• Congratulations, Baylor Class of 2014!

    The Baylor family welcomed its newest alumni this past weekend, as three Baylor Commencement ceremonies honored students earning their long-awaited degrees.

    [LINKS: Commencement photo galleries: Friday, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon || Watch Judge Starr’s commencement speech]

    As a proud Baylor graduate who walked across that same stage many years ago, the best piece of advice I can give you is this: Stay in touch. Facebook and email make it easier than ever to keep up with friends, but don’t stop there; even as your friends scatter all over the world, perhaps all over the globe, make an effort to get together on a regular basis. Maybe that’s for Baylor Homecoming, maybe it’s a group vacation, but keep those friendships going; other than your spouse, you likely won’t ever have as much time available to build such deep friendships again.

    Stay in touch with Baylor, too. Sometimes graduates don’t notice it right away, but at some point — maybe when you approach your wedding, or start a new job hunt, or maybe not until your kids start to look for a college — but at some point, you’ll look back and realize just special a place Baylor is. So come back and visit, make sure you keep your contact information up to date, and keep your classmates posted on the big news in your life as it comes.

    Best of luck, new Baylor graduates. Or, as we Bears say:

    Sic ’em, Class of 2014!