University of Maryland Office of Marketing and Communications
Shady Grove Student Overcomes Hardships to Earn Degree
by Charlie Wright ’17
Orphan. Immigrant. Dropout. Mother of four. Francine Baker is all of these. But this month, she can also call herself a college graduate.
Along the way to her bachelor’s degree in public health science from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health at the Universities at Shady Grove, she has faced violent family tragedy, reconnected with lost siblings and nursed her children through painful chronic illness. The challenges caused her to withdraw from college twice before—but this time she’s wearing the cap and gown.