The long and arduous journey of a Warren woman determined to finish high school

Originally published on Macomb Daily on June 11, 2023.

It’s graduation season and among Macomb County’s students who have earned their high school diploma is Macy Baker of Warren, a determined young woman and mother of three, whose long and arduous journey required her to overcome unimaginable obstacles.

If anyone deserves a graduation party it’s her.

“It wasn’t impossible but it was hard,” said Baker. “I had a schedule and that really helped. When the kids were asleep or when I was in the hospital I did my homework. I always made sure I was one step ahead in class.”

“So, I never fell behind,” added Baker, unlike earlier in her life when there was no catching up.

As a child, Baker grew up in Shelby Township.

Both parents loved her dearly but after their divorce Baker found herself the victim of sexual assault, not once but twice, at the age of 10 and 14. She was also bullied and teased at school and the one friend that she thought she had finally made is the person who led her to the den of a predator.

Thanks to her father’s diligence both were held accountable for their crimes and she never had to face them in court.

However, a rumor started by her attacker made school unbearable.

“I was scared constantly. I kept getting bullied, to the point I just didn’t want to be there,” Baker said of why she quit. “I spent most of my time in the bathroom anyway so what was the point?”

She eventually returned, deciding to try and catch up through online classes but it was all for not when her grandmother died.

“I’ve always been family oriented and she wasn’t the only one who died. I took it really hard,” Baker said, which added to the depression she was already struggling to overcome as a sexual assault survivor.

Macy Baker, 21, of Warren cradles her newborn daughter, Nevaeh during a quiet moment at home. GINA JOSEPH – THE MACOMB DAILY

Things were pretty dark for a while, but she started seeing a counselor at Turning Point, a nonprofit organization that provides an array of services related to sexual and domestic assault, and with the help of her father, who has always been her rock, and her boyfriend Christopher Walters, a kind soul she’s known since she was a kid, she was able to overcome her grief and depression.

“He was my brother’s best friend,” Baker said, of Walters, 22, who is now her best friend and the father of her three children. “He’s so caring. He knew that I came from a complicated history. But he loves me anyway and he’s always been willing to work through the problems with me.”

Problems that never seemed to subside

Shortly before Baker and Walters went on a family trip to Florida she was told by her obstetrician/gynecologist that it’s not likely that she would ever have children but when they returned from their trip she found out she was pregnant. It was happy news for the couple as they were both looking forward to raising a family but motherhood, as with many of the milestones in her life, presented another major challenge when her son, Cole, was born with a brain bleed and a failure to thrive.

A year later they had their second child, Ruby, a healthy baby girl, and soon after that discovered a third baby was on the way.

It was also at this time with both Cole and Ruby doing well, Cole, now age 2, getting the therapy that he needed and Ruby, being a year old and growing by leaps and bounds, that Baker decided to return to school. However, she developed complications and was unexpectedly put on bed rest.

No longer available to attend school in person but determined to finish what she started, Baker enrolled at Insight School of Michigan, a full-time, tuition-free, online public high school. The fully virtual setting of Insight allowed Baker to complete three years of high school in nine months at a pace that worked best for her and her family from the comfort of her home.

“It was just an amazing experience. The school itself worked with me. Everyone knew about the issues with Cole and I didn’t feel afraid to talk to them. They were very supportive and encouraging. Even when I felt helpless they were there to support me,” Baker said of her online school where she discovered a passion for math and photography.

“I love math. I like working with numbers like my dad. ‘Everything has to do with numbers,’ my dad would always say. I get that from him,” said Baker, noting she also took a photography class, which she liked. “We did still photography and all of my pieces had to do with my children. I got to capture priceless moments in a way I never knew I could.”

Then she paused and smiled at the infant sleeping in her arms.

“I finished my classes last week while she was in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) ,” Baker said, of her daughter. “I was going to name her heavenly but I wanted something really unique so I named her Nevaeh. That’s heaven spelled backwards.”

Nevaeh (pronounced NEV-ee-uh) arrived early and was diagnosed with a heart defect that will make life challenging but she’s surrounded by a family of survivors including her parents, who are working together to overcome whatever obstacles they might face.

“I don’t know how she did it,” Walters said, of Baker’s journey to finish school. “I know I couldn’t have done that.”

As for the future?

Cole, 2, who had his own share of problems at birth is also doing much better. GINA JOSEPH – THE MACOMB DAILY

Baker said she feels like she and Christopher are finally headed in the right direction. Her mother and father both have been a big help. Her dad babysits during the week and Walters’ mother gave them a truck.

“We feel very blessed for that,” she said, noting it will give them their independence again, not to mention some peace of mind knowing that they have a vehicle in case of an emergency with one of their children.

This fall or as soon as there is an opening, and depending on how their daughter is doing, Baker plans on attending college and eventually earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration.

After that, who knows? She might want to open up her own business or maybe a photography studio for kids?

“I want to do this for myself but also to show my children that if their mom can do what she’s doing, with everything that’s going on in her life, there isn’t anything they can’t do,” she said. “You just have to push yourself toward your goals.”

To learn more about Insight School of Michigan, please visit insightmi.k12.com.