Baker
?from page A7
\
Tiom the tears," she said. Ashlei
learned after the pageant that her
win was also historic. She was the
first African American girl in her
age category to capture the title.
The confidence that Ashlei has
gained from her win will come in
; handy. She will represent the state
?in the national pageant, which
iwill be held Thanksgiving week
end at Walt Disney World in
Orlando, Fla.
Like the state pageant, the
Miss American Preteen pageant
will place special emphasis on the
young women's leadership skills
and focus on self-confidence and
positivism. The pageant also has
a strict no-makeup rule and pro
hibits short, revealing outfits.
Ashlei's mother admits to
being a little wary of the idea of
her daughter being in a pageant at
first, but as she gained more
knowledge about the pageant's
mission, all that changed.
"The more 1 learned about the
pageant, the more willing I was to
allow her to participate. ... The
rules are very specific," said
Amber Baker.
Their similar sounding names
and even more similar looking
faces lead many people to mistake
Amber and Ashlei for sisters.
Though Baker says her relation
ship with her only child is more
parental than sisterly, she says the
two of them do have a strong
bond - a bond that has been
developed over the 13 years as the
two of them have endured highs
and lows.
"I've worked very hard to pro
vide her with a lot of things, in
spite of the fact that we have had
t(> come through some hard
ships," said Baker, who has been a
single parent for much of Ashlei's
life. "It's hard to keep your child
positive when you are surrounded
by so much negativity."
While most youngsters would
cringe at the very of idea of their
parents talking publicly about
the lean years, Ashlei sits with
her head held high as her mother
talks about the family's odyssey.
Baker graduated from North
Forsyth High School, the school
she wants Ashlei to attend next
year, and then went to Howard
University in Washington. She
got pregnant with Ashlei during
her senior year and left school.
Stints on public assistance and
stays in unsavory neighborhoods
would follow.
But the Baker women pre
vailed.
Amber Baker went back to
school and finished her under
graduate work at Winston-Salem
State University; she has since
earned a master's degree from
Ohio State University and is cur
rently working toward her doctor
ate.
Baker says when she gives her
daughter pep talks on subjects
like sex and education, she speaks
to her from experience. Ashlei
says talking is an activity that
more parents and children should
partake in together.
"You always remember what
your parents say. You may not lis
ten at the time they say it, but you
always remember what they say,"
Ashlei said.
She is the student-body presi
dent at Philo Middle School, as
well as a solid A/B student. Ashlei
also runs track and is a cheer
leader. And she has been a fluent
Spanish speaker for much of her
life.
Ashlei has dreams of one day
being a lawyer, but first she wants
a shot at an Olympic gold medal.
"She is probably one of the
best students we have," said
William Peay, principal of Philo.
"If I were to have a daughter, I
would want my daughter to be
like Ashlei."
Peay says Ashlei has grown a
lot during her years at Philo; she
has gained the respect of the fac
ulty as well as the students, which
was cemented with her election as
student body president.
The school and Flow Motors
will sponsor the car that Ashlei
will wave from during the Win
ston-Salem State University
Homecoming Parade next week
end. Ashlei breaks into laughter
as she demonstrates the classic
beauty queen wave - straight
open hand and slight twisting of
the wrist.
Philo staffers are so impressed
by Ashlei, they also passed infor
mation about her on to the People
to People Student Ambassador
Program. She was one of 36 stu
dent ambassadors from the Triad
who traveled to the United King
dom in June and July for 21 days.
The excursion took the group to
London, Dublin, Wales and Bath.
Ashlei said she enjoyed the
trip for the most part, but it was
not all rosy.
"It was too long to be away
from home, and (the British)
don't put enough seasoning on
their food. ... The only food that
was good were the rolls," she said,
twisting her face in disgust.
Ashlei missed American food
so much that she instructed her
mother to bring a box of Bojan
gles chicken when she picked her
up from the airport in Charlotte.
One of Ashlei's host families
got her tickets to view the royal
wedding of Britain's Prince
Edward to Sophie Rhys-Jones.
Ashlei was one of a select few
who got a chance to stand outside
of the church and watch as royal
family and other celebrity guests
made their way in and out of the
church. - '
"She looks so much like
Princess Diana," Ashlei said of
Rhys-Jones. "She had little pearls
on her veil.... It was so pretty."
Ashlei also got a glimpse at
Prince William and Prince Harry,
, Diana's sons, as they made their
way out of the church.
"They did not look happy to
be there. ... They weren't smiling
that much," she recalled.
Ashlei and her mother are
looking into a program that gives
students the opportunity to visit
Soweto. Ashlei is keeping her fin
gers crossed about the possibility
of visiting Africa in the near
future.
Though the possibilities for
Ashlei are unlimited, the family's
purse strings are not. Baker, who
works as a secretary while work
ing on her dissertation, says she
never wants money, or lack of it,
to stand in the way of things that
Ashlei wants to do.
Her trip and her sophisticated
pageant attire were made possible
through the generosity of family
members and friends. Realizing
her potential, they have also set
up the Ashlei Baker Education
Fund at Mechanics and Fanners
Bank.
Baker is currently trying to sell
ads of support for Ashlei that will
run in the program for the nation
al pageant. The money generated
from the ads will help the Bakers
cover room and board expenses in
Florida. Air fare is being provided
by the state pageant. Baker says if
she doesn't raise the money
through ads, she'll hold a fish fry.
One way or the other she'll make
sure Ashlei is there, Baker said.
Although the competition will
be steeper and the stakes much
higher, the Bakers are already
claiming victory. It's the same
positive thinking and outlook
that got them out of the hard
times. Ashlei is already making
plans with what she'll do with the
$5,000 cash award. Of course
most of it will go toward college,
but she wants to give $2,000 of it
to her church, St. Peter's World
Outreach Center, to help with its
renovation efforts. The church has
been supportive of her in every
way possible, Baker said.
But ultimately, Baker said, it is
really not important if Ashlei
wins in Florida. Her only require
ment has always been that her
daughter simply do her best. If
her best means C's instead of A's
on school work, that's fine. Baker
said
""I don't push her. She is goal
oriented enough on her own,"
Baker said as Ashlei looked on
smiling. "I'm proud to say that I
like my daughter, not just love her
but actually like her."
Those who want to contribute
toward ads for Baker can specify
that when making contributions to
the education fund.
Juveniles
from page Al
"There is no way they are going to
be successful in life."
Loretta Biggs, assistant U.S.
attorney and a former state Dis
trict Court judge, agrees with
Reingold that, traditionally. Juve
nile Court judges had little control
over parents. The recent changes in
the juvenile laws aim to address
such problems as parents who are
not living up to their responsibili
ties.
"The hope is it means no child
will be before the court without
support from the parent," Biggs
said.
In addition to requiring that
parents or guardians attend Juve
nile Court hearings with their chil
dren, the new regulations give
judges the power to order parents
to attend parent responsibility
classes.
"Failure to be involved in the
academic world often leads them
(juveniles) to be involved in crimi
nal acts," Biggs said.
The intent of the law is not to
adversely affect the parents who
are doing everything they can to
ensure that their children go to
school, but to impose responsibili
ties on the parents who are not liv
ing up to their responsibilities.
Biggs said.
Kaye Greenwood, court coun
selor supervisor with the Office of
juvenile Justice, said other
changes include:
? The court can order the par
ents) to participate in the child's
evaluation or treatment.
? The parent can be ordered to
pay for the cost of the evaluation
or treatment. If the parent cannot
afford to pay, the county can be
ordered to pay.
? The parent can be ordered to
pay child support if, for example,
the child is placed in a group home
or wilderness camp.
? The parent can be ordered to
pay a probation fee for the child.
? "Hie parent can be ordered to
turn his child's medical bills into
the parent's private insurance com
pany if, for example, the child is in
a group home or detention center.
? An employer may not dis
charge, demote or discipline a par
ent for attending Juvenile Court
hearings with his child.
Greenwood said the new regu
lations apply to juveniles who are
delinquent or undisciplined, which
includes truants, children who get
in trouble with a law, runaways
and ungovernable children.
The Chronicle
African American News
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