• A sneak peek at the Class of 2016

    Class of 2016 with their Line jerseys

    In less than two weeks, Welcome Week will be in full swing! Before the freshmen arrive on campus, here’s a look at just a few of those who will be settling in on campus as the Class of 2016.

    * Twins Josh and Destany Porter spent the past year working with classmates at Liberty Christian School north of Fort Worth to create a street-legal, solar-powered car. The group entered their vehicle in the Solar Car Challenge, a closed track event at Texas Motor Speedway. Josh, who will major in engineering at Baylor, captained the team and drove the car as it completed 112 laps covering 168 miles; both he and Destany will enroll this fall.

    * Samantha Beasley was kicked out of the house by her mother several years ago and spent time on the streets before settling in with her father in Houston. Finally with a firm foundation under her feet, Beasley excelled at Klein Oak High School, serving on the student council, taking AP classes, and earning an academic scholarship to Baylor, where she plans to study psychology so she can one day “become a psychiatrist and help kids like me.”

    * Some 55,000 students try out for the Texas Music Educators Association All-State Mixed Choir every year; about 2% of them make it. Texas City resident Jacob Angel has made the cut each of the last four years, and he plans to continue studying music at Baylor. Angel says that while the idea of a pop career or trying out for a show like NBC’s “The Voice” holds some appeal, he really feels his calling is in music education, where he can someday help other students find their voice, as well.

    * Anna McKay only moved to Texas two years ago, but she graduates as the first valedictorian of Timber Creek High School in Keller ISD. The Louisiana native will be part of the University Scholars program at Baylor; she hopes to pursue art, perhaps as a teacher. In high school, McKay served as president of the National Art Honor Society and won gold from the Texas Art Education Association.

    Sic ’em, Class of 2016!

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