By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Over 60 years ago, 13 men and women were selected by Baylor to become charter members of the Baylor University Student Foundation Steering Committee. Today, their more than 100 members continue that work.
Baylor’s Student Foundation has served the university since 1969 by fundraising events and serving the greater Baylor community. The unmistakable green-and-white-striped jersey symbolizes a “passion for Baylor and legacy of service,” according to their official website.
One of the Student Foundation’s focuses each year is awarding scholarships to extraordinary Baylor students. For the 2023-2024 academic year, 130 Baylor students received the Student Foundation Scholarship, ranging from $1,500 to $3,000. Spring senior Claire Kerby is one of Student Foundation’s co-presidents this year and said that 90 of those scholarships come from endowments.
“Each year, one alumn, organization or whoever endowed the scholarship is paying that scholarship,” Kerby said.
Kerby explains that while Baylor alumni are responsible for endowing a certain number of scholarships, many funds are raised through Student Foundation-sponsored events like Bearathon, Baylor Giving Day and All-University Thanksgiving.
“This year we gave out 130 scholarships. The rest of those are from fundraising, the Bearathon and Student Foundation members going out and raising money,” Kerby said. “Roughly 40 of those [scholarships] are from our own doing.”
According to the website, the Student Foundation Scholarship is awarded on both merit and need-based statuses. Rockwall senior Collin Christian, the other Student Foundation co-president, said the organization gives scholarships on mostly a merit basis, while the university generally awards the financial need-based ones.
Kerby said the final decision process for awarding the scholarships goes through several committees both outside and within the Student Foundation.
“Once it’s gone through our committees [who] decide merit, the final step is the need-based information that they’ll get from the university,” Kerby said.
The Student Foundation works year-round to plan and host fundraising events for student scholarships. One of the most popular is the annual Bearathon, a half-marathon throughout Waco and Baylor’s campus known as the “Toughest Half in Texas.”
“The Bearathon plays a huge role in [fundraising] because we have so many people sign up,” Christian said. “It’s a really big event.”
According to the 2024 Bearathon results, there were over 1,000 registrants for the race. Kerby said all unused funds from planning and hosting the event go directly to Student Foundation scholarships.
“We’re always trying to come up with cost-effective ways for the Bearathon,” Kerby said. “Whatever we don’t spend goes to student scholarships, so there’s always a huge pull for that.”
Both Kerby and Christian were on the Student Foundation Alumni Committee last year, which they both feel broadened their scope of impact.
“We hosted and attended the scholarship reception and got to meet recipients,” Kerby said. “It’s a smaller scholarship, but it’s so impactful.”
According to Baylor University One Stop, over 90% of current Baylor undergraduate students are receiving financial aid, including scholarships, grants or federal aid.
Baylor President Linda Livingstone said she understands financial issues are one of the “biggest barriers” to students choosing to come to Baylor.
“We will be looking for more ways to enhance affordability, and growing our endowment is one of the best ways to do that, so [Student] Foundation scholarships are certainly critical,” Livingstone said. “The Student Foundation has done a tremendous amount of work to raise funds for student scholarships… They are wonderful ambassadors for our campus.”
The goal of the Student Foundation is not just to serve the Baylor Community, but also to uphold Baylor’s traditional values, according to Christian.
“Our members are sometimes the deciding factor of how people perceive Baylor out in the world,” Christian said. “We try to maintain that higher thinking, that purpose that you’ve been chosen to represent the university.”
Kerby and Christian both said they hope to continue to uphold Baylor’s values and both agree that Student Foundation members have a “big heart” for Baylor.
