A wonderful email from a former College Match student

From: Baker, Erich B - (NAS)
Date: Thu, Jan 21, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Subject: Erich Baker - Jordan HS - College Match

Hey Mr. Frankel,

I hope everything is going well with you and your family. It’s been a while since we last spoke and you may or may not remember me from the College Match program. I was in the group from LA Jordan and I believe we went on a college tour in the 2003 school year. Anyhow, I was just reaching out to you because the program crossed my mind as I was thinking about all of the pivotal moments that lead me to where I am now. I just wanted to update you on how things are going on my end.

As you may remember, I attended and graduated from Tuskegee University in 2011. I majored in Construction Science & Management while there and was one of the lucky few to receive an employment offer before I graduated. I’ve been with Turner Construction going on 5 years now and it has been an amazing experience. In my 5 years with the company, I was on the project team that built the $400MM Martin Army Community Hospital in Ft. Benning, GA and the $1BN Baxter Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing plant in Covington, GA. I’m currently a cost analyst in our main office in Alabama. I have a wife and 2 children (boy, 8yrs and girl, 9mos) and they are all doing well and we have made a good life here in Alabama. I haven’t been back to California much since I left so I’ve kinda lost contact with most people from my high school years. But, all-in-all, everything has been going well for me here.

I’m writing just to say thank you again for bringing College Match to Jordan and the other inner city schools. When I look back at what started me out on my journey, it always starts with the East Coast college tour. That was my first time ever leaving the state and the first time I stepped foot on a college campus. I had always wanted to go to college but it always felt so out of reach since no one in my family or anyone I knew personally had ever gone. Just being on those campuses and meeting the students sparked something in me that made me want to experience it myself. That moment made me serious about pursuing a college education. On top of the actual tour, the SAT prep classes and all of the information on college applications/requirements were instrumental in the admissions process. It really helped me to get to where I am and I was able to pass that information on to my younger siblings (most recently my baby sister who will be attending Tuskegee in the fall) and anyone else who might need it. I just wanted to thank you again for the opportunity and if there is anything that I can do to help the program just let me know.

Best Regards,

Erich B. Baker Jr.│ Cost Engineer
Turner Construction Company