Think about it: When you vote for a candidate, do you vote for someone who you believe is totally qualified and whose policies you 100% agree with? Or do you vote for your friend, the friend of a friend, a fraternity or sorority sibling or, just in general, someone on campus who is well liked or well known?

When Bristol, Pa., sophomore Jordan Scott tore his Achilles tendon during his senior year of high school, he knew his soccer playing days were coming to an end. Now, just two years later, Scott has found another way to stay involved with the sport as the head coach of the Baylor men’s club soccer team.

“Baylor says it’s home, but it hasn’t been home for queer students,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve had to carve out spaces for ourselves, and because of that, when Baylor gives us a group like this, of course some people were apprehensive. But we want to say that we support PRISM; we can coexist and have numbers in both.”

Just because you received an A in the class doesn’t mean you get a pizza party. Just because you apply for a job position doesn’t mean you get hired. Your participation doesn’t guarantee any symbol of accomplishment — you’ve got to earn that.

Baylor offers a variety of majors that work to cultivate skills and prepare students for their future. In utilizing the resources and faculty at her disposal, Dr. Rizalia Klausmeyer created a major, Science Research Fellows, that allows undergraduate students to work in a lab starting their freshman year and develop their course load according to their interests.

“It’s a place for discussion,” Aquino said. “It’s a place for mentorship. It’s a place for networking. Hopefully, the big picture goal or long-term goal is to advance the plight of women in academia and in STEM specifically.”