When Terry Burkle feels overwhelmed or stressed, she looks at a framed letter that sits close to her desk. The handwriting is small, but she knows what it says. It's a thank-you note from a student she worked with several years ago.

“It inspires me sometimes whenever I have a bad day — it's like, 'This is why I do what I do,'” Burkle said.

That student was part of the South Baldwin Chamber Foundation's Junior Ambassador Youth Leadership program, which Burkle, the Chamber Foundation's director, leads every year in addition to her administrative duties with the nonprofit organization.

“I get really attached to those students,” she said. “It is so rewarding.”

South Baldwin Chamber Foundation

The South Baldwin Chamber Foundation was founded in 2003 to be the education and workforce development arm of the Chamber of Commerce. It serves Foley High School and the middle and elementary schools that feed into it — a total of 10 schools and about 6,200 students.

“The business community identified a need for a more qualified workforce, and as a result, it wanted to create a way to have more of an impact on education, especially here in our local schools,” Burkle said. “It was really the business community that identified the need and supported establishing the foundation.”

Burkle was communications director for the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce when the foundation came about, and she was asked to be its director. Having a daughter in the school system at the time, she quickly agreed.

“There for a while, my interest was somewhat selfish, because I had a child in the school system,” she said. “But over the years, it's become more about my love for my community, and I have a passion for kids and making sure that they are successful. I'm very grateful that it really just felt like God had a path for me. ”

Over the past 10 years, the Chamber Foundation has invested more than $2.2 million into local schools through programs and services. The foundation sponsors more than 20 programs aimed to help students finish high school successfully and become productive members of the community.

Burkle said she believes the South Baldwin Chamber Foundation has been so successful for many reasons, but especially because of the support it receives from the City of Foley.

“We're very fortunate that the city of Foley recognizes the Chamber Foundation as a quality organization and has been supporting us financially,” she said. “As a result of their support, we are the only foundation (there is a foundation for each high school in the county) that has a full-time employee.”

Burkle is also the chairman of the Baldwin County Education Coalition, which is another nonprofit organization that seeks to unite all of the foundations in the county to promote county-wide educational success.

She said she believes the coalition can make a difference in a way individual foundations cannot — especially regarding dropout rates and future plans for the school system as a whole.

“I'm very honored to have been elected as chairman, and I think there are aren't many organizations that are working collaboratively for the entire county, so we are very unique,” she said. “A dropout at Foley High School matters to a business owner in Gulf Shores. Or a Baldwin County High School dropout should matter to a business owner on the Eastern Shore. It affects everybody in the whole county, so we need to be looking at the whole.”

Junior Ambassadors

The Junior Ambassador Youth Leadership program is just one of the initiatives the Chamber Foundation supports, but it is special to Burkle because she becomes so close with the students involved.

The program is in its 15th year — it was originally a Chamber of Commerce program, Burkle said.

Every year, 11th graders are invited to apply, and they go through an extensive application and interview process — much like a job interview. Even applying is meant to train them for future success, Burkle said.

The students tour local government and businesses, go on retreats and learn about imperative skills they will need to be successful, like communication, interpersonal skills, team building, time management and negotiation skills.

“I definitely think being here is a learning experience,” said Christian Reagan, a student in this year's program. “A lot of the skill building we do will probably help us throughout life. Ms. Burkle is definitely a great leader and connects with everyone in the group. She makes everyone feel wanted and appreciated.”

Burkle said programs like Junior Ambassadors also help kids find positive role models in the community.

“So many of our kids don't have that positive role model, so anything we can do to help a child stay on the right path and be successful, it betters our community,” she said.

The program also seeks to encourage students to come back and work for Foley businesses or government when they finish high school or college.

“It gives the students an idea of what is offered here,” Burkle said. “They then come to realize that, for example, 'If you've ever flown in any airplane, one part of that airplane was made right here in Foley.'”

Burkle herself is an example of a Foley High School graduate who moved away and returned. She and her husband of 29 years, Roddy, lived in Texas for 10 years, but decided to move back to Foley to raise their daughter, Natalie.

“That happens with a lot of people, and I tell that to my students all the time — “I know you just can't wait to get out of Foley, but trust me; you're going to want to come back,” she said. “We say to our students at awards night, 'We want you to know your community is here for you. We're here to support you in any way we can, and we want you to be successful, and we ultimately want you to come back here. And for those who think they don't want to come back here, trust me, you're going to miss it.'”