#BearsOfBaylor — “In good times, in bad times, we’re Baylor family…”
“I absolutely adore Dr. Livingstone. We were at a dinner on Friday; I went up to her right after and introduced myself. She had a long line, and I fangirled. I definitely fangirled. I think that a lot of attention has been put on her because she’s a woman, and I think that’s great. … But what I think is more exciting is the experience she’s bringing to Baylor. She has had experience as a professor of management, as dean of the business school, not only at George Washington, but at Pepperdine.
“She is definitely committed to her faith, and I think what she brings to the table is that she understands where our students are coming from and where our university is, this precipice where our university sees itself — maintaining our Christian commitment, but also being a premier research institution and making sure that everyone feels valued and welcomed at our university, that we stay true to the purpose we originally set out for… I’m excited to serve as Student Body President with her, so I’ll be the first to really introduce her to what our students want, what our students desire, and what our students love. …
“One of the most valuable experiences that I’ve had these past three years is to connect to those different groups of the Baylor family, those university leaders, those students, those Baylor alumni, and really see their heart in the process. They do care. If it’s in good times, if it’s in bad times, we’re Baylor family, and that’s something that Dr. Livingstone touched on in her address on Friday evening. We’re there to cry with each other and to pray with each other and also to laugh and rejoice with each other. Baylor is in a good place because we have that foundation with our Christian faith and community. …
“Baylor met every single criteria I had in my head [when I was choosing a college] — it was the perfect distance from home, it really had what I didn’t find in my high school, it had professors who really cared about and supported each and every student that walked through their doors. … It was after getting the acceptance letter and really just being overwhelmed with emotions, seeing the potential I had at the university — but then also finally feeling that weight of the cost — that I struggled a lot with some of the other universities that I even briefly considered. …
“I didn’t know right then what my financial aid package was. Without the TEG grant, I would’ve had to take out more loans and then be faced with that debt after I graduated. If I hadn’t gotten it along with several other scholarships I would’ve definitely had to look at other universities – which is crazy for me to think of, because I can’t imagine my experience at any other college.”
[Every Baylor Bear has a story; #BearsOfBaylor brings those stories to you, one by one. These stories, these people… This is our Baylor.]