Meet Our Team
Founders
Matt and Michelle Schultz
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Matt and Michelle have been lucky enough to call Auburn home for over thirty years. They've stayed busy raising their six children, working full-time, and ministering to countless local teens and college students.
While in college, Matt and Michelle experienced an unplanned pregnancy. Over the years as they shared their story, they realized they were not alone. This realization, in addition to the conviction that there was a lack of resources available to people in this situation, allowed the vision of Baby Steps to be born in their hearts. They imagined a home with a loving support system that would enable young women to complete their education and have their baby. Through Baby Steps, their dream has become a reality. |
Board of Directors
Bernie Brannan
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Bernie has resided in Auburn for just a handful of years, but his heart has been here much longer. He received his undergraduate degree from Auburn University and later went on to receive a Juris Doctorate from the University of Alabama's Jones Law Institute. He currently practices law, seeking what is in the best interest of children in domestic litigation.
Bernie's passion for Baby Steps goes back to events he witnessed as a student at Auburn. Two of his close friends who were in a relationship became pregnant during their sophomore year. The parents of the couple were unwilling to continue financially supporting their education, resulting in their dropping out of school in order to work. Bernie saw firsthand how tempting it was for them to end their pregnancy. He realizes that although they chose to have their child, not everyone does. This is why he invests in Baby Steps, an organization that empowers women to have both their education and their baby. |
Jessica Clements
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Jessica graduated from Auburn University in May of 2017 with a degree in Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, focusing on mental health. During her senior year at Auburn, she learned about Baby Steps from her friend, Maggie Smith, who campaigned for Miss Homecoming with Baby Steps as her platform. What started off as a special interest and an opportunity to earn practicum hours turned into a genuine love and dedication to the vision of Baby Steps. She spent the rest of her senior year dreaming with Michelle and the team about how the vision of Baby Steps could be shared with all of Auburn’s campus.
Jessica and her husband, Austin, spent a year in Birmingham after college and have just recently moved back to Auburn for Austin to attend medical school at VCOM. Jessica serves full-time as the Small Groups Coordinator at Church of the Highlands and is passionate about seeing life change happen in authentic community. This passion aligns well with her love for the mission of Baby Steps, which seeks to empower pregnant women with the message that they are not alone on their journey. Jessica is thrilled to be back in Auburn and to be able to serve Baby Steps and any woman who courageously decides not to journey alone. |
Robert Marino
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Dr. Marino is a New Orleans native, and after graduating from Auburn University he moved back home to pursue higher education at Tulane University. After working in the business world for two years, Dr. Marino decided to change career paths and applied to medical school at Louisiana State University (he couldn’t seem to get away from those tigers). Upon completing his residency in Charleston, South Carolina, he joined Lee OB/GYN in July of 2008. There, he not only serves women in the Auburn/Opelika area but also Auburn University students at the Women’s Health Clinic on campus.
Dr. Marino has been married to his wife, Janie, for almost 20 years. Together they have one daughter and two sons, all of whom cheer for the true tigers. They love spending their summers at Lake Martin, and in the winters, they transition to the woods for hunting season. Dr. Marino’s passion for and expertise in women’s health is an amazing addition to the Baby Steps team. |
Michelle Schultz
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Michelle resides in Auburn with her husband, Matt, and four of their six children. Matt and Michelle met while she was pursuing her degree in Apparel Merchandising at Auburn University. The couple married in 1989 and decided to make Auburn their permanent home. Matt and Michelle have embraced the gift of hospitality by opening their home weekly to invite members of the community to share in the joy of friendship and love.
For more than a decade, Michelle has served full-time as the Youth Ministries Coordinator for St. Michael’s Catholic Church. Her own experience with an unplanned pregnancy in college has allowed her to empathize with and give support to young women facing unplanned pregnancies. Michelle’s hope is to bring that same love to the women at Baby Steps. |
Kaitlyn Willing
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Kaitlyn graduated from Auburn University in 2013 with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies and has lived in Auburn for almost ten years. She is married to Will Willing, a youth pastor and owner of a local personal training business. The couple has four precious boys: Hudson, Croix, and Ezra, and Tobias! Kaitlyn often drives around town in her unicorn bus, a mobile boutique, featuring designs by LulaRoe.
During her junior year at Auburn, Kaitlyn found herself in an unplanned pregnancy. Torn between continuing her college degree and keeping her child, she turned to a local resource for guidance. Despite a lack of support from her family and friends, Kaitlyn decided to continue with her pregnancy and her education. She hopes to inspire college women by reassuring them that they are capable of having both their education AND their babies! |
Terri Knight
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Prior to joining Auburn University’s faculty as a Lecturer and Associate Director of the Public Relations Program, Terri served in the corporate sector for over 20 years. Terri moved into teaching because of her passion for college students and the desire to help prepare them for their next step in life. Her role as a teacher for a variety of public relations courses gives her the daily opportunity to invest in the many college students she comes in contact with on Auburn’s campus. This can include college women who face various trials such as unplanned pregnancies. Terri is passionate about promoting a world where students do not have to choose between having their education and their babies.
Not only does Terri have a heart for her students, but she also loves serving and interacting with the children in the Auburn Community Church’s Children’s ministry. Terri is married to Shey who is a co-owner of Autosport, Inc. Together, the couple has 2 children who are both Auburn University graduates. |
Live-in Support
Sarah Hirschfeldt
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Sarah is our current full-time Live-in Support. She graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2015 and joined the Baby Steps team in the summer of 2017. She combines her love of college women with her experience working for various nonprofits to bring passion and zeal to the Auburn community.
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Darby Wilson
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Darby joined the Baby Steps team in June of 2018 as our part-time Live-in Support. She is a full-time student at Auburn University, studying Communication and Nonprofit Studies. When she is not helping Sarah solve all of the world's problems, you can most likely find her at one of Auburn's local coffee shops or prepping for Baby Steps' weekly Family Dinner!
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As Baby Steps continues to grow, we are on the lookout for new Live-in Supports each year! If you're interested in applying for this position, click the link below. To learn more about what this position entails, contact thrive@baby-steps.org.
CONTACT US
We'd love to hear from you.
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thrive@baby-steps.org
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Phone334.521.2184
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Mailing AddressPO Box 713
Auburn, AL 36831 |