#Baylor175: Beth Gaddie, BBA ’84

What does your Baylor experience mean to you?

“When I graduated and started working with our church youth group, we always would tell them about the atmosphere here at Baylor that you wouldn’t find at other places — how they didn’t just care about you because you were a student, they cared about you as a person. That was very, very meaningful to me, and so I always tried to share that with the youth when they were trying to make decisions of where they thought they might want to go. I ended up with at least five or six other baby Bears that I had in Sunday School who found their home at Baylor and and share the Baylor love that we have.

“Here’s my crazy story: When I was a sophomore, there was a friend of mine who lived here in Waco, and she would come and hang out in my dorm room inbetween classes, because she didn’t have any place to go. And so in 2012 we’re at the bonfire, and I hear somebody calling my name. I haven’t talked to this girl since I graduated in 1984. I hear someone calling my name, and it’s Debbie French, whose husband now teaches at Baylor. And we have just reconnected. They came down to visit us last week, and we do stuff together all the time now — all because of a chance meeting at Bonfire 30 years later.”

— Beth Gaddie, BBA ’84 (pictured with Brooke Andrews, BBA ’14)

[Baylor University was chartered by the Republic of Texas on Feb. 1, 1845, which makes this year our 175th anniversary. As part of our celebration, we’re sharing stories from Baylor alumni about their BU experience all semester long.]