The ‘COVID class’ of 2020 is now ready to celebrate as Baylor’s Class of 2024

When the world came to a halt in Spring 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, high school students around the country lost the opportunity to walk the stage at graduation.

Four years later, having overcome countless unknowns and challenges, those students are ready to finally take that step as the Class of 2024 graduates from college.

Kayla Carmer is one such student. Looking back, she remembers that the “transition to Baylor after the COVID lockdown was not the easiest adjustment, but it was comforting to know that everyone was figuring it out together.” Carmer credits Baylor for creating as much normalcy as possible under the circumstances, which provided her with a strong sense of community and grew her faith profoundly.

Carmer was originally drawn to Baylor to pursue a medical humanities degree, but over the past four years, her path shifted to a different area of medical care. She is now graduating with a bachelor of science in nursing.

“I’ve experienced many changes over the past four years as I have evaluated what I desire my future to look like now,” she says. “My heart is to still care for the health and wellbeing of patients, just in a different capacity.”

This summer, Carmer will begin working as an oncology nurse, and she says that she “can already feel my passion for that patient population growing exponentially.”

She is looking forward to walking across the stage at the Ferrell Center, shaking President Livingstone’s hand and receiving her degree after missing that opportunity in high school due to COVID.

“It feels like a full-circle moment!” Carmer says. “Graduation in high school was stolen so abruptly, so it has been incredibly sweet to enjoy the anticipation of walking across the stage for certain this time.

“I am beyond grateful to soon be a Baylor alumna, and will forever cherish the time spent at such an incredible university.”

Sic ’em, Kayla and the Class of 2024!