeutic.
One student opens up and shares something like they’ve been struggling with panic
attacks, depression and anxiety and another student will say ‘you’re not alone, I’ve
been dealing with that for years.’ It creates a community, unity and connection in
class. My class is like Las Vegas: whatever is shared here, stays here.”

With the teaching award feather in her cap, Baker said there’s still lots of work
to do in both her private practice and at the College.

“I’d like to continue moving forward,” she said, “and hopefully continue making a
difference and helping others.”

This press release was produced by the Montgomery County Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.