• After their son’s passing, this family experienced “Baylor Family” at its best

    When your child heads to college, whether for an undergraduate or graduate degree, you expect them to take a few years to finish that degree — maybe an extra “victory lap” year. But you never, ever expect their time on earth to end before their studies do.

    That very thing happened to the Swanson family when Justin Swanson suddenly passed away on Aug. 23, 2017. A business consultant living in Austin, he was enrolled in Baylor’s Online MBA program for the December 2017 graduation class. He was just two courses away from graduating.

    “Justin talked about his Baylor experience all the time,” says his mother, Cindy. “He was really proud of his association with Baylor, and he went to football games when he could and had all the Baylor gear you could think of.” Getting that MBA degree was so important to Justin, she says, and he was always intentional about prioritizing time to study.

    News of Justin’s passing quickly reached Mary Reinhardt, associate director of the Online MBA Program. She knew how hard Justin had worked on getting his degree and wanted to do something to honor him, so she began researching how the business school could award him a posthumous degree. After talking with some of the business school’s deans and associate deans, the provost, and eventually the coordinator of academic ceremonies, Reinhardt got the approval. She invited Justin’s entire family to attend the December hooding ceremony and to accept the diploma in Justin’s place.

    “Our hooding ceremony is a time that we celebrate each graduating student and their family by talking about the student accomplishments and plans going forward,” says Reinhardt. After all the names had been called, Justin’s parents were invited to come forward to receive a frame for the degree and give a few words in Justin’s honor. Another Online MBA graduate, Rusty Sloane, gave a benediction in which he emphasized how the cohort would represent Justin’s legacy as they progressed in their lives and careers. There was no shortage of tears in the room.

    “While we were doing all of this planning, Justin’s classmates who were graduating asked how we would honor Justin,” says Reinhardt. “It really touched me, because even though these students did not see each other on campus, they still knew and cared for each other and wanted to be sure Justin was included in graduation.”

    Afterward, the family was invited to the formal commencement ceremony in the Ferrell Center. Dr. Martha Lou Scott greeted them and seated them in the president’s section. Dr. Rosalie Beck described the ceremony to them so they wouldn’t be confused up on stage. And on stage waiting for Justin’s father Doug was Baylor President Linda Livingstone, with a diploma, a handshake and an embrace.

    “The moment we finally received it was amazing,” says Cindy. “The president of the college embraced him, as did several other faculty members onstage, and Justin got a standing ovation … which was just so emotional and overwhelming. We were so proud of Justin in that moment, and so grateful to Baylor for making it possible.

    “We were overwhelmed by the kindness and consideration that Baylor officials, staff, and Justin’s fellow students showed us. Our grandsons were even given Baylor Bear teddy bears. Faculty members went out of their way to express their condolences and remark on what a good student Justin was. Our hearts were overflowing, and we will remain Baylor fans for the rest of our lives.”

    Nineteen members of Justin’s family — none of whom had a connection to Baylor other than Justin’s degree — attended the two ceremonies that day. Nineteen people were introduced to what it means to be part of the Baylor Family. This was a day that will not soon be forgotten.

    Sic ’em, Swanson family — in Justin’s honor.