By O’Connor Daniel | Reporter
For many Baylor alumni, homecoming is more than just a fun weekend, but rather a return to the community, traditions and people that formed their college years. And for some, it’s also a cure for something familiar to most post-grads: the fear of missing out.
“It allows me to come back and reconnect with all the people I love most and honor the school that gave me the most wonderful friends, community and most amazing four years,” said Madeline Alfonso, Class of 2025, who’s returning for her first homecoming as an alumna. “It is such a gift. There’s no place like home.”
Since graduating, Alfonso has moved to Washington, D.C., where the pace of life and cultural differences have made her even more grateful for her time in Waco. She says it’s not just the events or the school she misses, it’s the people.
“I miss always having so many people who are strong in their faith and point me to truth,” Alfonso said. “Having like-minded people around you is such a gift.”
Now living out of state, she said homecoming helps ease the sting of post-grad distance, at least temporarily.
“I’m reunited with all the people that know and love me best again,” Alfonso said. “However, it’s hard when they all go back home with each other, and I’m leaving alone.”
Still, she returns for the memories — and the Southern hospitality.
“At a place like Baylor and Waco, professors invite you into their homes for dinner,” Alfonso said. “Local restaurant owners know you by name. Even the gas station clerk at the Valero talks to you like you’ve known each other forever.”
She describes Southern hospitality as “a big warm hug.”
“People from the South are welcoming and generous,” Alfonso said. “They invite people into their homes and make them feel as though they’re part of the family.”
For Kristi Lake Fuller, homecoming has only become more meaningful with time. A 1995 graduate who also earned her master’s from Baylor in 1996, Fuller now returns to campus not just as an alumna, but as a mom.
She says her favorite homecoming traditions are Pigskin and the football game, but the real joy comes from watching her kids carry on the legacy she once lived.
“I love that it wasn’t forced and they made these decisions on their own,” Fuller said. “They now understand my deep love for Baylor and my life at Baylor.”
Her own Homecoming memories go back to full weekends packed with campus spirit.
“It was always a full weekend starting with Pigskin, then to the bonfire on Friday night, getting up early for the parade and then the football game, ending with the homecoming dance on the bridge,” she said.
Watching her kids thrive at Baylor and experience the same traditions she once did, performing in Pigskin, is especially meaningful for Fuller, who started dating her now-husband during homecoming weekend.
“It is a special connection that I share with my dad, brothers, husband and now kids and hopefully grandkids.”
