Sometimes Christian higher education does what you hope it will do. When my nephew, Zach Glanzer, graduated from Baylor University this past month, he shared Baylor’s influence on his life that captures what I believe we hope Christian higher education will do in every student’s life. I’ll let him share:
“For me, the most important aspect of my experience has been Baylor’s commitment to Christian-based education and culture. There is a certain spiritual vibrancy that shapes the environment here. Though publicly Christian, Baylor does well not to shove Jesus down anyone’s gullet. Nonetheless, Baylor ensures that every single person to walk campus makes no mistake: we believe in Jesus here.
Baylor establishes a culture in which it is ‘cool,’ to be Christian. There is a spiritual hum that pervades throughout the student body, one that that says, ‘this is the way of life worth doing,’ and invites all who desire to join.
I was transformed by this environment my freshman year. Entering in as a people-pleasing, self-doubting, excessively worrying freshman who did not know what to think about this Jesus guy in the fall of 2017 (I would not have identified as Christian), I am leaving as an assured, confident, and secure man who knows who Christ is and the plans He has for me. In many ways, I have this aspect of Baylor to thank for it.”
Zach will start his new job as a middle school band teacher in Plano, TX this week, but Baylor did more than prepare him for that job. It introduced him to Christ and a new life in Christ. May you engage in that work as well this coming year.