The Rob Baxter Defiance Scholarship

He was a son, a brother, a friend, and a teacher. As a son, a brother, and a friend, Rob brightened the days of those who were close to him. Always quick with a witty observation or playful joke, Rob enjoyed being around people and had a way of making those in his presence feel good.

But where Rob ended up excelling, was at Walkerville Collegiate. As a teacher and librarian at Walkerville, Rob had the opportunity to make a positive impact on many individuals throughout his time at the school. He was always willing to take time out of his day to entertain students, offer guidance to those who needed it, or just be a sympathetic ear for students going through troubling times.

Tragically, on March 18, 2015, Rob fell victim to an aneurysm and passed away. His family, friends and co-workers lost a great friend. But it would be the students at the school who would be most affected by his loss.

Rob was the teacher that crossed the barrier that few teachers can. He was able to reach out to the students, and in turn, they would reach out to him. He provided students with a safe environment in which they could freely talk about personal issues without the fear of being judged or disciplined. He especially had a knack for bringing kids considered outsiders out of their shells and helping them become excited to learn. In addition, he was also a faculty representative for the student council and was active in arts performances put on by Walkerville’s Centre for the Creative Arts. Rob was the type of teacher that movies get made about.

Rob was so influential in the community that, on April 23rd, M.P. Brian Masse honoured Rob's legacy in Canada's House of Commons. Here is what he said:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to acknowledge the life and contributions of Rob Baxter.

Mr. Baxter was a popular teacher at Walkerville High School, who died at the age of 37 of a brain aneurysm this past March. Rob made such a positive impact on our community due to his overall optimism, positivity, and uniqueness. At Walkerville, he took the time to know his students. Whether as teacher rep to student council, working in drama productions, or just simply sitting down to lunch, Rob touched everyone he met.

Kara Kristof, prime minister of Walkerville’s student council, captured the magnitude of Mr. Baxter’s passing best when she said, “The loss of our mentor, our friend, our amazing librarian, the most spirited teacher and most importantly, the man who brought sunshine and smiles to everyone in the school, will have an impact on everyone.”

On behalf of my community, I would like to offer the Baxter family our deepest condolences. Rob will be sorely missed, but his legacy will continue to inspire.

And this brings us to our scholarship initiative:

In order to honour the legacy of Rob Baxter, the Rob Baxter Defiance Scholarship Fund is setting out to assist one Walkerville Student every year realize his or her goal to pursue their post-secondary academic education.

The goal of this program is to identify and support young people who may be perceived as different or non-conformist who nonetheless demonstrate great potential to positively impact the world around them.

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/walkerville-high-school-community-mourning-death-of-popular-teacher

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/photos-saying-farewell-to-mr-baxter

http://brianmasse.ndp.ca/statement-on-the-passing-of-rob-baxter

Rob's wardrobe for his performance in Stories of the Joshua Tree with Walkerville Students

Video of Rob singing Mysterious Ways



A bit of Rob's humour in the classroom

We would like to thank everyone in advance for helping to continue Rob's legacy at Walkerville. Any amount you can afford to donate is appreciated. We look forward to positively impacting students at Walkerville. Just like Rob always did.