A sneak peek at Baylor’s Class of 2030

In just a few weeks, Baylor’s Class of 2030 (!!) will arrive on campus for Move2BU, Welcome Week and the start of classes. But we can’t wait; here’s your first look at some of the members of #BU30:

Juliana Long’s college career hasn’t even started yet, but she’s already won top honors at Baylor. That came as part of the Baylor Summer Debate Program, when Long was recognized as an All-Star Debater. Beyond debate, Long was a four-year basketball letterwinner and a member of the Honors program at Champion High School in Boerne, Texas. She also volunteered with the San Antonio Food Bank, served meals to military troops at Christmas, and was an altar server at her church. At Baylor, she plans to double major in finance and economics.

Will Butts has spent years defying expectations while living with Hanhart syndrome, a rare condition affecting all four limbs. Active on the track, he competed at the state, national and international level as a para-athlete and earned a Team USA invite to last month’s Los Angeles Grand Prix, where he finished top-eight in the Para 100M and 400M. Away from the track, Butts also participated in drumline and other activities at Grace Community School in Tyler, Texas, even earning the honor of speaking at his high school’s commencement.

Karla Perez is one of several students from New Braunfels, Texas, headed to Baylor on Army ROTC scholarships. At Davenport High School, she served as Army JROTC battalion commander and student council president. “Military service allows me to give back to the nation that has supported us while helping protect those same opportunities for future generations,” she says. “Serving others and contributing to something larger than myself has always been important to me, and military service is one of the most meaningful ways I can do that.”

Nhyomi “Abby” Neal and her cousin, Randy Moore, were like twins growing up together. In fact, the pair claimed the top two spots in their class at Texas Early College High School’s Marshall campus, as valedictorian (Abby) and salutatorian (Randy). While Randy begins college closer to home, Abby is headed to Baylor, where she plans to study health science on her way to becoming a physician assistant. “When I stepped on campus, it just felt like home,” she says.

Harrison Cormier has his sights set on becoming a successful patent and copyright lawyer. Before law school, the Houston St. Pius X graduate will study philosophy at Baylor. He says his advice to his kindergarten self would be “Late is better than never!,” and he recognized one teacher in particular, Vicki Wood, for her help. “Ms. Wood was one of the first teachers who let me work at my own pace and with my own methods… Her approach to teaching helped me figure out how to manage schoolwork and stress both in and out of the classroom throughout my life.”

Sic ’em, #BU30!