Kimberly Ellis, executive director of Emerge California, will be the keynote speaker for Baylor’s annual Martin Luther King celebration. Ms. Ellis will address the upper school student body in an assembly at 1:35 p.m. on Friday, kicking off the celebration that will conclude with Monday’s “day on,” during which Baylor students will have the opportunity to participate in a day of service throughout the Chattanooga area and to attend educational workshops on campus.
With a background and experience in operations management and organizational infrastructure development and implementation, Ms.
Ellis has worked in private industry, government, and the non-profit sector. Before becoming executive director at Emerge California, she served as National Affiliate Director for Emerge America. Emerge is a non-profit training program for women interested in holding public office.
Ms. Ellis, who was born in Chattanooga and still has family in town, has a B.A. in English from Jacksonville University and a J.D. from John F. Kennedy School of Law. She is a 2007 Emerge graduate and is married with two children. Baylor extended the invitation to Ms. Ellis after 15 Baylor students heard her speak at the Harvard Model Congress in San Francisco a year ago.
Baylor has celebrated the national MLK Day holiday with a nationally recognized keynote speaker and the “day on” activities for 20 years.
Baylor’s MLK “Day On” Activities and Schedule – Monday
Other activities scheduled as part of the celebration include on-campus workshops and community service projects both on and off the campus. The day concludes with a musical performance by faculty member Ken Parks and various local musicians and artists.
Highlights
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
On-Campus Workshops
Baylor students will attend sessions of their choice including movies “42” and “The Butler,” and sessions titled The Laramie Project, Heroes and Villains in Disney, Miss Representation, Culture of Tibet, Dare to Share, and African Music.
10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
On-Campus Volunteer Work
Baylor students will play host to elementary and middle school students from various community service sites and lead sessions on chess, cricket, painting, robotics, and a science fair. Others will help with Senior Olympics sessions for basketball and rowing. There will also be students baking treats for Baylor dining hall, maintenance, and custodial staff as well as for local fire departments. Students may also work with the Baylor Sustainability Project.
10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Off-Campus Volunteer Work
Baylor students will spend a day of service at the Chattanooga Zoo, the Community Kitchen, Crabtree Farms, the Humane Society, Memorial Hospital, North Chickamauga Creek, Orchard Knob School, the Pet Placement Center, and Red Bank Life Care Center.
2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Closing Program
Alumni Chapel
Featuring faculty member/musician Ken Parks and his local Motown band members.