When ChatGPT’s release brought large language models to the forefront in 2022, it also sparked a flurry of private-sector breakthroughs. Bigger and better models and the introduction of AI agents have created a challenging disparity between newly relevant skills and what’s taught in the classroom.

Four years after freshman move-in, the Honors Residential College dorms remain home to many graduating seniors today. While many students started looking for off-campus housing for their freshman or sophomore years, some seniors found the community of Memorial and Alexander Residence Halls worth sticking around for.

Centerton, Ark., senior Gracie Lawhon is graduating with her bachelor’s in biology; however, unlike the majority of students, she is the first in her family to graduate. She currently serves as the student outreach specialist for the student organization First in Line and is a Trailblazer Scholar.

In the final weeks before graduation, time feels different for students preparing to walk the stage. Outside Pat Neff Hall, caps and gowns hang from arms while seniors in suits and white dresses stop to take turns for one more picture in front of the building which has framed their time at Baylor.