A home and a diploma for Victoria

Published 2:54 pm Friday, June 11, 2010

Education wasn’t something Victoria Baker took for granted.

For someone who has juggled children and homelessness as a teen, her graduation from Renaissance High School this week is a milestone.

“It’s a small step for other people, but it’s a huge step for me,” the 20-year-old said.

Originally from Tacoma, Baker spent much of her childhood moving in and out of homeless shelters with a mother who struggled with depression. When she was about 16, she moved in with her boyfriend, who supported her while she went to school. But when she had her son, Trey, at the age of 18, she dropped out of school to work for two years to support her family, working shifts at opposite times of the day from her boyfriend. Since that time, she and her family were homeless for a six-month period and moved to Bremerton, where Kitsap Community Resources placed them into emergency housing, then transitional housing — they moved into a permanent home this month. While Baker was pregnant with her second child, she decided to go back to school.

“I just decided I was going to pursue my dreams,” she said.

After enrolling in Renaissance High School last fall, she had a short period of time to finish her requirements — she needed to graduate before she was 21, or else she would have to start paying for her education. After giving birth to her daughter, Naraiya, in October, she took two months of maternity leave.

Despite caring for two children and having moved four times since she started at Renaissance, she has been able stick with her education, finishing homework in-between other responsibilities. With all the demands of her life, she said she’s lucky to be able to take advantage of Renaissance’s program for students who are limited by how much time they can spend on campus and away from their families.

“Even in the middle of all that, she still stayed focused,” said Baker’s senior adviser at the school, James Ogden, adding that she was a regular on the school’s honor roll. “Vicky came here knowing what she needed. She just didn’t know how to do it.”

Most importantly for Baker, she can serve as a role model for her children.

Baker and her boyfriend — they are still together, although now they are engaged — are enrolled in Olympic College for the fall quarter, where she hopes to study psychology. To Baker, life for her and her family is looking up.

“Even though you’re going through what you’re going through, you can still focus and push and go after your dreams,” she said.