Students in Baylor’s new commercial, ‘We Were Born to Run,’ reflect on the experience

Over the weekend, Baylor’s new 30-second television commercial for 2022-23 made its national debut on ESPN. This year, to stand out in the “sea of sameness” that encompasses most university commercials, Baylor produced a music video as the national spot:

The 30-second commercial features a new song, “Run,” by Apollo LTD; a full three-minute version of the music video can also be seen online at baylor.edu/run.

The students featured in the commercial and music video aren’t actors; they’re actual Baylor students who got the unique experience of getting to participate in the shoot this summer. We chatted with a few of them to hear about their experience shooting a commercial and what it means to them to represent Baylor on a national scale:

Mika’ele Castro, a junior political science and English major, says he felt like a movie star for a week. For him, the Baylor Family is what makes his experience as a student complete: “Baylor is special to me because of its student body culture and professor culture,” he says. “I don’t know of anywhere else that I could have the luxury of surrounding myself with such great people, while also being able to learn in a welcoming and caring environment.”

For senior marketing major Jake Mitchell, the whole experience was exciting and educational. He told us he still can’t quite wrap his head around the whole thing, and that it’s surreal having friends and family see it, as well.

Maybe the most unique part of the whole experience for Leann Mabry, one of the bike riders, was being referred to as a “student talent” and getting to go to wardrobe. A senior biology major, Mabry says her family finds it hilarious that she’s in a commercial and was really excited to see her on TV.

Senior neuroscience major Edyta Zimny was most taken with the lyrics to “Run”: “The ‘there’s a spark in your heart and a fire that’s in your eyes, full of hope ’cause you know everything’s gonna be alright’ line truly resonated with me, because it reminds me of my life as a student. My calling is to be in healthcare, and that’s a tough field to get into. But there is a spark in my heart and a fire in my eyes that will guide me through my journey at Baylor, and with God and His plan for me, I’m full of hope — because I know that everything is going to be alright.”

The song’s lyrics remind us that Baylor students were born to run, and that the university’s vibrant, active campus prepares Baylor students to shine as they find their individual callings.

Sic ’em, Bears!