Meet Rusty Baker
Rusty Baker
Baker is retired Marine Corps Sergeant Major, disabled combat veteran, and MFA documentary student at the University of North Texas. He is currently producing The Ripple Effect, a student documentary about Waves of Impact, an adaptive surf camp on Galveston Island serving children with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, and other significant special needs.
"As the father of a high-functioning autistic teenager, I understand how difficult it can be for a child with special needs to try something new. I also understand what it means for a parent to watch from the side, hoping someone else will see your child’s potential and meet them with patience instead of judgment. That's what drew me to Waves of Impact."
Waves of Impact: The Ripple Effect
The Ripple Effect follows the volunteers, families, and participants of Waves of Impact: Galveston Island, where adaptive surfing becomes more than a day at the beach—it becomes a moment of courage, trust, connection, and lasting change.
What happens to them when we're gone?
Currently researching for a documentary thesis project that follows several parents as they try to build a future care plan for their adult children with disabilities. The emotional core is not death, but love: parents trying to make sure their child is safe, loved, understood, and not forgotten.