• Baylor ties the key to reuniting this long-separated family

    Baylor family

    Baylor senior Emily Knaub may have a better understanding of the phrase “Baylor family” than anyone.

    Like many Bears, she was born into a Baylor family; her mother, Lisa Pardo, graduated from Baylor in 1982. But to the best of their knowledge, that was as far as their Baylor legacy extended; they didn’t know any more than that because Lisa was adopted. Since Emily’s birth, Lisa had been searching for her biological family, with no luck.

    But that all changed this spring. While in Austin as part of Baylor’s Bob Bullock Scholars Program, Emily had a chance meeting with an adoption Search Angel — someone who voluntarily helps adoptees, siblings and birth families locate their relatives. After 21 years of fruitless efforts, Emily and Lisa found the rest of their family.

    [WATCH: Emotional reunion as brother and sister meet for the first time (via News 4 San Antonio)]

    After so many years, however, the family was hesitant to meet with the Knaubs. After all, they had no idea who Emily and Lisa were; how could they trust total strangers? It wasn’t until they happened to send the family some Baylor-related photos that something clicked. In one of God’s mysterious workings, those long-lost family members recognized the green and gold; they were part of the Baylor family, too! In fact, Lisa’s biological brother had a son who was also at Baylor — walking the campus at the same time as Emily.

    The Knaubs finally got to meet their new family when they returned to Baylor this fall. “If it weren’t for Baylor giving me the opportunity to go to Austin, I would not have met the Search Angel who helped us find the family,” Emily says. “And if it were not for Baylor being in our genes, than the family may never have opened up to us. The Baylor family really is something so much deeper than just the name.”

    Sic ’em, Baylor family!

    [We learned of this story from a Bear who shared her 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!]