Troy University helped to lay the foundation for Barry Baker’s successful career in the areas of sports medicine, physical therapy and exercise science. Now, the two-time TROY alumnus is giving back to help future students to follow that same path.

Baker has established The Barry Baker Endowed Scholarship to help deserving students who are pursuing a degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion from TROY.

Baker, the owner of Cornerstone Fitness and Wellness in Clanton, Alabama, has spent his entire career in the fields of sports medicine, physical therapy, kinesiology or exercise science. His business, which he opened nearly 24 years ago, serves both physical therapy and fitness and wellness needs and employs 30 full- and part-time employees. 

“My whole adult life has been in the fields of sports medicine, physical therapy, kinesiology, and exercise science,” Baker said. “I have a daughter, Anna Kathryn Baker, at TROY now that is in the program. I just wanted to do something in that area for students who are pursuing the path of some sort of allied health field.”

While the scholarship will give preference to qualified students from Chilton County, Baker said his main interest is helping hard-working students who want to pursue his beloved profession.

“I grew up in Chilton County. I live in Clanton,” he said. “We have had quite a number of students from this area go to Troy University over the years. If there is someone from this area that qualifies, then I would love for them to be considered but I didn’t want to limit it just to Chilton County. My own experience, I noticed that a lot of scholarships may say you have to be at a certain income level or have a certain GPA. I really wanted to put an emphasis on someone that works hard and has some grit about them.”

The scholarship is the latest way that Baker is giving back to his alma mater. He has also served on the advisory board for the College of Health Sciences. 

“Over the last few years, I have come to realize the importance of alumni being involved and doing what they can to support, give back and work to strengthen Troy University,” Baker said. “To me it is personal. TROY has done so much for me with my education and contacts. I could never repay Troy University for all it has done for me. It, its faculty, its administration has just done so much. I will always be indebted to Troy University.”

Baker, who is legally blind, said the faculty did so much to help him be successful and admits that he remains in touch with many of those professors today. However, one story of his time at TROY still resonates with him today. It involved a phone call during his senior year from TROY Chancellor, Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. 

“I’m legally blind and a couple of years before I came to TROY, Dr. Hawkins came from the Alabama School for the Deaf and Blind to be TROY’s Chancellor. I was the trainer for the baseball team my senior year, and we had been at the conference tournament,” Baker said. “I had missed a lot of school traveling with the team, and I was really worried about it because I cared about my grades. Somehow Dr. Hawkins found out about that, and he called my hotel room on a Sunday, and told me not to worry, that everything was going to be fine. I was just a month or two from graduating, and he told me that my professors would work with me. Maybe he knew who I was because I was a student with a disability involving my vision. I’m sure he doesn’t remember making that phone call, but it really helped to set my mind at ease and showed me how much he and Troy University cared about students.”

Baker said endowing the scholarship was another way he could give back to the school that had given him so much. 

“I think when you are young and you get out of school, you are at a place in your life where you may be getting married or buying your first home. Life is happening and it is happening fast,” he said. “As I got older and began to look at all the things the University did for me in my life, and I just wanted to be involved in any way that I could to help. I wanted to be involved in the college that I went through to hopefully make it better for the next students that come through. I want to continue to support it through the years in any way that I can.”

For more information on establishing a scholarship at Troy University, please contact the Office of Development at (334) 670-3297.

Recipients of the Barry Baker Endowed Scholarship will be selected by the Troy University Scholarship Committee and will be required to write a letter of appreciation to the donor and are encouraged to attend the Scholarship Donor and Recipient Reception. Scholarships will be awarded for one year only beginning in the Fall semester, but recipients may reapply the following year. To learn more about the donor scholarships TROY offers, click here.