• A sneak peek at Baylor’s Class of 2024

    Katelyn Patterson, Lily Saterbak, Brady Watson & Emma-Le Olsen

    Each summer, we take a look at some of the freshmen who will be joining the Baylor Family come fall. Here’s your first look at some of the members of Baylor’s Class of 2024:

    * Katelyn Patterson‘s grandmother was a nurse. Her mother, too. Now, the Port Arthur, Texas, native plans to follow her family lineage into medicine, starting at Baylor this fall. Already a certified nurse’s aide, Patterson comes to BU with plans to become a doctor. “My mom was really my inspiration,” she says. “I want to be a doctor for her, because she would’ve been a great one. I want to fulfill a legacy that she could not because of all the things, and time, she sacrificed for me to have the greatest life she could give me.”

    * Lily Saterbak, too, is coming to Baylor with plans to eventually become a doctor — a decision perhaps reinforced by the coronavirus pandemic that cost her and her classmates a traditional ending to their senior year. Saterbak, the salutatorian at Abilene’s Wylie High School, refuses to focus on what she and her peers missed; instead, she’s choosing to remain grateful. “You realize how thankful you are to be a part of everything and how important it is to take every opportunity and every moment you can,” she says.

    * Brady Watson‘s passion is music. At Cuero High School (roughly between San Antonio and Houston), Watson was not only valedictorian, but a four-year member of the band and indoor drumline and a three-time all-state choir selection. He plans to major in choral music education at Baylor, with plans to eventually earn his master’s and doctorate and become a high school choir director.

    * What hasn’t Emma-Le Olsen done? President of National Honor Society. Head of marketing for the Robotics Club. Secretary of the Key Club. Started her school’s recycling program. Twice traveled to Kenya on mission trips. Active in student leadership, speech and debate, orchestra and theatre. The valedictorian of New Tech High School in Belton, Texas (45 minutes south of Waco), she’ll bring all these skills and experiences with her to Baylor this fall.

    Sic ’em, #BU24!