“Most men and women will grow up to love their servitude and will never dream of revolution.”
Although Aldous Huxley, author of “Brave New World,” was describing a futuristic society in which its people were brainwashed from birth, this quote is fitting in a different meaning for Dr. Jamie S. Baker.
This Las Cruces native wanted to be an English teacher from the time most of us were aspiring to be astronauts. Following her passion, she is now an adjunct professor at New Mexico State University for the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and a Board Certified English teacher at Gadsden High School where she teaches grades 10 and 11. She believes “learning happens in the struggle,” and says she takes her work seriously but not herself.
Scarlett stains upon the body and face may have been cause for outcast in Prince Prospero’s kingdom, but here in Aggie country bleeding crimson makes you family. Baker is practically glowing with Aggie pride. She says some of her fondest memories growing up were of her and her father cheering the Aggie men’s basketball team on to victory. As for her own family, her’s consists of her children Christopher, 9; Megan, 5 and Madelyn, 4.
“Let men be wise by instinct if they can, but when this fails be wise by good advice.” Sophocles’ advice in the Greek tragedy, “Antigone”, may be a bit outdated for our 21st century shenanigans, so Baker offers her own. When asked what advice she would give to college-aged women, she first said she was hardly qualified to give advice, but then provided some resonating words.
1. Give yourself permission to explore: yourself, your career, who you are now, who you want to be and the world around you
2. Read, read all you can. One day you will look back and wish you had more time to read.
3. You know what you’ve lived and what you’ve read. So please, read.
I think we can trust her words as her favorite beer is Dos XX, and everyone who drinks that stuff is wise. Baker would also like to travel to Maine to eat a lobster, and I can respect such a simple bucket list item.
Baker is an amazing woman that I have the good graces to call “professor.” I would be lost without her. I am happy to pay tribute to her, though a few words on the computer seem hardly enough.