End of Year Reflection & Paying it Forward

By Bernadette Cooper

And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great.   Job 8:7

A former supervisor of mine once shared some wisdom that has remained with me for nearly two decades: the older you are, the faster time seems to move. As I reflect once again on the ending of a semester – freshman year for my bear cub, Savannah – I can’t help but think of his observation. This time last year my daughter was preparing for senior exams, graduation and a trip to Europe. She was delighted to finally have an answer to the question adults in her life had been posing for months: what are your plans after high school? While she knew she was college bound, she was uncertain what campus she’d call home for the next four years.

Fast forward to May 2017.

In the intervening nine months, I have been an active part of the Baylor Parents Network. And I’ve LOVED it. Baylor is diligent in connecting potential families to current parents and students in order to provide a personal opinion of our experiences with the school and address any concerns from both the parent’s and the student’s perspective.  In the past two months, I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with seven families considering Baylor.

The deadline to commit to Baylor came and went on Monday, May 1st. On that same day, I reached out to three of the families I’d forged the closest relationships with. All three families live outside of Texas. One family, in particular, a single mom and her daughter, swooped into town the weekend before the May 1st deadline and met with their area admissions counselor, department heads, enjoyed lunch in the dining hall, toured several dormitories and broke bread at a local restaurant with my daughter. This reminded me of my journey with Savannah last year, at this same time. For weeks the parent heard my take on the school and spending time with my student was just what this family needed to get the real sense of life on campus.  According to my daughter, they asked the hard questions, which Savannah addressed honestly.

I am happy to share that all three families committed to Baylor and their children are officially bear cubs. All three are a welcome addition to the incoming class of 2017. I look forward to meeting them at freshman orientation this summer.

To the rising sophomores – that is, freshmen class of 2016 – can you believe you have one year of college already under your belt? Three more to go. Cherish your memories and the friendships you’ve made. Maintain contact over the summer. Work toward some goals in your field of study. Learn from your mistakes and prepare for sophomore year, which will likely be more challenging. Get some relaxation and rest in. Unless you are studying to be an educator, you likely won’t have another opportunity for 10 weeks off once you enter the workforce.

God’s speed on exams and safe journey to your respective summer locations.

Sic ‘Em Bears and see you August!

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