• Congratulations, Baylor Class of 2016!

    Baylor graduation May 2016

    More than 2,500 Bears — the largest graduating class in Baylor history — joined the Baylor alumni family this weekend following the Spring 2016 Commencement ceremonies.

    Before they head out into the “real world,” get to know 10 of Baylor’s newest alumni — and the journeys that led them to become the men and women they are today:

    * For much of her life, Alice Fry, BFA ’16, knew mostly homelessness and uncertainty. That is, until 2011, when a fellow Baylor student and her mother (a Baylor professor) welcomed her into their family officially, adopting her that December. Fry graduated this weekend having completed the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) and earned her bachelor’s of fine arts.

    * Christina George, BSW ’15, MSW ’16, was just 4 years old when her older sister died of a brain tumor. A social worker helped Christina and her family deal with the tragedy back then; today, that same social worker — Dr. Helen Harris — is a Baylor social work professor who helped guide Christina through both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. Christina has decided on a future working with children with devastating illnesses.

    * Jacob Imam, BA ’16, a University Scholar, leaves Waco with both a Baylor degree and a Marshall Scholarship on his resume. Thanks to such honors, he’s now headed to Oxford University to get a master’s degree in Islamic history and culture, after which he says he plans to serve Syrian refugees for a year in Jordan and then earn a master’s degree in Jewish studies from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

    * Matthew Roberts, BS ’16, and Luke Willson, BS ’16, can’t remember a time when they weren’t friends. They grew up together, visited Baylor together as high school students, joined Phi Chi together as Baylor students, and graduated together this weekend as Computer Science Fellows.

    [COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY PHOTOS: Friday afternoon || Saturday morning || Saturday afternoon

    * Chandler Gobin, BA ’16, and her twin brother, Andrew, BBA ’16, were born extremely premature and were not expected to live. Complications from birth left Chandler with cerebral palsy, but both she and Andrew beat the odds; Andrew graduated this weekend with a degree in management information systems (MIS), while Chandler received her bachelor’s in sociology. (She’ll continue her studies this fall in Baylor’s graduate social work program, with the goal of becoming a social worker for people with disabilities.)

    * A month before she started at Baylor, Mia Orosco, BM ’16, was named the 2012 Grand National Champion at the National Old Time Fiddlers’ Contest, beating out fiddlers from ages 17-57. Friday, she graduated with a degree in violin performance. Next up: the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, one of the top graduate music programs for violin performance.

    * Courtenay Klauber, BA ’16, graduated with a degree in language and linguistics and minor in religion. While at Baylor, she studied in Turkey and Greece, completed the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core program, and was a community leader in Brooks. To cap it all off, Courtenay won a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English in Turkey over this coming year.

    * William Flakes, MSW ’16, is one of the first to graduate from Baylor’s online social work graduate program in Houston. After high school, William began driving a truck to pay for school. He eventually earned his bachelor’s degree in social work in 2015, and on Friday, he drove up to Waco from Houston in his big rig to participate in the weekend commencement ceremonies. Today, he owns his own trucking and transportation company and is starting his own nonprofit called CORE (Center of Revitalization and Empowerment), with the intention of working with at-risk youth and severing the pipeline between school and prison.

    “We are so proud of our graduating seniors,” said Baylor President Ken Starr. “As we look forward to the boundless impact these Baylor graduates will have on our world, we are eager to welcome another exceptional incoming class of students who are drawn to Baylor for its academic excellence, its mission and vision and the transformational experience that will prepare them for worldwide leadership and service.”

    Sic ’em, #BU16!

    [Want to tell us about your post-grad plans? Or know of an awesome Baylor grad the world should know about? Click here to submit your point of pride!]