Latin School of Chicago

Laura Cabral '10 never met Latin English teacher and swim team coach Greg Baker—he died in 2000, before Cabral was even a student at Latin—yet she praises Baker and his wife, Gail Connelly-Baker, for much she has accomplished. Cabral was a four-year recipient of the Gregory R. Baker Memorial Endowed Scholarship, which provided her with tuition and other expenses. Connelly-Baker was a lower school reading specialist when Cabral was in the upper school, which allowed the two to form a bond. "I wanted to pick [students] who shared Greg's enthusiasm for life and learning, and Laura certainly met that," said Connelly-Baker. Cabral met with Connolly-Baker several times during the school year. "We usually met at a restaurant near school. She was always feeding me," said Cabral with a laugh. "I felt uplifted by meeting with her." Connelly-Baker helped Cabral navigate her way through Latin, reassuring her that it was perfectly fine to ask for assistance if she was having trouble in class. Cabral continued to meet with Connelly-Baker several times a year as Cabral attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Cabral credits Connelly- Baker with supporting her through the academic and social challenges of college. "It took me more than four years to graduate. [Connelly-Baker] calmed me and told me that was okay. She kept me focused on the big picture." In 2014, Connelly-Baker organized a reunion of the four students who had received the scholarship up to that point. Connelly- Baker said that each student embodied some element or characteristic of her late husband. For example, one scholar was a committed athlete and swimmer. Another studied literature, which reflected Baker's love of books and reading. "I had a chance to share a video of Greg with the group so they could see him in action and hear his voice. I was very happy to do that since none of the scholars had ever met him," said Connelly-Baker. Even now, with Cabral firmly entrenched in the professional world as a program services specialist at University of Illinois Health, Cabral and Connelly-Baker continue to meet several times a year. Cabral acknowledges that their relationship has evolved from mentor to friend. Recently, Cabral and Connelly- Baker met to celebrate Cabral getting engaged. Cabral always tells people the best part of attending Latin was the devoted teachers. "Ms. Connelly-Baker and Mr. Baker were two of those special teachers. Their love for their material, the Latin community, and their teaching vocation led them to create a scholarship that could secure all these opportunities for more students." a SCHOLARSHIP, a MENTOR and a FRIEND F I N A N C I A L A I D Annual Report 2017–2018 13

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