Madison Heights Woman Honored for Volunteerism with Baker Scholarship
(press release, May 19, 2015)
Baker College of Clinton Township officials have announced Gina Martinez, of Madison Heights, is the recipient of the 2015 Ed Kurtz Leadership Scholarship award.
The $2,500 scholarship is awarded annually to a Baker College of Clinton Township student who demonstrates academic achievement and either a commitment to community service or a successful balance of work, family and school obligations.
“Gina is a model student and community volunteer,” said Donald Torline, Baker College of Clinton Township president. “In addition to attending college and working full time, Gina’s volunteer efforts have made a major impact on charitable organizations in the community. She exemplifies the character traits that were identified when the award was formed, making her the ideal recipient of this year’s scholarship.”
Martinez attends Baker College full time while working full time as a team leader for the Orlans Group, a real estate law firm in Troy. She plans to graduate in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration through Baker College’s accelerated program.
Much of Martinez’s community involvement is through an annual fundraising event that honors her mother, aunt and great-grandmother, all of whom lost their lives to Lou Gehrig’s disease, also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Founded in 2006, the Kathy’s Kids Dinner Dance, organized by Martinez and her siblings, has helped raise more than $70,000 to benefit ALS of Michigan, a not-for-profit organization that supports people afflicted with the disease.
Additionally, Martinez donates time during her lunch breaks and after work to serve as volunteer chairperson of the Good Deeds Fundraising Group through her employer. She leads monthly fundraising events with 10 team members who raise money for area not-for-profit organizations, such as the Ronald McDonald House, Children’s Miracle Network at the Royal Oak campus of Beaumont Hospital, Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeast Michigan and many others.
Baker College established this scholarship in 2004 in honor of Ed Kurtz, retired president and CEO of Baker College. Kurtz, a dynamic leader whose vocabulary does not include the word “impossible,” exhibited extraordinary service to his neighbors, friends and community throughout his 34 years at Baker College.
The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves more than 28,000 students on multiple campuses and online. Baker grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 150 programs across diverse academic fields, including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. An impressive 97 percent of available graduates are employed. Every Baker graduate receives Lifetime Employment Assistance—free and forever. Baker is a pioneer in online education and offers students the option of completing a degree 100 percent online, without ever visiting a campus. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.