Student leaders pursue careers in community serviceFebruary 27, 2018

Their goal:  To give back to the community and make Midland the BEST city in America.  Rebecca McAdoo and Jacob Baley are looking forward to careers where they will have an opportunity to achieve this goal.  Both of these aspiring 20-year-olds will graduate from Midland College (MC) with associate degrees in May, and both will transfer to four-year universities, where they will begin classes in August. 

Rebecca McAdoo plans to major in Mass Communications at Texas State University, the University of North Texas or The University of Texas at El Paso.  Her dream is to handle public relations for a nonprofit organization.  She originally discovered her passion for nonprofit work when she was a sophomore at Lee High School and became involved in Students in Philanthropy (SIP).  Since that time, McAdoo has been an active member of the organization both at Lee and then at MC.  She currently serves as president of the Midland College SIP organization.

McAdoo is the daughter of Yolanda and Bruce McAdoo.  She has lived in Midland since moving with her family from West Palm Beach, FL, when she was six.  She attended MISD schools and graduated from Lee High School in 2016.

Jacob Baley attended Midland Classical Academy and received his high school diploma from Orion Online High School.  His parents are Rebekkah and Will Baley.  He is the middle child of six children; his five siblings are all sisters.

Like McAdoo, Baley is also a member of the college’s SIP organization.  This is his first year in the organization; however, his leadership skills were quickly recognized by his fellow SIP members, and he was elected as SIP Service Leader.  Obviously, service is important to Baley, as he also serves as Vice President of Service for the MC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.   He plans to major in Business Management with a minor in Political Science at Texas State University (TSU) in San Marcos.  After graduating from TSU, Baley will return to Midland and work in the business field.  He also hopes to become involved in local government.

“My Government classes at Midland College made me realize how important local government is,” said Baley.  “Midland is a great place to live, and I want to help build Midland to be even better.  Midland is already an important energy center for the United States.  We need to keep that focus; however, I believe we can diversify and also become a technology center.”

“The first thing I learned about Jacob was that he loves Midland,” said Luz Lopez, Midland College SIP advisor and coordinator.  “His energetic work and conviction with non-profits is admirable. He always brings new volunteer activities to the table and is constantly volunteering where help is needed. I am sure he will make a great impact in the Midland community; he is loved by his peers and is a joy to be around.”

Rebecca McAdoo also knows the importance of governance at the grass roots level.  In addition to serving as president of SIP, she also serves as president of Midland College’s Student Government Association and was instrumental in helping to implement a Weapon Control initiative for the campus.  She will be leading seminars in late April to inform students about the initiative. 

McAdoo’s leadership extends beyond MC to the regional and state levels.  She is Vice President of the Texas Region 1 Student Government Association and was recently one of only six students throughout Texas to be nominated for the Texas Junior College Student Government Association “Student of the Year” award.  The winner will be announced in early April.

McAdoo routinely writes news articles and editorials for the Midland College student publication, the MC Press.  In addition, McAdoo is an important part of MC’s recruiting efforts and assists with college tours and promoting Midland College to high school seniors in her capacity as a member of the MC Regents.  She is also an active member in Sigma Kappa Delta English Honor Society.

“I’m a huge fan of Midland College,” said McAdoo.  “In fact, my entire family loves MC.  My older brothers, William and David attended Midland College, and both were in the Student Government Association and Students in Philanthropy.   I always tell high school students that it’s important to get involved.  Some of the organizations like SIP and the Regents offer scholarships.  It’s a ‘win-win’—I get to have fun participating in student life and also get scholarships!”

“Rebecca is an outspoken leader, who is not afraid of taking charge,” said Luz Lopez.  “She is determined to make an impact at MC, leading multiple clubs and being involved in most of the student activities. Her enthusiasm for the work she does is extremely contagious; I have no doubt she will continue to thrive in her future endeavors.”

Rebecca McAdoo’s nonprofit work is not limited to her participation in various clubs and activities at MC.  She works part-time as the chapter administrator for the Permian Basin Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.  As such, she assists the volunteer board with duties and programs to enhance nonprofit agencies, designs chapter advertising and coordinates planning for the National Philanthropy Day celebration.

“By having this job, I have been able to learn about our community organizations and learn in-depth about the nonprofit sector,” stated McAdoo.

Jacob Baley also finds time in his busy schedule for a part-time job.  Being a self-confessed “tea addict,” he said he has the perfect part-time job as a barista at Cabin Creek Coffee and Tea. 

“They pay me a salary, but I also get to drink all the tea I want!” exclaimed Baley.

In addition, Baley is in the MC Honors program.  As an Honors student, Baley is required to complete special enhanced projects that are above and beyond regular assignments.   Baley’s projects include a 17-page short-story with a Viking theme that he wrote under the mentorship of MC English professor Dr. Leslie Williams for a Humanities class.  He also analyzed the Happy Planet Index (HPI) published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network and was mentored by MC Social & Behavioral Sciences Department Chair Michael Makowsky.

“The HPI is a report in which experts in the fields of economics, psychology, survey analysis and national statistics describe how measurements of well-being can be used effectively to assess the progress of nations,” explained Baley.  “My analysis of the report included changing variables to make the report more realistic.”

During their past two years as MC students, both Rebecca McAdoo and Jacob Baley have proven themselves as student leaders.  Their commitment to service, student government and community well-being stand as an example to other students.