Abigail Baker
By Zoë Eitel
Abigail Baker came to DePaul for her bachelor’s degree as an adult student and felt so connected to the university that she continued on to become a Double Demon, receiving her master’s degree in Fiction & Non-Fiction Media/Business.
“DePaul was the only school I applied to when I decided to go back, and I remember walking through the campus and through the halls and I just felt it,” Abigail says. “I felt like this was home and was where I needed to be.”
Founder Tephra Miriam Communications, Publishing and Productions
BA People & Global Organizations 2014
MA Applied Professional Studies 2017
Abigail intended to find a company to work for after graduation and use her degree in People and Global Organizations, but when she came up with an idea for a novel, Abigail’s path changed. She decided to shift her focus to pursuing that novel and found her way to DePaul’s Applied Professional Studies master’s program, concentrating on Fiction & Non-Fiction Media/Business.
The first course she took in the master’s program opened her eyes to her ability to be entrepreneurial, which led her to starting a blog. That blog has now grown into Abigail’s own company, Tephra Miriam Communications, Publishing and Productions. Through Tephra Miriam, Abigail does consulting the corporate space, produces her audiobooks and podcasts, and publishes books. She currently has three books on the market, one of which was the book that pushed her to her graduate program.
“For me, DePaul was probably the only place where I could have been able to find my purpose in terms of what I want to do in the world and the legacy I want to forge.”
“The first book that I’ve written that’s out now was my culmination for my master’s project, so getting that feedback and being able to get it vetted through the program was really what gave me the confidence to publish it and start my indie business,” Abigail says. “DePaul gave me the confidence to compete in these industries and has helped me to up-skill and re-skill myself in a lot of ways.”
Not only has DePaul’s academics helped Abigail forge a path for herself, but the reputation of the college has as well. When she graduated in 2014, the first job she got was in the corporate world, which she found through Handshake. Abigail says even though she didn’t have any corporate experience, she was hired because the partner of the firm and both of his daughters all went to DePaul and he had faith in and respect for fellow alumni.
“At DePaul, there are a lot of programs and resources and overall respect for the university, especially in Chicago, that you can take advantage of,” she says.
It’s not just alumni that Abigail says are important to connect with, but other students in the DePaul community as well. It was important to Abigail to build a community and network around herself while she was in college so the experience didn’t just feel like going to school, but also felt like collaborating with other professionals in the field.
Abigail says although the experience of getting her education has been a struggle at times as an adult student going to college after years out of school, it has been rewarding and she has had opportunities that she never thought she would have.
