Alum makes 13,000-mile round-trip from Russia for three days at Baylor Homecoming

November 16, 2011 // Posted In Alumni, Athletics, Just for Fun

More than any other time of year, Homecoming draws back alumni to campus from all over. The pull of returning to Baylor is powerful — strong enough to pull at least one alum across 10 time zones just to spend three days in Texas.

Jason Wood, BBA ’03, MSIS ’04, is in the midst of an extended stay in Russia, taken abroad by his work for PepsiCo. As part of his time there, he was offered the opportunity to travel home once for a long weekend. When he realized that his time in Russia overlapped with Homecoming, the decision of when to return became an easy one.

“Many of my peers balked at the idea of making a 13,000-mile round-trip, traversing 10 time zones, to spend only three days in Texas,” he says. “I found it difficult to truly convey the significance of Baylor Homecoming, but decided that the jet lag would be well worth the trip. For me, homecoming is less about all of the formal events and more about the experience of reconnecting with old friends, meeting new ones, and spending time together as a Baylor family.”

Makes that drive from Dallas or Houston seem a little more manageable now, doesn’t it?

Wood shares one other story regarding Baylor from his time in Russia. In his words:

“I met a local Russian artist who makes matryoshkas (a wooden nesting doll) and started talking to him about American football. I mentioned that I was a Baylor fan and was astonished when he remarked, ‘Do you like Robert Griffin? He’s very good.’ I couldn’t believe that someone on the other side of the world know about Baylor football, and a smile shot across my face as I realized that Baylor’s prominence extended far beyond the bounds of central Texas.”

Sic ’em, Jason, long-distance Homecomers and Russian Baylor football fans!

[We learned of this story from a Bear who shared his Baylor pride. Do you know of an inspiring story, news item, or just a fun link that makes you proud of Baylor and the Baylor family? Let us know! Click here to submit your point of pride!]