Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: W Vua FM, tuscaloosa.
[00:00:09] Speaker B: Happy Sunday, y'all. You are listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone. And we're here.
[00:00:17] Speaker C: We are here.
[00:00:18] Speaker B: Yes, we are. And I'm telling you. Okay, so leading up to today's show, I was thinking. I was like, okay, what do I want to troll Nico with today with just random.
Just. I'm going to make this brief because I don't want us to fall into this rabbit hole, but I have gotten sucked into the where is Kate Middleton fiasco. And that's all I'm really going to say about that because I don't think people have gone as in depth as I have. But I just feel like I need to let that out to the world that I am currently in the throes of it.
[00:00:54] Speaker C: So that is how you spent your spring break, is what you're saying?
[00:00:58] Speaker B: Pretty much. Pretty much. Now, there were some other things with the kids. We went to the Georgia aquarium. That was lovely. Lots of field trips happening there. So it was extremely crowded.
Was not the ideal situation for us. It made me realize, oh, actually, I'm not sure if I'm an extrovert and if I really do like people or not.
[00:01:23] Speaker C: Yeah, I like people. I just don't like crowds.
[00:01:25] Speaker B: Yes. Make me nervous. Okay. That makes me feel better.
[00:01:27] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:01:28] Speaker B: But how are you?
[00:01:29] Speaker C: I'm well, my friend. Thanks so much for asking.
Spring break felt like a day and a month all at the same time.
[00:01:36] Speaker B: Yes.
It was a weird pace.
[00:01:39] Speaker C: It was not enough to really get fully relaxed, but enough to get me off my schedule. Yes.
[00:01:46] Speaker B: Okay. I feel like us as faculty, staff, as well as our students, it's weird coming back from spring break because you can't just cruise. There is work to be done.
[00:01:59] Speaker C: Lots of work to be done.
[00:02:00] Speaker B: There is a big part of the semester that's left. And so when I've talked to our student workers and interns in our office, they're like, I have so much stuff to do.
[00:02:09] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, it was like a cat nap.
It wasn't a full night's sleep. It was a cat nap. Because we still have miles to go before we're done. But we will persevere. We will get through it. If the pollen would go away, that would make my life so much better.
[00:02:27] Speaker B: How about you? Yes, I concur. And also, I think we talked about this in the last show, but spring break is just a different. When I talk to our interns about like, oh, where are you going for spring break, it's not like, oh, I'm going to Orange beach. It's, I'm going to Bora Bora. I'm going to Cabo with, like, 20 friends, like, bucket list places I would like to go.
[00:02:52] Speaker C: Can I be a chaperone?
[00:02:53] Speaker B: Yes. So I don't know. It's just spring break is different now. And then the students, they roll back up and they need a vacation from their vacation. And so I'm like, I do feel sorry for you, but I don't because I didn't go on your vacation. So I don't know.
[00:03:10] Speaker C: I wasn't in Bora Bora. I was in Northport, Alabama. Right. I mean, I did go to target, and it was really nice because the aisles were empty.
[00:03:19] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:03:19] Speaker C: So you can maneuver.
That was a.
[00:03:24] Speaker B: But, you know, it's funny because we are still technically in know, April is around the corner. But I am excited about the fact that it's still march because the geek in me, a nutrition geek, very excited. Still. National Nutrition Month. We had Sherry on earlier this week, but then also, too, this month is women's history month. And so that always kind of paves the way for us to talk about just women focused initiatives, which is a good focus for today's show. So I had to put that out there.
[00:03:56] Speaker C: Well, and I have to say, I know it's a little bit late, but happy registered dietitians day.
[00:04:01] Speaker B: Thank you. I know it happened in the middle of spring break, and I was going to tell Terry, my husband, like, hey, it's like registered dietitian day. Where's my stuff?
And he's like, is this mother's day?
I did not train him properly to see registered dietitian day in the same light as, like, mother's Day. Getting official gifts and all the things.
[00:04:28] Speaker C: It's a big day for you guys. It is.
[00:04:31] Speaker B: Is there a certified health education specialist day? I'm just curious.
[00:04:35] Speaker A: I don't think so.
[00:04:38] Speaker C: We can make one, though.
[00:04:39] Speaker B: I think we should.
[00:04:40] Speaker C: We could do that.
[00:04:40] Speaker B: I think we should, at least on UA's campus. But before we get down another rabbit hole and then me, like, maybe prompt more about the Kate Middleton stuff, I think we should take a break. Okay. And then introduce our guests.
[00:04:52] Speaker A: Excuse me.
[00:04:53] Speaker B: You have been.
[00:05:13] Speaker C: Listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Mika on 90.7 the capstone. And I am so excited about our guest today, Sheena.
[00:05:20] Speaker B: Yes, I am.
We were talking about the fact that it's Women's History Month. We have been brainstorming. What do we want to talk about during this month. What do we want to feature? And so we are so excited today to introduce Mary Kayuet, who is the Alabama director of Baby Steps. And so you're probably all thinking, well, what is baby steps? So that's why we have Mary on the show today. So, Mary, thank you for joining us today.
[00:05:46] Speaker A: Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
[00:05:49] Speaker C: So excited to have you. So, Mary, tell the listeners out there a little bit about yourself. Like, where are you from? What is your professional and academic background?
[00:05:58] Speaker B: How did you get here?
[00:06:00] Speaker A: All good questions. So I grew up in Athens, Alabama, not Georgia.
[00:06:05] Speaker C: North Alabama.
[00:06:09] Speaker A: You understand. Sometimes.
Actually, I spent some time away from Alabama and came back to Tuscaloosa. When I came to Tuscaloosa, I was thinking, everyone's going to know where I'm from now because I was in the same state. And people still, I say, oh, I grew up in Athens, and they say, athens, Georgia, Alabama. It's a small town, but we're right next to Huntsville. Grew up there. I went to Auburn for my university experience as an undergraduate student.
[00:06:38] Speaker B: Listeners, again, sometimes we wish that we had cameras in here so you can see our facial expressions. But we are friends to all. We are friends to all.
[00:06:45] Speaker A: We will forgive you for that.
[00:06:47] Speaker B: Roll tie.
[00:06:48] Speaker A: Well, here's what's good to know.
There's orange and blue in my blood, but I do also say roll tie, that mini esporting event, if you select ones, we have to refrain.
[00:06:59] Speaker C: I get it.
[00:07:00] Speaker A: But yes, I have lived here twice as long as when I lived in Auburn. So I do always say Auburn people love to hear that we have the same background, but Albion people love to hear that they've been chosen for twice as long, so they feel victorious in the end. And we're all just one big family.
I went to Auburn for my undergrad. I got a degree in interior design.
[00:07:26] Speaker B: Nice.
[00:07:26] Speaker A: Spent some time in Nashville dabbling in the field, and then actually ended back up in just the college campus sphere, really, for all of my professional life, post grad. So I had some internships and interior design when I was still in school. And then after that I took a little, maybe a large turn and actually never left the college campus. And that's how I ended up in Tuscaloosa. I worked with an organization that worked with college students and I got the bug and I never left.
[00:07:54] Speaker C: There you go.
[00:07:55] Speaker B: See, you're one of us.
We're passionate about college students. We're working in the trenches and I don't know, it's good to be among people who are passionate about college students, right?
[00:08:07] Speaker C: Yes. So how did you come about working with baby step?
[00:08:13] Speaker A: Actually, the Auburn roots are really important to this story. So when I was in school, I had some friends, and some of my friends had parents who were local to the area. And so I got to know their whole family. And so I have a friend, Hansen Schultz, and he became a good friend towards the end of my college career. And I got to know his parents, Matt and Michelle, and they are actually the co founders of baby Steps. So baby steps didn't launch until three years after I had left Auburn. But because I had made that connection and friendship, I stayed up to date with what was going on in their family and what they were doing and got to be an early supporter of baby steps just as a friend, and then got to watch it grow from afar on the other side of the state.
[00:08:55] Speaker C: Very cool.
[00:08:56] Speaker B: Oh, my. You know, when we think about.
[00:09:01] Speaker A: The.
[00:09:01] Speaker B: Fact that it's now here in Tuscaloosa, I know we'll be using a lot of the show today to really talk about that story, but I guess I'm kind of curious. How did this idea to have multiple hubs come about? You know what I mean? Because like you said originally I did an Auburn, but then thinking, how do we take this fabulous idea and get to bring it to other college campuses?
[00:09:23] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, it took a long time for them to decide to take that jump. I think that as we get into explaining more about what baby steps is, you'll understand that as people heard about what they were trying to do, they started getting calls from all over the place saying, hey, come here, come here.
The need is everywhere. And they really wanted to make sure they understood what they were doing and how they were doing it and how to do it well and that they were successful before they ever looked into expanding. And so it was really about four or five years into really perfecting what baby steps is today, before they looked into saying, okay, maybe we can't take this somewhere else, but it was really the interest of others and then their commitment to say, okay, this need is so much greater than just the Auburn community.
Let's see what we can do about.
[00:10:15] Speaker B: Expanding well, and as we're talking, we talked about how you got involved with the organization.
I think I just realized that we didn't necessarily define what does baby steps do as an organization. So when you think about that elevator pitch of what the heck is baby steps?
What's your tell to them? Yeah.
[00:10:36] Speaker A: So baby steps'mission is to empower pregnant and parenting college students facing an unplanned pregnancy.
And we help them to have both their education and their baby by empowering them, by providing housing, support and community. And so that's our big thing, is we help them get to graduation and have all the resources they need to be both a student mom and a mother at the same time, or student and a mom. So student moms. I'll say that a lot in the rest of the interview.
[00:11:07] Speaker C: I love that. So you were saying that the founders, you're friends with their son?
[00:11:14] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:11:14] Speaker C: So how did they come up with this idea?
[00:11:16] Speaker A: Yeah. So about 30 years ago, they were students at Auburn, and they experienced an unplanned pregnancy their junior year. Matt and Michelle were dating at the time, and Michelle really felt as if she didn't have the resources to stay in school and to be a mother. And so that did lead to the decision for her to terminate her pregnancy. Her and Matt continued to date. They graduated from Auburn and got married shortly after that. And a few years into their marriage, they realized they were still impacted by that decision. And so they really went on a journey of discovery of what does that mean to them? And it was through that journey they started to share their stories with others. They became a safe place for others to share their stories back with them. And it was through kind of that exchange that they had this deep desire to say, you know what? There's an underserved population that still exists. This wasn't just a problem when we were in college. There's an isolated population of women on campus that don't have what they need to thrive as a student mom or maybe even feel like they have the option to be a student mom. And so that is where the baby steps was born.
And then it was really affirmed after Michelle started to dream up what baby steps would look like. And she met a young woman named Caitlin who kind of, in a moment of Michelle wondering, okay, is this a good idea? She meets Caitlin and tells her her plans for baby steps. And then Caitlin just begins crying.
And Michelle's kind of like, what did I do?
And Caitlin was just like, no, this is the most beautiful thing I've heard, because I actually experienced an unplanned pregnancy my junior year, and I did not have the support of the father, of my child, of my family, but I knew that I wanted to graduate from college and be this little boy's mom. And so I can affirm everything that you're saying is so needed. And then also she was able to bring the perspective of, okay, this is what it looks like. This is what I needed. These are the areas where I don't even know how I made it through. Somehow I did.
But this is what I would offer if I had had something like baby steps. And so it was really those two things coming together. They launched baby steps in 2017 at Auburn, and then in 2021, that is when they took the first steps towards, okay, what does expansion look like?
[00:13:38] Speaker B: Oh, my goodness. Okay, Nika, so could you imagine, for one, we'll just say the scenario of having your girls as newborns and then going back to school, let alone being an undergraduate for the first time. Like being in your undergraduate years and having babies.
[00:13:55] Speaker C: I can't wrap my head around it. I mean, that is so hard.
[00:14:01] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:14:02] Speaker C: And it's so admirable that they want to do both. And I want to say something right quick before we go to break, though. I love the fact that you said she was sharing this story with someone.
I love that they were transparent and they were open, and there was no shame in this stigma because that's what we've got to have to make things happen for the best in the world. And there it is. Proof in the pudding.
[00:14:31] Speaker B: I know if this had been, I think, my first time getting exposed to the background story, I would probably be crying right now because there is so much emotion there. I think it's different for me now listening to it as a mom and us having that real life experience, Nico, with knowing what motherhood looks like. And for you, Mary, being tied to the organization the way that you are, just to see the raw and realness of these women's lives as they're so passionate about wanting to be moms, but also wanting to graduate. I'm in my fields right now. Me too.
[00:15:12] Speaker C: This is good stuff. We have to take a break. But when we come back, we're going to dig even deeper into bake step.
[00:15:20] Speaker B: Yes. So y'all stay tuned.
You are listening to fit to be tagged with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone. And if you are just now joining us, we are joined today by Mary Kayuette, who is the Alabama director of Baby steps here in Tuscaloosa. And now, Mary, you were mentioning during the break that there's an even deeper story as to how Alabama was chosen as the next hub location for baby steps. So tell us more about this.
[00:16:07] Speaker A: Yeah, so, like I said, I've been working in the college fear since I graduated. And so I've just, through the years, seen multiple women's stories play out where they experience an unplanned pregnancy and they don't always have all the options that they wish they had to be able to become a student mom.
And I was kind of at the peak of having this experience and wondering and seeing baby steps from afar and being know how is it that Tuscaloosa, the greatest city in the state of Alabama, could possibly be lagging behind Auburn in this area? In all jokes aside, there's a lot of things that I love about comparing our two cities because people will ask me that question a lot. And they're in so many ways, like, equally yoked but different because they're different campuses, but there's a lot of similarities. And I think the competitiveness is really beautiful.
But in this area, I was like, man, Tuscal City really is falling short. And like I said, I had a personal connection with Michelle through her son Hansen. And so I was just feeling very convicted that maybe this desire to want something more for the women at Alabama was something that I could do something about. And so I just called Michelle after talking to a friend. She's like, well, have you done anything? I was like, no, I just have all these ideas. She said, well, why don't you call her? And so I did.
And that just kind of started a conversation. But then what's really amazing, you were talking about at the end of the last segment of just the vulnerability of someone saying, like, this is my position. Not being ashamed of their position, but just saying, like, this is where I am and this is what I needed. So there's a young woman, her name is Emory Jones. She just graduated last December. So just a few months ago from the nursing program here and the summer that all of these things were whirling around in my mind. I get on Facebook and I see at the UA ticket exchange that Emory Jones posted and someone tagged or some of my friends had commented on it. And so I was like, that's OD. No one's selling tickets in the middle of the summer for things. And she just posted, hey, I'm a student, mom, at the University of Alabama. I'm an undergraduate student, and I feel like the resources are lacking. Is there anyone who can speak into this? And I just see a slew of comments of people saying, I had that experience didn't, you're not crazy. There's not the things you need, like all these different things. And I was like, someone mentioned baby steps. I was just like, oh, my gosh, I have to message this girl. So I did. We got coffee together. She had a notebook. Y'all. Of all the things that she was like, I love ua. I am proud to go here, but I had a son my freshman year, and there are so many things that I've had to do to jump through hoops, to have even a similar college experience at some points, even to something as simple as, like, a sporting event going to with her son, to very practical things of just trying to be able to balance things well, that she's like, if the university would just help in this way, I could have really seen success. And I know that other girls who are feeling ill equipped could feel the same way. And so that was a huge motivator for me and has been really a major reason why we're like, okay, I think this community is ready, and there's certainly a need. And so it was really helpful when I called again. I said, okay, no, there's really a need. And so the rest has kind of been history.
[00:19:25] Speaker C: I love that.
[00:19:29] Speaker B: I don't know what her circumstances were in terms of was she living on or off campus? But Mary, I feel like when I've had conversations with you before about the organization, I can't remember if there was a story or not that you had shared about a student who was living on campus in a residence hall and just realizing, how would I do this?
Because I'm just thinking about even a student who had a favored situation of being on a great academic scholarship and all these things and a quote unquote free ride. But then what would that look like in terms of having a child in that space, too? So I feel like I have all of these scenarios running through my head right now.
[00:20:14] Speaker C: Yeah.
Again, I go back to just knowing how tough motherhood can be when you have all the resources and you have all the community and you have all the help, and you're not studying and going to class and taking 16 hours. So it is an amazing thing that you guys are doing for these students.
It is a need, and like you said, it's a need 30 years ago and it's a need today.
[00:20:41] Speaker B: Yeah.
When you think about just the physical community that is built, Mary, for the students, what does that support typically look like, just as far as the type of space that the students live in? Is there childcare that's offered as support through this? What does that look like for the students?
[00:21:04] Speaker A: Yeah. I can give you just a nice overview breakdown of what baby steps aims to provide. The beautiful language of our mission statement. What does it practically look like? I will say just an important distinguishing factor right now is that baby steps at Alabama is not officially open.
So we're in the fundraising stage. And so there's some aspects of baby steps where we've been able to start growing community and doing some different things, but my services that I'm able to provide are fairly limited. So I'm going to describe what happens at Auburn.
[00:21:36] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:21:37] Speaker A: And so we can understand what the dream is for here. And maybe later in the conversation I can give some insights as to what it also kind of currently looks like here in Tuscaloosa. But first, housing, we have two different types of moms we serve. So we have our community student moms and our resident student moms. And those are the ones who live in our house. And so we have a home that we can provide. They can live in free of charge with their child all the way through graduation if necessary.
They have to be maintained full time student status and a few other parameters to be able to live in the home. But if they live in that house, that service is totally provided to them for free. We provide access to professional childcare for them. So we'll partner up with local daycare so they can be best student that they can be during the day and best mom that they can be after pickup. And if there's gaps in between, we figure it out, like night classes and things like that. We also provide professional counseling for our moms. It's really important for them, even if they're the happiest camper ever. You guys know, like, you've been mom, huge adjustment, even when you think you planned for that to happen in your life, it can be a very traumatic experience for some people.
Really, at any point in the spectrum, all the way from the moment of like, oh, my gosh, I did not know that this was going to happen during my college experience through even to some of the progressions of motherhood. And so a professional counseling aspect is really important. So we emphasize providing that for them. Outside of that, we also have a lot of different support that comes just from the local community and what partnerships we're able to make, what they can provide. So we'll work with a lot of different professionals and experts in different fields. So I think something Sheena and I talked about, just a fun example of how she could come and do an enrichment event for the student moms and talk about nutritional norms for both baby from zero to three, maybe is our normal age gap or age range that we'll work with, but then also maybe how do you meet your nutritional needs as a mom, how do you prioritize that? And then maybe the next week at a different event, we could have someone who comes in and talks about financial planning and how to plan for you and your child's future, both now and into postgrad. And then outside of that, we also do some community, a lot of community, different things. So anywhere from sharing a meal to having first birthday parties planned for them to. We've even gotten to start doing some of that community stuff. We did, like, a Christmas brunch and a Valentine's Day brunch. Just getting to celebrate together and do fun things and have little treats and.
[00:24:16] Speaker B: Enjoy motherhood and enjoy, you know, when you're talking about some of the enrichment things for the moms, like Nika, I'm thinking about you and all of the classes that you teach in your job as far as getting parents to be ready for, how to change a diaper, how to do the things. So I'm like, oh, man, there's a spot for you, babe.
[00:24:40] Speaker C: Yeah, do like a mommy babe camp.
[00:24:42] Speaker A: That would be amazing. And I just started working with my first pregnant student mom closely. We've connected with over 20 student moms over the time that I've kind of started putting baby steps out in the tuscaloosis sphere. But I've really started working closely with one student mom. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, you don't know how this works because you've never done this before. And so we met up to make a baby registry, and I'm like, googling what goes on a baby, like, figuring it out together.
[00:25:11] Speaker C: I can help with that. I do. I teach for a hospital in Birmingham. New parents.
[00:25:18] Speaker B: That's amazing.
[00:25:19] Speaker C: We just get them ready.
[00:25:20] Speaker A: It's just like a boot camp. I would love it.
[00:25:22] Speaker C: Oh, man.
[00:25:22] Speaker B: I'm like, okay, we've got to take a break, y'all. But, like, we are going to continue this exciting conversation. You are listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 attackstone.
[00:25:37] Speaker A: Wvua FM, Tuscaloosa.
[00:25:46] Speaker B: Welcome back, listeners.
[00:25:47] Speaker C: You're listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone.
[00:25:52] Speaker B: Yes. And if you have just now joined us, first, I'm going to say you're going to have to go back and listen to the previous parts of this show because it has been fabulous today. Today we've had Mary Calluette, who is the Alabama director of the Alabama hub of Baby steps, and we've just been having a grand old time.
[00:26:10] Speaker C: I mean, I'm loving it. And I am so excited to find out more. And I'm excited about our listeners finding out how they can let the rubber meet the pavement and make this happen, because we can't let Auburn win.
[00:26:25] Speaker A: Certainly can't.
[00:26:27] Speaker B: But I'm so grateful for everything that has been done in the Auburn community with this because it lets us know, hey, it can be successful. Student moms need this. And so I think kind of speaking to that and maybe people who are listening to this and they're like, well, gosh, is there actually a need for this? What are the statistics on that? What does your organization usually share about.
[00:26:53] Speaker A: That kind of stuff? So one thing that's really just exciting about as far as success goes, a fun number to share is that babysitter is a whole. So that includes Auburn, that includes Alabama. There's actually another pilot site starting down in the University of central Florida. And then they also have women who will reach out to them, just like to our national team that hear about us from all over the place, a big audience that we've started to grow through. Actually a podcast that we have. It's called unplanned and untold and actually emory that I talked about earlier. She is going to be the most recent guest if anyone wants to look that up and hear the fullness of her story.
So all those different facets. We have about 20 women from Alabama so far, but as a whole, baby steps has impacted over 170 student moms since they opened in 2017, which is really powerful. This is like 170 students who have gone from, oh, my gosh, I have an unplanned pregnancy to the majority of that number. Like realizing their dreams of getting a college degree and going out and contributing to the world and generations of impact happening because a child's mom was able to educate herself to the fullness that she had planned. And so that number is really huge and really exciting for us. But the need just nationally is super great.
Over 3 million unplanned pregnancies happen in the United States every single year. And the majority of those unplanned pregnancies happen between ages 18 and 29. And you all know that that's just the average age of a college student right now. I mean, maybe we miss the top upper end, but even if you're staying through grad school, it's totally normal to be here for almost the entirety of your twenty s. And so there is a great need across the United States. But on our campus, I can reinforce that there are a lot of women who have this experience that their story doesn't always come to be known because, again, the shame, the stigma, the different things that they sometimes experience that don't leave them to be able to be a successful student and a mother can kind of COVID up that story and it doesn't get heard. And so it is easy for us to walk around and think like, oh, people probably might not need baby steps to the extent that it actually really is needed on campus.
[00:29:11] Speaker C: Well, I have to tell you, in the past academic year, I've had four students in my realm of reach come to me and say, hey, you're like the second person I've told. And they want to know what resources they can reach out and do and access to be both, like you said, a successful student and a mom. And so I can tell you just from in my little tiny world that I live in on campus, that's four students in an academic year.
[00:29:46] Speaker A: Yeah. And our 20 that we've connected with, that's 20 people that I've actually talked to and multiple professors. Sometimes as professors or faculty and staff that I talk to, they're like, oh, yeah, actually, now that I think about it, I have a student mom. Most semesters I teach, we're just getting to. Since so much of my time isn't actually fully doing all the baby step services yet, we're barely starting to get connected to these student moms. The 20 are like the ones that are in a place where they can actively look for us almost.
[00:30:18] Speaker C: Right.
[00:30:19] Speaker A: And when you have a newborn or one year old even, and you're balancing that and being in school, you're not always even at the place to be like, let me see what all I can find for myself.
[00:30:29] Speaker B: Yeah. So for the students that are connected to you right now, despite the fact that we're more so in fundraising mode, how did they hear about you? How did they reach out when they contact you? I'm sure you're like, how did you hear about me? I guess I'm just curious.
It makes me excited that even at this stage, people are aware of what a wonderful thing this is.
[00:30:53] Speaker A: Yeah, I think it happens through a variety of ways. We do have some people in key areas in the university, like the student care Moldbeam office, knows about baby steps. We've started to have different faculty who've learned about us and have been able to refer students to us. We also have a presence on Instagram.
[00:31:10] Speaker B: Very nice.
[00:31:11] Speaker A: At baby steps. Bama. And so that's why it's fun for everyone to follow us, because we get to update people on how things are going, but also can be a way that we can raise awareness of baby steps. Just being on our campus, we actually have a student work, too, that helps raise awareness. So for a little early for International Women's Day, we were out on the quad selling flowers, and we connected with, I think it was 75 people that day, and a lot of people hadn't heard what baby steps was. And so it's an opportunity for them to do a little fundraiser for us, but then also for 75 more people to learn about baby steps. So if themselves or a peer finds themselves in the situation where they need us, they can share.
[00:31:47] Speaker C: Love it.
[00:31:48] Speaker B: Okay. And you have a newsletter because. I get it.
[00:31:50] Speaker A: You do?
[00:31:52] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:31:53] Speaker A: So if you go on our website, Alabama babysteps.org, there's a pop up. You can't miss it. It says, do you want to join the movement?
[00:32:00] Speaker C: And yes, I do.
[00:32:02] Speaker A: You want to join the movement. So you put your information in there and you will get an email updating on us on what's happening.
[00:32:10] Speaker B: Sorry, we're like, we got to put.
[00:32:14] Speaker C: Excited about what's coming up.
[00:32:16] Speaker B: Okay, so tell us about some of the current fundraising efforts, like events coming up. We just want listeners to know all the good things that are happening.
[00:32:26] Speaker A: Yeah. So we do have a big fundraising event coming up called the Golden Gala. It's very exciting for us.
[00:32:32] Speaker B: Very nice.
[00:32:32] Speaker A: Because, again, Auburn has had a golden gala, but we haven't had one yet.
We have one that's being planned for April 27. Now is the time to get involved if you want to be involved. So we actually are looking for businesses who want to be on the sponsoring side of the gala. And you also just anyone who is interested and wants to be in the room when it happened, where Tuscaloosa starts really making strides of opening baby steps. You can buy a ticket to the gala and you can do either of those things. Become a sponsor, buy your own ticket, or learn more all through going to the baby Steps website. So again, that's Alabama babyseps.org. And there's a little submenu that says gala. You can click on that, there's more information, and it'll direct you to the gala link to sign up for all those things.
[00:33:22] Speaker B: Well, I always like a nice reason to dress up fancy. I feel like as an adult, I don't do that now.
[00:33:28] Speaker C: Right. I don't think I've done that since prom.
[00:33:31] Speaker B: So, yeah, I would love to.
You know, for people that are getting the newsletter, they're learning about this. They're passionate about it and they're wanting to volunteer their time.
Mary, can you speak to how volunteers are utilized by say, like the Auburn hub and kind of what that looks like, or are there opportunities like that?
[00:33:52] Speaker A: Yeah, there are certainly more opportunities to kind of physically be present and volunteer in some way. At Auburn, I do have people who are helping me now. It is more through fundraising efforts. So I have someone who's been helping make phone calls to different businesses. I have people, sometimes my best volunteer is just a person who can volunteer their connections even to just take the time to sit down with me at a coffee shop, share a cup of coffee and think through who do you know that might be a resource to what we're doing? And then I will say, too, money is time and time is money. So maybe you're really passionate about sharing your time, but what baby steps really needs right now is money. And that's not always as exciting for people to hear, but it's just the reality of where we are. And so one thing I don't want to miss on sharing is that people can even give a small contribution monetarily on a monthly basis. And those people are so important to us. We call them our ambassadors because they are consistently giving to give us consistent support that we can rely on.
[00:34:56] Speaker B: Right.
[00:34:56] Speaker A: And so one more time, the website alabama babyseps.org donate would take you to a place where you could sign up to be one of those ambassadors. And that's a huge way, I think, that we're going to be able to grow in just being able to consistently expect to be able to support the student moms who need help right now, like those 20 women and the growing list, the four more that you know and the four more from another office that I've heard about, that could be a huge way that people could get involved. It's just like, okay, I'm going to sacrifice my Starbucks for the month for baby steps.
[00:35:32] Speaker B: No. Well, I love know I think you've shared such valuable information today. And Mary, we've got to take a break. But in our last segment, one of the things that we do want to make sure we ask you about is just like what's been your most memorable moment so far with the organization? So y'all stay tuned. You are listening.
[00:36:07] Speaker C: To fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the capstone. And we are wrapping up our amazing show today.
[00:36:14] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:36:15] Speaker C: And we have a couple of questions that we still want to ask Mary before we turn her loose.
So, Tina, I know you during the break had a question that you wanted to ask?
[00:36:28] Speaker B: Yes. And so normally, this is the point in the show where I totally go rogue and I just ask just fun questions that have nothing to do with anything, but this does actually have to do with baby steps. So, Mary, through your role so far and the experiences that you've had, what's kind of been your most memorable moment so far, or even rewarding moment?
[00:36:51] Speaker A: Yeah, I would say a, we live in an Instagram world, right? We love taking pictures, and it has been a really powerful tool for us to connect with people, whether it be people who support what we're doing or a good way for us to connect with future student moms.
We had a photo shoot to take pictures for the Instagram at the end of last semester, so I think graduation actually already happened. And Emory, who I'd mentioned before, she had started to connect with some student moms through that Facebook post she had made. And so two of those women, plus Emory, met up with me for the first time. Emory was the only person I had met. And I have another student who is very passionate about what baby steps is and is also very talented photographer. We met up in front of the president's mansion, and it was a little awkward at first because no one knew each other, but we were having this photo shoot for Instagram and other marketing materials, and I was just like, thank you guys so much for doing this. And what started as being kind of just a little awkward. No one knows each other. By the end, we were there for probably about an hour, and our photographer finished up and she was like, okay, you'll have a great rest of your evening. And we had been on this blanket that I brought, sitting down, playing with the kids. And the girls were like, okay, see ya. And then they didn't move. And I was like, okay, just keep staying here. But what I realized what was happening. I was like, this is it. This is the community. And I just had gotten to mostly overhear their know, hear their conversations and participate as much because they were getting to share all these connection points. And these two women outside of Emory, they had daughters that are two months apart.
They were a year apart in school. So this whole time, during both of their experiences of finding out they were pregnant, becoming a mom, staying in school, balancing all of this, neither of their daughters were quite one yet when they met. And since then, those two girls have been like thickest thieves, them and their daughters. Over spring break, I saw posted on Facebook of them hanging out, and I was like, I love this so much. And I'll run into them at the farmers market and different things. And it was just such a concrete, just thing to see of, like, this is baby steps. This is what is making their lives and their goals and their achievements all possible is, like, the space of that friendship. And they will say multiple times, I couldn't have done this if I didn't have her example, and vice versa.
[00:39:23] Speaker C: So the blessings just keep coming.
[00:39:25] Speaker B: I love that I'm still in the field. Oh, my gosh. Well, Mary, thank you for being with us today. And we did want to ask, is there anything else that you want listeners to know about the organization that you may not have mentioned today?
[00:39:42] Speaker A: I think one of the biggest things is just the acknowledgment of that. I think something that people say a lot when they talk about raising a child is the importance of their village. And I think that baby steps, there's so many more little nooks and crannies that we could have gotten into. We would have needed a ten hour podcast, and no one has to listen to that. But I think everyone listening to some capacity could be a part of this village. And I think when you look at the success of Auburn, the way that it's been successful is because of the Auburn community, and it's something that they are known for. And as I've become a part of the Tuscaloosa community, I have become aware of how possible that reality is here, too. And so I just really want to encourage people that if this has tugged on their heart, their mind, or anything, that even if you're just a little intrigued to learn more about baby steps and to jump in and be a part of it, and that is going to be what makes it possible for us to open. We need everyone who's interested to be a part of this because it's not a small thing that we're trying to do.
[00:40:43] Speaker B: I think that's the perfect note to end the show because that's so beautiful. Mary, you did such a fantastic job talking about the organization today. You blessed us with your presence, just sharing about the organization. And with that, we'll just say, roll tide.
[00:40:58] Speaker C: I'll say roll tide. And I will say, I can't say the other thing, but I can say, hey, auburn people, we love you and.
[00:41:06] Speaker B: Keep doing all the great things with.
[00:41:09] Speaker C: Baby steps because we are following your model. And come on, Tuscalisa, do what you got to do to bring it here.
[00:41:15] Speaker A: And I'll say it. Roll tide. Roll. Okay, there we go.
[00:41:19] Speaker B: You've been listening to fit to be five with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the Capstone.
[00:41:28] Speaker A: You WVUA FM, Tuscaloosa.
