Frankfort High School senior Addison Baker, right, holds the Amici Linguarum K-12 Student Award with her teacher Melony Martinez, a Spanish instructor at Frankfort High School and Eastern Kentucky University. Photo submitted
Addison Baker, a senior at Frankfort High School (Frankfort Independent), uses her Spanish expertise to connect with patients while she interns at a hospital.
Baker wants to be a labor and delivery nurse after she graduates. As part of a hospital internship, she cleans beds, watches deliveries and C-sections and does admission paperwork.
She has studied Spanish for 13 years, and said that knowing Spanish is beneficial for working in a hospital because not every patient speaks English. While the hospital has translators on staff, sometimes she gets brought into a room to help.
“It’s amazing to see someone’s face light up when they realize you speak Spanish,” Baker said. “I do love my job working in labor and delivery, and how much it’s changed my life and how much it changes the lives of others, especially some of my Spanish patients. It makes me happy to see them happy and just having that automatic bond; whenever I walk into a room and start talking with them, they automatically perk up.”
Baker said she wants to be a nurse because she has always loved kids and wants to work with them in some way. She has younger siblings and said she always enjoyed helping take care of them. When she started her internship, she fell in love with it and realized she had found her place.
Baker sometimes teaches her coworkers and family a bit of Spanish because she knows how beneficial it is as a life skill.
“I try to teach my little brother as much as possible because I know how beneficial it is,” Baker said. “My mom is an ER nurse and I’ve helped her with a couple things. … She has picked up on bits and pieces so it’s been great to see her learn.”
This past fall, Baker was honored by the Kentucky World Language Association (KWLA) with the prestigious Amici Linguarum K-12 Student Award for her exceptional achievement in language studies. The annual state-wide award recognizes outstanding K-12 students who excel in their language endeavors and demonstrate a passion for cultural exchange.
What Baker loves most about studying Spanish is learning about the Spanish culture. She said that last year, she became best friends with an exchange student from Spain. Baker got to learn even more about Spanish culture through her, as well as practicing speaking the language.
“She’s one of those people that just pushed me to really love it even more, and we still talk every now and then,” Baker said.
When she started learning Spanish, Baker originally didn’t like it because it felt like a chore. She said the way she was learning Spanish wasn’t working as well for her. But when she got to high school, her Spanish teacher, Melony Martinez, taught her a different way to learn the language, which changed Baker’s perspective on it.
Martinez, a Spanish instructor at Frankfort High School and Eastern Kentucky University, has taught Baker advanced language studies all four years of high school. She said Baker has always shown a remarkable aptitude for language, but also a deep passion for embracing different cultures.
“Over the years, I have witnessed her growth not only as a language student but as a well-rounded individual who consistently strives to achieve her goals,” Martinez said.
Martinez encouraged Baker to apply for the KWLA Amici Linguarum K-12 student award because she embodies what it means to be a dedicated language student.
“Her dedication to her studies, coupled with her leadership and compassion, truly makes her an exemplary candidate for this award,” Martinez said. “Her kindness and generosity extend beyond her academic and extracurricular pursuits; she is genuinely concerned about helping others and is actively involved in community service. Her commitment to making a difference is evident in everything she does.”
Since Martinez encouraged Baker to learn Spanish more, she started participating in more extracurriculars at her school. She is involved with Spanish Club at Frankfort High School and Spanish Honor Society and is a state officer for the society.
“As president of the Spanish Honor Society for the past three years, she has actively engaged with her peers and inspired her fellow students to reach their potential,” Martinez said. “Her involvement in various school clubs shows her dedication to fostering a vibrant community.”
As part of the Spanish Honor Society and Spanish Club, Baker helped create the Seal of Biliteracy for students who take a national biliteracy test at Frankfort High School.
She has also helped coordinate the Spring Fling event for elementary students put on by Spanish students. As part of Spanish Heritage Month, she and other students went to an elementary school in Louisville to read to the bilingual students to promote biliteracy.
Baker said being the Spanish Honor Society state representative is one of the things she’s most proud of throughout her time participating in Spanish activities.
“State officer felt huge, especially to get there,” Baker said. “I had to give a three to five minute speech in Spanish and had to run against two other girls.”
Other accomplishments she’s proud of include being a KWLA Expo participant and winner of the 2024 high school drawing contest, being an ambassador for Gear Up last year at Frankfort High School, and helping with The Pulsera Project for three years of high school.
This year, the high school will be hosting the state convention for Spanish Honor Society students with six counties attending the event. Kentucky is the only state in the nation that holds a state convention for Spanish Honor Society students.
Baker said she will be helping coordinate a Sadie Hawkins dance this spring where students will be able to experience Spanish culture, as well as other community outreach events.
Baker will be attending Midway University this fall and plans to study nursing.
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