House Resolution 5

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING MRS. LADY BAKER ON EARNING THE HONOR OF BEING TAPPED BRANDON HIGH SCHOOL'S 2016 TEACHER OF THE YEAR.

WHEREAS, Mrs. Lady Baker was named Brandon High School's 2016 Teacher of the Year in recognition of her abundance of hard work and unwavering dedication to providing an excellent education to her students; and

WHEREAS, filled with an eagerness to mold the anxious and impressionable minds of the younger generation, Mrs. Baker closed the file on the chapter of her life as a paralegal at a Jackson Law Firm to pursue her passion and heart's yearning to teach, and through the alternate-route teacher licensure program offered by the Mississippi Department of Education she fulfilled the required obligations, courses and credits to achieve her lifelong dream; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Baker is in her 12th year as an English and literature teacher at Brandon High, and throughout her tenure, her students have flourished under her tutelage, as she has inspired them with the masterful works of Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain and Mississippi's own William Faulkner in her Dual-Credit American literature class for seniors, and providing dutiful instruction on the constructs of a sentence and assistance in understanding the intricacies of the English language to her PreAP English II class for sophomores; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the variety of English classes she has taught, Mrs. Baker also serves as the school's sponsor for the Brandon High School Mock Trial Team, where she has utilized her previous legal experience to help her team further their knowledge on the rules of evidence, opening and closing arguments and the dos and don'ts of a courtroom; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Baker, an advocate for education, was honored and appreciative to receive the award, stating that she was "most proud of being a part of Brandon High School, where our staff, teachers and administrators all work together every day to ensure our school is a place where students can receive an outstanding education"; and

WHEREAS, as the mother of a son who is a recent graduate of Brandon High School and is now furthering his academic future at the University of Mississippi, Mrs. Baker knows how important her role in the lives of the young people in her care truly is, and she strenuously strives daily, in and outside of her classroom, to provide a quality education and an inclusive environment where her students can grow and nurture their individual traits, talents and creative abilities; and

WHEREAS, in those rare instances when she is not at the blackboard providing her students with the educational prerequisites and life wisdom they need to pursue their dreams and achieve greatness, Mrs. Baker enjoys spending time with her husband and State Representative, Mark Baker, and their son, Chase, reading and writing, and as her name suggests, baking for her family and friends; and

WHEREAS, when Mrs. Baker enters her classroom each day, she energizes her students with the classic tales of prominent American authors, helping them comprehend the world around them with riveting lessons and engaging discussions, as her passion for the subjects she teaches exudes from her very core, and she continuously radiates excellence, invigorates with her wisdom and inspires all of her students to be the best they can be; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and commend outstanding Mississippians such as Mrs. Lady Baker, whose superb leadership and instruction as an English and literature educator at Brandon High School has bettered the lives of the youth of our great Magnolia State:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Mrs. Lady Baker on earning the honor of Brandon High School's 2016 Teacher of the Year and express best wishes for continued success in all of her future professional and personal endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Mrs. Lady Baker and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.