Focus Magazine | FEARLESS | Fall 2018

A Baylor University Student Publication Fall 2018 RISKY BUSINESS Entrepreneurs enter notoriously difficult industries

EXPRESS YOURSELF Figure drawing models pose for their peers

EDUCATED WOMEN Female Baylor professors transcend academic boundaries FOCUS MAGAZINE | 1

CONTRIBUTORS Photographers

Writers

Molly Atchison Claire Gilbreath Olivia Haskin Natalie Burch Emilee Powell Aadil Sheikh Will Barksdale Michaela Schirra MJ Routh Clarissa Pompa

Mac Oviatt Darby Good Rewon Shimray Palmer Brigham McKenna Middleton Emily Starr Bradi Murphy Zapata Jazzi Plews Brennen DiMarzo Cameron Bocanegra

A LETTER FROM THE Meredith Wagner & Corrie Coleman It’s rare, if not impossible, to transcend the human experience of fear. We believe the individuals and families featured between these pages do, in fact, feel afraid from time to time.

Photo by Curtis Callaway

This magazine is about those who refuse to let fear control them. They are trailblazers, innovators and pioneers. They embrace the unknown and initiate change. They think outside the box and transform the world around them despite opposition.

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Focus Magazine’s writers and photographers chose to capture the stories of people who don’t allow their fear to inhibit them. These individuals have inspired us as editors to love others wholeheartedly, confront injustice and have hope in the face of adversity.

We hope they do the same for you.

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BEYOND BAYLOR

ONE TRAIL AT A TIME

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EXPRESS YOURSELF

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HOPE FOR IMMIGRANTS

RISKY BUSINESS

BLUE BETO MOVEMENT

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EDUCATED WOMEN

GROWING UP TOGETHER

BUT THERE’S ALSO HOPE

Special thanks to Julie Reed Bruce Gietzen Curtis Callaway Clayton Thompson

Baylor Center for Global Engagement Baylor Student Development

Front and Back Cover Photos by Corrie Coleman of model Rewon Shimray

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EXPRESS YOURSELF.

Figure drawing models pose for their peers Story and photos by MEREDITH WAGNER Cover drawing by KRISTIN BOYER of model ASHLEY TRAPPE

Harsh light casts shadows on the curves of his hips, chest and legs. The surrounding room is dimly lit. Twenty sets of eyes study his every detail. He felt he was perfect for the job, in exactly the way, shape and form he came.

Junior theater performance major Kristopher Coker, originally from Birmingham, Ala., arrived to his first day on the job as a figure drawing model in the Baylor University art department determined to prove a point.

“Others don’t think bigger people can be comfortable with their bodies,” Coker said. “But just because I’m not conventionally beautiful doesn’t mean I’m not beautiful.”

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Confidence in tote, Coker sports only his boxer shorts under harsh studio light in front of his peers. Each week he models, he is assigned two tasks: Strike a pose. Be still.

“All of my curves and every part of my body can be drawn beautifully and seen in somebody else’s eyes as absolutely incredible,” Coker said.

“Hopefully I’m inspiring people who are bigger to think, ‘Oh, I’m beautiful too.’”

Be it on a stage or a platform in a drawing studio, many at Baylor and in Waco use their bodies in controlled settings to make statements and inspire others to do the same. Holding a single pose for an hour, these individuals must strip themselves of any and all insecurity—and, in some cases, their day-to-day clothes—for the sake of both education and expression.

Coker said he decided to be a figure drawing model for associate professor Mack Gingles’ figure drawing class because he dedicated the fall 2018 semester to listening to his instincts and saying “yes” more often to ideas that scare him.

“If I have a gut feeling that something is the right thing to do, I’m just going to do it,” Coker said.

“I feel way more empowered and comfortable doing all sorts of things, moving around, existing in the world.”

Coker approached the opportunity

to model hoping to inspire others to think differently about figure drawing and self-love.

“When I think of a model, I think of somebody super built and muscular all-around,” Coker said. “But people also look like this. This gives [students] opportunities to draw natural human bodies… real, living people in this world. I’m beautiful. So why not let people draw me?”

Other students at Baylor are also interested in taking risks and sacrificing their comfort in order to build confidence.

“

I’m beautiful.

So why not let people draw me?

”

Sophomore theater arts major Henry Beard and senior geology major Ashley Trappe also model for Gingles’ figure drawing class, switching off with Coker week by week.

Beard and Coker share similar sentiments in their approach to modeling, both embracing a positive attitude, and both willing to feel uncomfortable for the sake of personal growth.

“In life, I think it’s very important that you take risks,” Beard said. “And you never say you don’t like anything if you haven’t tried it yet.”

Beard said it’s easier to feel vulnerable yet comfortable as a model because of Gingles’ open mind and respectful vocabulary.

“He’s really great because he’s objective in the way he describes the form,” Beard said. “I’m a bigger person, but he says things like, ‘Look at the volume that Henry has.’ He’s not saying, ‘Because Henry has this flaw, you have to incorporate it.’ He’s saying, ‘Because he has this quality, we can learn and do more with it.’”

Despite experiencing an emotional low point early in the semester, Beard said being a model has allowed him to grow content with himself, which has in turn influenced the way he treats others. “In the early part of the semester, I had a low moment. I wasn’t in a very good place. Modeling

Baylor junior Kristopher Coker

Baylor junior Kristopher Coker poses for artist John Singletary.

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was the jump-start I needed to keep going—being open, and being looked at in a positive way,” Beard said about his transition to a healthier state of mind. “I’ve noticed myself looking at other people in the same way. You just want to send that [positivity] to others. I think there are a lot of people who need to feel that.”

After seeing drawings of himself, Beard said he perceived the characteristics others typically consider “flaws” as beautiful and embraceable.

“The things I want to fix about myself are the things the students make beautiful. It’s not like they’re trying to hide my flaws or stage how I look. Their job is just to draw me,” Beard said. “I’m getting better at looking in the mirror the more that I look at the art.”

Beard acknowledged that modeling might not be empowering to everyone, but that those interested in improving their self-esteem should raise their voices, insert themselves into vulnerable situations and try what scares them most.

“Anytime you get the chance to read out loud, to talk in front of people, or to take positive social command over a situation and make it for the better, you should,” Beard said. “Vocalize the things that make you happy and chase the opportunities that scare you.”

Trappe, the female model for Gingles’ figure drawing class, similarly acknowledged that her body may not be perfect, but under an educational context, is beautiful in its own way.

“I don’t have a perfect body, and that’s fine. Most people don’t,” Trappe said. “I think at a certain point, as an adult, you should start seeing other people through a more wholesome lens.”

Trappe said her favorite task on the job are grand-gesture drawings, which students draw for 30 seconds to one minute per pose. The resulting drawings are vague but allow students to practice perceiving and imitating human proportions without focusing on specific details.

“You can tell it’s a human figure,

but you can’t tell who it is,” Trappe said. “I think that’s really beautiful.”

Trappe said modeling has influenced the way she approaches other opportunities in life, adding to the positive, transformational narrative established by Coker and Beard. “I think I feel more confident and comfortable going out and doing things that are unconventional.

I think it has helped me to say ‘yes’ to things,” Trappe said. “Being vulnerable is an opportunity to shine at your brightest.”

Basking under the glow of harsh studio lights, Baylor students are using their bodies to express themselves and inspire others.

Trappe echoed this idea wrapping up her thoughts about learning and loving a new skill.

“Feel beautiful, and understand that even if you’re not exactly where you’re meant to be, whether it’s physically or mentally or with friendships, if you’re being yourself, it will all fall into place.”

Baylor junior Kristopher Coker has been modeling for a figure drawing course at Baylor since August 2018.

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BE YOND BAY LOR Two students face the unknown to pursue their education Story by MAC OVIATT | Photos by MOLLY ATCHISON

Baylor’s international community contributes diverse narratives to the city of Waco. Originally from China, Baylor junior Wen Dou is a thriving business student, but his journey to the U.S. was no less than challenging. Dou described his experience leaving China as painful but ultimately rewarding.

“I could not take the agony of hearing my mother’s cries from behind me as I approached the tarmac,” Dou said. “I did not have the strength to look behind me for a last goodbye. I knew I would not be able to board the plane if I saw the look on her face as I left everyone I have ever known.”

International students like Dou overcome numerous impediments on their journey to Baylor’s campus. Some struggle with the complicated documentation process, while others face the emotional toll of culture shock.

According to Baylor’s Center for Global Engagement, about 4 percent of undergraduates are international students representing 73 countries. They join clubs, they’re collegiate athletes, they commit themselves to academia, and they call Waco home.

Dou was 14 years old when his parents said goodbye to him at the airport in China. Dou said he chose to leave Beijing to explore a new culture, pursue his education and fulfill his childhood dreams of living in the U.S. He said his understanding of American culture and values derived from watching the NBA, especially his childhood hero, Michael Jordan. Dou chose to attend high school in Jordan’s home state, North Carolina.

Dou said he felt hopeful, excited and prepared as he flew toward American soil. However, once reality set in, he said he felt lonely, emotionally

overwhelmed and utterly culture shocked. Dou’s interests were different than other students’, and he struggled to keep up with fast-paced communication. “By Chinese standards, my English was excellent. I soon realized that my English in America was comprehensible at best,” Dou said.

“I’m a pretty funny guy, but my jokes were not wellreceived. No one understood me.”

Dou resisted the temptation to speak Chinese with other international students so that he wouldn’t miss opportunities to improve his English skills. He only watched American television. He listened to rap music to understand colloquial expressions. Gradually, Dou adapted to a new culture, overcame obstacles and displayed courage in the face of adversity.

Dou said the new opportunities available to him were worth the fear and hardship he experienced.

“There’s no other place I can think of that offers this much opportunity,” Dou said. “I have made a huge connection here.”

Today, Dou is double majoring in finance and management information systems, joining a fraternity and volunteering to help other students adjust to college life. He visits his family frequently and intends to stay in America upon graduation.

Baylor offers a number of programs to help students like Dou adjust to life in America. Dr. Mark Bryant, Director of Baylor’s International Student and Scholar Services, oversees programs that help international students connect with other Baylor students and families in Waco. Bryant graduated from Baylor with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and has lived abroad in Kosovo.

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Bryant summarized the process international students endure in order to study in the U.S. “It’s a big deal to get accepted to Baylor. It’s an even bigger deal to go through the entire process of passing through all the national security barriers,” Bryant said.

Most students seeking to study in America must pass an English language proficiency exam and provide detailed information about how they plan to fund their education, Bryant said. They proceed to submit their applications to the colleges of their choice and complete an I-20 document, formally known as the “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status for Academic and Language Students.” The I-20 is processed by the Department of Homeland Security and can take upwards of one year to be approved. This is followed by a visa application.

In the U.S., with luggage and approved documentation in hand and a university awaiting them, future students present all of their documents to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent.

Students have spent months, if not years, studying English, compiling paperwork and mentally preparing to say farewell to their loved ones. Bryant said students at this stage in the process can still be rejected by the border agency in the airport.

The agents hold the final authority on whether a particular student can enter the U.S. Bryant said one of the most rewarding parts of his job is observing students’ successes after pursuing the long and winding road to arrive in the States.

“It brings a level of confidence that no one can ever take away from them,” Bryant said. “Their strength and growing confidence are unparalleled.”

In addition to offering direct services, Bryant said Baylor’s Department of International Student and Scholar Services also helps students acknowledge their fortitude. “Oftentimes, it’s hard for the students to recognize their own strength because they are in the middle of it all. Sometimes they need that third-party observer to tell them that they’re doing incredible things,” he said.

Baylor senior Bruce Lee, another international student from China, said he experienced loneliness before recognizing his strength. “I went through

Baylor senior Bruce Lee

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a phase of being lonely, but then I found my way around and gained strong friendships,” he said.

Lee came to America on different terms than Dou. “At first, it was not by my choice to come here,” Lee said. “It was my parents’. They wanted me to experience a different culture.”

According to Lee, some students choose to study abroad to experience a different culture, while others study elsewhere to avoid high school exit exams. Upon high school graduation in China, students are required to take a scholarly aptitude test that places them in a college of the government’s choosing, meaning their career path is automatically selected for them. Because of this, Lee said many Chinese parents and teachers place an enormous amount of pressure on students.

“High school is super hard in China. I like it here because you are more independent, and you have more ways to help you succeed,” Lee said. “There is more freedom to reach your own goals. I didn’t study well in the Chinese schools, but I studied really hard for the SAT to get here. This was my only chance to have a bright future.”

Bryant said many of the students maintain their cultural identities while still participating in American traditions. “Some manage to live here and obtain their degree, and this is exceptional,” Bryant said. “But there are others who come here, and they not only accomplish their degree, but they learn to excel. They reach for more. They embrace the full Baylor experience by joining traditions such as running the [Baylor] line, and some even choose to join Greek life. They contribute.”

Despite experiencing loneliness, Lee said he was able to navigate his way through American and Texan culture. “I embraced the culture of Texas by shooting guns and trying barbecue food,” he said.

Lee acquired a deep appreciation for the unique opportunities he had been afforded by moving to the U.S. “I cherish every class that I take here because God has given me a second chance to start a new life,” he said. “My faith has brought me through this difficult transition. I have faith that I can conquer every problem.”

Bryant echoed this sentiment, reaffirming the value of diversity on Baylor’s campus and in Waco.

“Baylor international students are remarkable,” he said. “We need them. We are a better place because of them.”

Baylor junior Wen Dou

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ONE TRAIL Cycling professor takes on the impossible Story by DARBY GOOD Photos by CORRIE COLEMAN

Many cyclers describe their sport as “having the courage to not let life pass them by.” After leaving his career as a professional golfer, Baylor cycling professor William “Ray” Lamb picked up a bike and quickly fell in love. Since then, Lamb has competed in races that push boundaries of distance, time and strength.

A few years ago, Lamb competed in the Tour Divide—a 3,000-mile race that stretches from Canada to Mexico and follows the Rocky Mountains.

After many years of wanting to compete in the race, Lamb found his opportunity when two of his friends were diagnosed with cancer. To raise money for their treatments, he set out to complete the Tour Divide, accepting donations for his friends along the way. Lamb began training by biking up to 350 miles per week around his neighborhood.

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“About 50 or 60 miles in [to the race], my pedal caught the wrong way, and I fell and broke my hand right off the bat. I was ready to quit,” Lamb said. “My phone got service when I crossed into America and was flooded with so much support for me and people wanting to donate toward this cause. I knew I had to finish.”

The Tour Divide requires that cyclists be self-supported, meaning they can’t start the race together, and they can’t race alongside one another. The only time competitors go off trail is to ride into nearby towns for supplies. To make matters even more challenging, the peak of the trail is home to the largest population of indigenous grizzly bears. Continuous storms wreak havoc throughout the 3,000-mile race.

“I was cold, soaking wet and my hand was killing me,” Lamb said. “When night comes, you just realize there is no one else, and it’s pretty defeating.”

Lamb nonetheless finished the race and raised over $4,000, which

ultimately helped both of his friends beat their cancer. He attributed his friends’ success to the efforts of the entire community and said he’s glad that he was able to contribute.

To Lamb and many of his fellow riders, cycling is about pressing on through hardship rather than making perfect time in a race.

Close friend and fellow cyclist Fred Schmid is 85 years old and has been cycling for the past 24 years. He and Lamb met on the trails of Cameron Park and have since cycled many miles together. Schmid has claimed nearly 30 national and world championship titles and recently cycled 100 miles in a race.

“I’ve broken a hip, but it’s allowed me to live,” Schmid said. “The first hip replacement got infected, so it was removed, and the doctors said I had a 2 percent survival rate. Yet here I am.”

Over the years, Lamb’s friends have witnessed him conquer new hurdles in the cycling world. Lamb has battled heart problems in the past, yet he

Baylor cycling and mountain biking professor William “Ray” Lamb traverses through the trails in Cameron Park.

continues to bike without fear. He also runs a bike shop from his home and has been building bikes for his grandson for more than four years.

This past July, Lamb was biking around a lake when he was hit by a drunk driver, who sped away from the scene. Witnesses of the incident came to his aid. However, Lamb eventually got up, hit the trails for 42 more hours, finished the race and proceeded to see a doctor.

“It probably wasn’t the wisest decision,” Lamb said. “But that’s what I love about this sport. The tenacity people have to keep going.”

Since his pro-golfing career, Lamb has taught several golfing classes to students of different skill levels and ages, as well as college biking courses.

The mother of one of his former golfing students, Nancy Goodnite, currently races alongside Lamb and Schmid.

Goodnite is also passionate about cycling, but, like Lamb, her career began with a different sport. As a

runner, Goodnite competed across the country and ran marathons in all 50 states. After sustaining multiple injuries, she turned to cycling for cross training between runs. Goodnite has since competed in several Iron Man triathlons and spends increasingly more time on her bike.

“I’m 52, and [biking] makes me feel like a kid again,” Goodnite said. “I did a ride in Colorado this past summer called the ‘triple bypass,’ where you climb three mountains. It was really hard, really challenging, but super gorgeous. You don’t see that in a car.”

For each of these athletes, training entails making an adventure out of each ride, with average weekly mileage totaling 250 to 350 miles per rider.

A few years after beginning his career as a cyclist, Lamb decided to share his love for cycling with others by writing a textbook. He said his goal is to reach people who want to start cycling but know nothing about the sport, which he has accomplished as Baylor’s only

cycling and mountain biking instructor.

Fred Schmid’s wife, Suzanne Schmid, said she admires Lamb’s ability to offer such a unique perspective to the sport. “It’s a matter of having the courage to take life on,” Suzanne Schmid said. “It’s easy to say, harder to do. One thing Ray brings to the classes is that he can show them that they can go out and do anything.”

Whether these athletes are descending mountains, crossing borders or traversing their own neighborhoods, they each feel similarly excited about their pursuits. When Lamb went on his first bike ride, he said he was so exhausted that he told his family he thought he was going to die. Since that day, Lamb has progressed further on the trails each time he rides and emboldens others to do the same.

“It has become such a huge part of my life, and it’s something I wish I had done earlier,” Lamb said. “It probably changed my life more than anything I’ve ever done before.”

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F O R

Local activist leads protests for immigrants, against deportation Story by REWON SHIMRAY | Photos by OLIVIA HASKIN

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Waco resident and WIA founder Hope Mustakim protests the detention of Estela Briceno Fajardo on Oct. 11 at the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office.

ope Mustakim grew up in a Louisiana home and prosperity gospel church.

Until 2011, her exposure to immigration policy and its effects was limited.

Mustakim’s first experience with immigration policy was that of her husband Nazry Mustakim, when four Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers showed up at their door to take him to a local detention center to eventually be deported. After this event, she witnessed immigrants “praying and begging and hoping” against deportation only to inevitably be found by ICE. She realized she could no longer hold onto her traditional roots.

“We can’t just sit around and say it works out for people. If we don’t do our job, it doesn’t,” Mustakim said. “It’s not just politics, not just policy. It’s people.”

Mustakim now directs the Waco Immigrants Alliance (WIA), a community group that advocates for immigrants through public education initiatives, deportation defense campaigns and other assistive services.

Mustakim said the Waco community became aware of WIA’s services in February 2017, when WIA was featured on the front page of the Waco Tribune-Herald. WIA received recognition for their first public campaign for Waco resident Juan Ceda, a 19-year-old father of two toddlers.

Ceda was detained in an immigration lockup for dropped charges of domestic violence from 2015.

After the story ran, Mustakim received an influx of messages on Facebook from people looking for help, fearing their own immigration status. Mustakim said Ceda’s case demonstrated that WIA was an organization “that will defend people who have blemishes on their record.”

Since 2017, WIA has helped with five deportation defense cases in which public protest, petition and fundraising were used to advocate for the individual’s right to stay in the U.S. Mustakim said WIA prefers to take on projects pertaining to immigrants with misdemeanors and old charges. The projects typically include public campaigns, social media coverage, fundraising for an attorney, recruitment of prominent voices and public demonstrations. The deportation defense campaign model that Mustakim uses comes from the Workers Defense Project and has a national 85 percent success rate.

“Any time you have public support, ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is a lot less likely to deport someone,” Mustakim said.

“Half of it hinges on your legal representation. Half of it is how much community support you have—how much attention you can bring to it. ICE operates in stealth mode.”

In February 2017, Mustakim led a protest of about 60 people at a Republican Party of McLennan County fund raiser featuring Gov. Greg Abbott. Mustakim said WIA wanted to protest Abbott’s support of President Trump’s Executive Order 13769, known as the “Muslim travel ban,” signed at the end of January 2017.

The protesters were repeatedly asked to step back from the event, but the group stood their ground.

“

It’s not just politics, not just policy.

It’s people.

”

WIA Founder HOPE Mustakim “There are times when you have to stand in the face of authority and respectfully say no,” Mustakim said.

Waco Chief of Police Ryan Holt later apologized for infringing on the protesters’ First Amendment rights and said the department “was committed to the situation not happening again.”

“Risk is necessary to communicate such a strong position and commitment to something,” Mustakim said.

Mustakim said voluntary insecurity communicates to people in authority and the general public that there is something important happening.

“Any time you increase risk, it

increases impact,” she said.

Mustakim said one of the biggest challenges in directing WIA is mobilizing people. She said she often feels as if there are not enough people or resources to make significant change.

Mely Galan, WIA volunteer coordinator and translator and McLennan Community College student, said she has observed a cultural “split” in Waco. Galan said the existence of organizations like WIA make a difference, but President Donald Trump’s inauguration still caused “panic among immigrants.”

Meanwhile, according to Galan, other Wacoans are ignorant to problems related to immigration law.

Mustakim and Galan said immigration policy issues are neglected by most people who are not affected by it.

“There is cognitive dissonance there. Because you can’t imagine that [immigration policy issues are] so unjust. Your brain can’t process it,” Mustakim said.

Part of WIA’s mission is to address the reality of immigrants’ situations through guest speakers, film screenings and panel discussions.

Mustakim said she often has to debunk the subliminal idea that people cross the border simply because they are “morally defunct.”

She said she regularly engages in dialogue that challenges Americans’ predispositions about immigration.

“How bad would it be for you to take your child across a desert and a river?

Because you are not any more moral than a Mexican person,” Mustakim said. “You are not risking your child’s life. Why do you think they are? What would it take for you to do it?”

60.57 percent of McLennan County voters voted for President Donald Trump in the 2016 election. Mustakim said Waco’s conservative culture often “stunts activism” because immigration has become a partisan issue.

“People who believe in welcoming strangers and kindness and generosity and hospitality are being frozen because they’re being told their religious affiliation may align with quote unquote ‘conservatism,’ which has kind of hijacked the narrative,” Mustakim said.

The influence of partisanship is evident in the fact that 62.37 percent of ballots cast in McLennan County in the 2016 primary election were straight party votes.

“I want people to know that they FOCUS MAGAZINE | 13

have the freedom to step out of the box,” Mustakim said. “Follow your own intuition and conviction about the humanity of people and the complexity of issues like immigration.”

Mustakim said WIA seeks to create cross-cultural bridges with “people who don’t normally associate outside of their homogeneous, racial, religious, socioeconomic groups.”

“I try to backtrack and unwrap how I got to this place. It was knowing people going through it. It was seeing the truth of policy and knowing I was able to make a difference,” Mustakim said. “If you don’t know you can make a difference, you don’t try. You just withdraw and say there is nothing you can do.”

Mustakim’s first experience with immigration policy was in March 2011 when four Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers came to take her husband to a local detention center to eventually be deported. Mustakim said watching them take away her husband was the most traumatic moment of her life.

Her husband Nazry Mustakim, nicknamed Naz, is a Singapore native and has lived in the U.S. with a green card since his adolescence. Naz was arrested in 2005 for drug

possession, for which he had pleaded guilty and served 10-year probation.

After Nazry Mustakim’s probation, he rehabilitated at Mission Waco’s Manna House and graduated from Texas State Technical College. He volunteered with Mission Waco and Church Under the Bridge to share his story with others struggling with drug addiction.

Mustakim said his legal counsel never informed him that his felony violated his green card, which led to his detainment seven years after his arrest.

“The crummy part about it was, why would you deport someone who is now giving back so much?” Hope Mustakim said. “He was a textbook example of someone who was a drug addict, then turned around to contribute to society.”

During his 10-month detention in the South Texas Detention Facility in Pearsall, Texas, Hope Mustakim started the “Free Naz” campaign with a Facebook group titled “Support Naz,” in addition to a website and distributable merchandise. She also gathered over 1,300 signatures on a petition for his release. Mustakim said this experience was her “crash course in immigration.”

While working for her husband’s release, Mustakim grew aware of the needs of others in the detention center, where there was an influx of new immigrants once or twice each month.

“Hearing stories from within the detention center—All it did was increase the passion and the committed zeal with which I do this work,” Mustakim said.

In January 2012, Naz’s charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence, thus clearing his record and waiving his mandatory deportation.

“When he came home, we knew that we had … been placed in this position with this awareness now for other people—for the work of immigration reform, advocacy and justice,” Mustakim said. “I had that conviction, and I’ve never ever stepped away from it.”

Left: Isis Lee sings at WIA’s most recent project—a sit-in advocating for the reinvestigation of sexual assault allegations from prominent Waco businesswoman and community leader Estela Briceno Fajardo. Middle: Hope Mustakim engages with fellow protester Juan Reynoso on the corner of Ninth Street and Washington Avenue. Right: A protest ensues on Oct. 11 at the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office.

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BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs tackle notoriously difficult industries Story by PALMER BRIGHAM Photos by NATALIE BURCH

On any given weekend, pedestrians can be spotted crisscrossing their way through the streets of downtown Waco. They often come for the local businesses, art scene and live events, but this hasn’t always been the case.

Waco’s rapidly growing economic landscape was built on the backs of fearless entrepreneurs—individuals who recognized potential and were willing to take risks in order to bring new life to the city.

Kevin Renois, co-founder of Start Up Waco, experienced first-hand the way new business can redeem a city. While studying entrepreneurship at Baylor, he knew Waco was standing at the precipice of something big. “It’s kind of this Renaissance period,” Renois said.

“We were one thing, and now we’re transitioning to becoming something else.” After graduating in 2016 and completing a one-year fellowship the following year, he returned to Waco because he recognized an opportunity to influence and contribute to the city.

Renois’ endeavors resulted in Start Up Waco, which seeks to create a culture of supportive and connected entrepreneurs. By identifying existing support systems and connecting entrepreneurs with resources and mentors, Start Up Waco works to lessen the risks associated with entrepreneurship.

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Top left: Balcones Distilling Stillhouse manager Gabe RiCharde points to a selection from the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society. Top right & bottom left: Balcones’ sign and equipment stand tall on the building’s rooftop at 225 S. 11th St. Bottom right: Customers sit at the bar in Balcones’ tasting room.

“You can drive down Austin Avenue and see a bunch of unoccupied storefronts. Several people need to step up and lease space or buy something,” Renois said. As individuals begin to do just that, Renois said Waco is at a defining moment, launching into a new era.

Innovation within Tradition: Balcones Distilling When Balcones Distilling co-founder Chip Tate launched his business 10 years ago, there were no distilleries or breweries in Waco, a city known prominently for Dr Pepper. Tate would

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establish soda-saturated Waco as an internationally recognized whiskey destination, creating the only American distillery to win the esteemed Best in Glass competition over industry-dominated Scotch whiskeys in 2012. Tate has since stepped out on his own and runs his own fledgling business called Tate & Co. Distillery.

His influence in Waco has added its own chapter to the American tradition of whiskey.

Current Balcones Stillhouse manager Gabe RiCharde said whiskey traditions in America piqued his interest in the craft. He recounted how whiskey has been influential throughout American

history, from the first legal distillery owned by George Washington to its role in western expansion. Now RiCharde contributes to American whiskey’s ongoing story as Balcones produces one of the first Texan whiskeys since Prohibition. The awards on the distillery’s wall hang as a testament to its prominence.

Tate said he believes the tradition of whiskey is not merely something of the past. In order to pass whiskey distilling on to the next generation, he keeps it alive by improving it through experimentation.

Tate’s commitment to innovation paid off as demand for Balcones’

products quickly grew. Soon after Balcones began production, the team was shipping whiskey pallets to New York, Chicago, Japan and the UK, gaining worldwide recognition.

“The people who are involved in this craft are trying to explore and trying to push boundaries,” RiCharde said. He explained that Balcones’ philosophy is to start with a well-defined process and then add his own variations.

Waco’s recognition for its whiskey has given the Balcones team a unique freedom to experiment with their craft.

“It gives us a platform,” Tate said.

“Most artists don’t have that privilege.”

Fresh Perspective: Harvest on 25th In 2012, Toby Tull quit his desk job to travel the world for one year. He has been taking risks ever since. Returning to his Waco home in 2013, he brought new ideas and energy back with him.

“They call it seeing white space,” Tull explained. “When you are looking at business opportunities and you see the potential of something, but nothing is currently there, it’s considered white space. I could just see it.”

Recognizing a need for healthy food options in Waco, he started working to fill it. After meeting local chef Juanita Barrientos, the two went into business together with a shared desire to produce healthy food. In 2015, they launched Happy Harvest, a kitchen that prepares nutritious meals made with locally sourced ingredients. They knew it would be risky to create this style of food in Waco, where local preference tends toward tacos and barbecue. Nonetheless, Barrientos said she wants to inspire locals to branch out of their comfort zones. “We want to meet people wherever they are in their journey, and we hope that we can make an impact in that way,” she said.

In fall of 2018, Barrientos and Tull are unveiling their most recent endeavor, Harvest on 25th, a restaurant at the intersection of

Austin Avenue and 25th Street serving healthy meals with enticing flavor.

As a chef, Barrientos takes a unique approach to preparing food. She began culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin only 10 days after receiving her degree in nutrition from Texas A&M, where she was excited to combine her passion for nutrition and cooking.

Barrientos said she hopes to teach people that healthy food can be approachable. She wants to undermine any negative stigmas generally associated with healthier options. “Food should be delicious, no matter if it’s healthy or not, or vegan or gluten free,” Barrientos said.

“I believe that every meal should be a tiny celebration because it’s how we nourish our bodies.”

Tull characterized himself as someone whose passions empower him to take risks. However, he said he begins all of his ventures with careful planning. Tull said they would have opened Harvest on 25th three and a half years earlier if it weren’t for his focus on building a strong audience.

“Investing all this stuff into a restaurant without having a tribe already lined up makes restaurants very difficult to survive,” Tull said. “That’s why we did it a little differently. I’m OK with the

“

I’m OK with the risk.

”

risk, but I also try to mitigate risk as much as I can.”

One of Tull’s projects, the “Bucha van,” is a mobile version of his kombucha business, Bare Bucha, which he started in 2016. The van frequents Waco’s streets during the week and the Waco Downtown Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.

Initially interested in kombucha for personal health reasons, Tull wanted to make it available to others. “We believe that food and drink feeds your soul as much as it feeds your body, and so we try to do both,” Tull said.

Feeding the soul through food and drink doesn’t stop here for these entrepreneurs. This year, Barrientos brought something new to Texas when she created “art to table” dinners hosted at local art gallery Cultivate 7Twelve. For these events, each course of the four-course meal was inspired by a different work of art hanging in the gallery. The dinners provided a preview of the kinds of food Harvest on 25th would eventually bring to Waco.

On connecting art to food, Barrientos said, “It’s really dissecting the piece [of art] and creating a feeling or memory.” To demonstrate that food can be much more than ingredients on a plate, Barrientos said she hopes to nourish both the body and soul through her work.

Despite the risk of failure, Barrientos and Tull are pursuing their passions and shaping the future trajectory of Waco’s restaurant scene. As they fight to make their dreams a reality, they are eager to share their vision of delicious, clean eating with the Waco community.

What’s Next Renois’ vision for success in Waco entails a significant number of thriving, innovative startups, an abundance of open storefronts in the downtown area and opportunities for students to stay in Waco upon graduation. Thanks to risk-taking entrepreneurs like Tate, Barrientos and Tull, that’s not far from Waco’s future.

local entrepreneur Toby Tull

FOCUS MAGAZINE | 17

Close Senate race demonstrates divide in Texas politics Story by MCKENNA MIDDLETON Photos by MEREDITH WAGNER, CLAIRE GILBREATH & MOLLY ATCHISON 18 | FOCUS MAGAZINE

FOCUS MAGAZINE | 19

efore El Paso Congressman Robert “Beto” O’Rourke took the Common Grounds stage on Oct. 5, a thick crowd of Baylor students and community members sang along to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” awaiting the arrival of the 2018 Democratic Senate candidate.

20 | FOCUS MAGAZINE

O’Rourke had visited Waco seven times since announcing his campaign in March 2017, a surprisingly conservative town for a progressive candidate—but then again, many consider O’Rourke to be a surprisingly progressive candidate for such a conservative state. Some perceived incumbent U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Houston, to be a better fit for Texas.

When Cruz and O’Rourke debated on Sept. 21 at Southern Methodist University, Cruz suggested his challenger was out of touch with Texas values.

“Congressman O’Rourke doesn’t seem to understand that representing Texas is not doing a photo op in each county in Texas with reporters in tow,” Cruz said at the debate. “Representing Texas is actually standing up and fighting for Texans—not big liberal interests.”

O’Rourke’s platform stands for what he believes the people of Texas want despite the difficulties of campaigning as a Democrat in Texas.

A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in April 2018 pointed to a more nuanced vision of Texas, rather than the deep red state it is typically perceived to be. According to the poll, 53 percent of Texas voters surveyed oppose Trump’s proposal to build a wall along the MexicanAmerican border, and 64 percent said undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay in the U.S. and eventually offered a path to citizenship. In addition, 55 percent of polled Texas voters support stricter gun laws, and 94 percent support requiring background checks for all gun buyers. Even 61 percent of polled Texas voters support some form of marijuana legalization, a position O’Rourke holds that has been criticized

by Cruz and other conservatives.

An analysis of Politico’s election results map suggests O’Rourke’s supporters mostly resided in large cities like Dallas and Austin, as well as counties like Webb County, which lines the Mexican-American border. Cruz found conservative support in rural areas like west Texas, as well as counties that are home to smaller towns.

Some see Cruz as a candidate that recognizes and addresses their priorities in his platform. Portland, Ore., Baylor junior Eric Soo, Baylor College Republicans chapter chair, said Cruz speaks to his idea of Texas values by standing up for tighter

border control and other conservative values like the right to bear arms.

“Even though my father emigrated from China legally in order to settle in the United States, and even though my mother is Puerto Rican, many College Republicans like myself have been called Nazis and fascists for believing that illegal immigration is harmful to our country,” Soo said. “Both the media and some progressives fail to make a distinction between illegal and legal immigration, and Senator Cruz can be trusted to enforce a stronger and safer border.”

Despite Texas’ reputation as a traditionally conservative state, many say O’Rourke’s platform reflects a shift in Texas values—an anomaly that resulted in widespread media attention. He has especially gained exposure for his commitment to travel to all 254 counties in Texas.

“I just love how he went to every county in Texas,” said Edinburg Baylor junior Samantha Villarreal, a volunteer with the Beto campaign.

“And I remember at the last debate, he mentioned a lady that he met in a certain county, and he remembered her name and her story, and I really liked how he pulled people out of his mind because he actually met them.”

Supporters and political analysts have described O’Rourke’s run for the Senate seat as significant, not only for the traction he has against a Republican incumbent in a red state, but also for the grassroots nature of his campaign.

“One of the things I think has distinguished this campaign is… [we are] not taking PAC money or help from special interests or corporations,”

“

I’m following the leadership, the energy, the future of this country. And it happens to be right here in Waco.

”

O’Rourke said. “We are not defining ourselves by what we are against, who we don’t like, the other party that we are trying to defeat. We want to be known by our ambitions—the big things that we want to do which we will only achieve by coming together.

That’s what’s really exciting right now in Texas. I just feel extraordinarily lucky to be a part of that.”

Though his platform aligns with progressive politics, O’Rourke focuses much of his rhetoric on narrowing the partisan divide in Texas and in the U.S. “It’s important that we, the people of Texas, lead the way in coming together—seeing each other not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Texans, as Americans, as human beings—and treating one another like human beings going forward.

That is a Texas value,” Beto said at the Common Grounds rally on Oct. 5.

“For the most part, we all want to be able to do the same things, achieve the same aspirations and goals.

Sometimes, we see a different path to get there. We differ on the means.

Which makes us no less American for coming to a different conclusion about how to get there.”

Cruz visited Waco for a campaign rally on Oct. 19 at the Texas Ranger

FOCUS MAGAZINE | 21 Claire Gilbreath

Meredith Wagner

Meredith Wagner

Molly Atchison

Molly Atchison

Top left: Linda I. Robinson sports Beto paraphernalia at O’Rourke’s Waco rally on Oct. 5.

Top right: A father holds his daughter sporting a “Make America Great Again” hat at Ted Cruz’s Waco rally on Oct. 19.

Middle left: Cruz interacts with the audience at his Waco rally Middle right: O’Rourke speaks to the media before going on stage. Bottom: A crowd applauds O’Rourke at his first Waco rally.

22 | FOCUS MAGAZINE Meredith Wagner

Hall of Fame and Museum. He said he would prioritize tax cuts and small businesses.

“It ain’t rocket science: cut taxes, simplify tax code, repeal job-killing regulations. Small businesses will prosper and expand, and the state of Texas does well,” Cruz said.

In his victory speech, Cruz said he also hoped the divisive political climate could be overcome with civility across party lines.

“It is my hope that with the bitterness and division we see nationally that Texas can be a model for how we could come together. Disagree, yes, but with civility.

Respecting each other’s decency.

Respecting each other’s humanity.

Treating each other the way each of us would like to be treated,” Cruz said.

Baylor students at O’Rourke’s rally said that, although Baylor is generally accepting of all political beliefs, the student population tends to Meredith Wagner lean conservatively. O’Rourke has focused a large portion of his energy on reaching young voters and college students, taking time on the campaign trail to visit Baylor, Texas A&M, UT-Austin and other universities.

Huxley, Iowa, Baylor senior Austin Allaire said he sees O’Rourke’s campaign as reflective of a larger cultural movement toward standing up for issues that are important to younger generations, despite the political risk of focusing on millennial and Generation Z voters.

“One thing I’ve been so impressed by with Beto’s campaign is his focus on millennials and his focus on college students. And it is a risk. I think any political strategist would say it’s a risk because the numbers aren’t there necessarily in terms of how often millennials and college students actually turn out to vote,” Allaire said.

“But I think it’s absolutely a risk worth taking because our generation is a generation that has the opportunity to decide the future of this country.”

O’Rourke echoed these sentiments at his rally at Common Grounds. He said his campaign has focused its energy on young people despite the data demonstrating that young people do not vote. In fact, Pew Research Center reported that only 51 percent of millennials said they voted in 2016.

“I would not vote either, if no one ever showed up, introduced themselves to me, heard what was on my mind, incorporated my story, my dreams, my aspirations into their campaign, into the work that we want to do over the next six years. I just want to tell you: You are every bit a part of this success as anyone else that

”

Representing Texas is actually standing up and fighting for Texans— not big liberal interests.

“

we hear,” O’Rourke told the crowd.

O’Rourke emphasized the ways young leadership has driven the energy and platform of his campaign as well.

“Young people are standing up.

They’re grabbing a hold of the conscience of this country. And they’re going to force us to act,” O’Rourke said. “So I’m following the leadership, the energy, the future of this country.

And it happens to be here in Waco and everywhere that we go that people are willing to stand up and be countered.”

Both younger and older generations in Waco connected with O’Rourke’s progressive messages at his rally. McGregor resident Tammie Hartgroves, Senate District 22 Committeewoman of the State Democratic Executive Committee, said she thinks O’Rourke’s message applies to all Texans.

“He speaks for everyone,” Hartgroves said. “He doesn’t just speak for the upper crust—the elitists. He has a message for every socio-economic group, every gender group.”

In his victory speech, Cruz said he stands for the people of Texas.

“This election was a battle of ideas...

The people of Texas rendered a verdict that we want a future with more jobs, and more security, and more freedom,” Cruz said. “Securing the border and keeping our community safe and defending the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and that is a common sense agenda that unites Texans from every part of the state.”

Though Texas and Baylor are often identified as conservative spaces, Allaire said O’Rourke’s campaign points to the future of the historically red state.

“Beto is paving the way for further progressive candidates and is providing a model for what it would look like for a progressive to win in the state of Texas,” Allaire said. “And maybe 2018 isn’t the year for that. But what’s to say 2020 isn’t?”

FOCUS MAGAZINE | 23

EDUCATED.

Female Baylor professors transcend academic boundaries Story by EMILY STARR | Photos by EMILEE POWELL

Laura Bassi became the first professor in the modern world in 1731. Since then, women have been rocketing through glass ceilings in higher education, and Waco has a rich history of women doing exactly that. Many female academicians on Baylor’s campus today demonstrate fearless determination in both their personal academic pursuits and their dedication to increasing access to education for students.

Dr. Hallie Earle (1880-1963) was the only female at Baylor Medical School when she earned her M.D. in 1907. Kate Harrison Friend (1856-1949) opened a private school in her home after she and her mother moved to Waco—and after creating a Shakespeare course at Baylor, she eventually became an internationally recognized scholar. Dr. Lula Pace (1868-1925) was one of five female professors at Baylor when she began teaching, and she eventually became the first female professor at Baylor to earn a doctoral degree.

Today, the legacy established by trailblazing Baylor women is carried on

by Dr. Linda Livingstone, the first female Baylor president since the university’s conception in 1845. According to a 2017 study conducted by the American Council on Education, which was based upon numbers reported for 2016, women constitute only 30 percent of college president roles in the U.S. Livingstone stands out as a woman breaking glass ceilings in the world of academia. She attended Oklahoma State for her Bachelor of Science in economics and management, a Master of Business Administration and a Doctor of Philosophy in management and organizational behavior. Prior to her Baylor presidency, Livingstone also served as dean and professor of management at The George Washington University School of Business and dean of Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management.

In a 2017 interview with the Baylor Lariat, Livingstone shared her perspective as Baylor’s first female president, emphasizing that her gender

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had little to no influence on whether or not she obtained the position as Baylor’s 15th president. “I’m certainly proud to be in that position as a role model—and as the representation that anybody can accomplish these positions over time, regardless of their gender or their background or ethnicity,” Livingstone said. “At the end of the day, it’s about your skills and the background and experience you bring to the job… I hope to use the skill set I’ve developed to really move the university forward.”

According to a 2009 study conducted by the American Council on Education, “the glass ceiling is a long-standing metaphor for the intangible systemic barriers that prevent women from obtaining senior-level positions.”

This study revealed that, although women in America earn more than half of academic degrees at every level — associate through doctoral — they hold only 31 percent of full professor positions at degree-granting postsecondary institutions.

Baylor professor of sociology Dr. Kevin Dougherty said the effects of traditional gender roles can still be observed in occupational differences between men and women. “What an equitable society would look like is that gender doesn’t predetermine your occupational choices,” he said. “Rather, your skills and abilities — and your gifts from God — will allow you to do whatever you’re equipped to do, regardless of gender.”

Dr. Rosalie Beck

Dr. Rosalie Beck, the first female professor in Baylor’s religion department, was hired months after she completed her doctorate at Baylor in 1984. Beck said she faced discrimination in both indirect and blatant ways throughout the course of obtaining her degree. “In college, the gender discrimination was much subtler,” she said. But as Beck was working toward her Master of Divinity in Fort Worth, she said the dean of the seminary required women to explain what they planned to do with their degrees, while no such

Dr. Christina Chan-Park walks FOCUS | Library.

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requirement was put in place for the male students. “I found that intrusive, but nonetheless, I did it,” Beck said.

After Beck obtained a Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry, a Master of Divinity and a doctorate in religion, she said she felt called to teach. “I had a real love of working with college students,” Beck said. Her calling to teach was nonetheless met with resistance. Many male students in the seminary program at the time did not think women should have authority over men. “I was always surprised by that,” Beck said. “I had been raised to try to become the best I could be at whatever I loved doing. Gender was just never an issue at my house.”

The resistance she found in seminary did not inhibit her from earning her degree. After she finished her doctorate, she was hired by Baylor, where she has taught ever since.

Dr. Lisa Shaver

According to a 2017 study conducted by The Center for American Progress, American women earn less than men for the same roles in universities. Dr. Lisa Shaver, professor of English and director of the women’s and gender studies department at Baylor, left her corporate job to teach after realizing she loved academia.

Shaver said she reached a point in her career where she couldn’t advance any higher without a master’s degree, 26 | FOCUS MAGAZINE

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which motivated her to continue her education and led to her finding the career she loved. “I started out trying to move up the corporate ladder, and then I got off altogether,” Shaver said.

After a few years in the professional world, she earned her Master of Arts in professional writing and discovered her passion for rhetoric and composition, which she eventually pursued for her doctorate degree.

Shaver began teaching through a master’s program and said she loved the balance of instruction and research.

Within academia, Shaver said she noticed the invisible “glass ceiling” limiting the women around her. “The number of college presidents, the number of provosts, the number of deans. Those are not representative of the number of women moving up in the academy,” Shaver said. “I definitely think [women should pursue higher education], but not only that. I think they should be able to move up to whatever area.” Shaver said she worries that, without women contributing to scholarship and pursuing leadership at the university level, important perspectives will be lost. “My hope would be that women continue to move up, but in doing so, that they are contributing to academic knowledge,” she said.

“That’s the mission of the academy.”

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Dr. Heidi Hornik

Research conducted by the University of California at Berkeley in 2013 demonstrated that women experience a “baby penalty” as they try to advance their academic careers, while men involved in family formation are less affected. Dr. Heidi Hornik, professor of art history, gained full professorship early in her academic career and said she believes her career has made her a better mother to her two sons. Hornik had published two books and over 20 peer-reviewed articles when she applied for full professorship at Baylor in 2004. Both of her sons were elementary-school age at that time.

“I have always felt that women, like men, can be excellent parents at the same time as being exceptional contributors to society—by implementing their education in positions of leadership across all sectors of the workforce,” Hornik said.

Hornik said her love of research and fruitful career never distracted from her ability to engage with her children. She was a room parent, swim team official and treasurer of the marching band and the varsity baseball team throughout their school experiences. “My sons benefited from my energy and saw how both a mother

Dr. Rosalie Beck, the first female professor in Baylor’s religion department, laughs in her office on the third floor of Tidwell Bible Building.

and a father with careers parented together,” Hornik said.

Today Hornik has published seven books and dozens of articles, has chaired various committees on Baylor’s campus, is sitting President of the Midwest Art History Society and was a visiting scholar at Harvard for a semester.

Dr. Christina Chan-Park

According to data released by the National Science Foundation, women earned only 26.1 percent of doctoral degrees in geophysics in 2016. Dr. Christina Chan-Park, one of Baylor’s science librarians, is among the relatively small population of women holding this degree.

In fact, she holds five degrees: a Bachelor of Science in geology, Master of Science in geophysics, doctorate in geophysics, Master of Arts in public administration emphasizing higher education and a Master of Science in information science. The cohort in her doctoral program was the first at the institution she attended to have more women than men, but ChanPark said only one woman graduated with her doctorate; the rest quit due to a culture that she described as “competitive in an unhealthy way.”

Chan-Park said she faced her own

obstacles progressing through that doctoral program, and that she particularly noticed a difference in the ways women and men were treated by professors when she sought out her own research projects. “If I had been a man, I think I would’ve been seen as having a lot of initiative,” she said. “As a woman, it was received as, ‘Oh, she’s not satisfied being here.

She doesn’t belong.’”

Mentors

Chan-Park noticed a change when she found a female adviser to oversee her research at the doctoral level.

“She had a good reputation, and she was also a woman, so some of the problems I knew weren’t going to be there,” she said.

Similarly, Beck said she hopes women progressing through higher education today will find a mentor. Beck studied under one female professor during her undergraduate years and no female professors during seminary or a doctorate program. “If I had had a role model of how to do it differently, I would’ve felt much more confident in myself,” Beck said. Ideally, she said female students would study under a diverse range of male and female professors to thoroughly understand different classroom approaches.

Hornik also said female mentors impacted her career, beginning at the undergraduate level and continuing

today in the relationships she maintains with Baylor faculty. “There have been many colleagues and deans who have been supportive and exceptionally important in my staying and succeeding at Baylor,” Hornik said.

According to studies conducted by the UN, women’s education internationally increases the likelihood of their children’s survival, decreases illiteracy across the board and increases eventual wages earned.

Beyond these measures, women in academia are ensuring female perspectives are reflected in leadership and politics, filling full professorship positions, advocating for the policies that allow them to be good mothers in school and inspiring younger female students to continue their education as well.

Hornik said she has faith that female students will continue to pursue higher education to promote women, not only academia, but in every field. “I have every belief that women will continue to prosper, excel and advance in all fields of the arts and sciences by pursuing postbaccalaureate degrees,” she said.

“We need more women in finance, Congress, sciences, and academia.

Advanced degrees make that involvement more probable.”

Headshots courtesy of Baylor Marketing and Communications FOCUS MAGAZINE | 27

Growing up together Young parents choose education while raising children Story by BRADI MURPHY Photos by AADIL SHEIKH and WILL BARKSDALE

Toys scattered across the floor, dirty fingerprints on the wall, homework laid across the table. Despite the chaos, beaming grins fill the homes of four college students studying at Baylor and McLennan Community College.

Fulfilling their joint roles as parents and students leads to unpredictable hardships, moments of joyous laughter and humble accomplishments.

Hannah Beth Midkiff, an apparel merchandising major at Baylor and single mother of Piper, 7, and Sutton, 5, found peace and motivation through her journey of motherhood as a single parent. Since finding out she was pregnant in 2010, Midkiff demonstrated bravery, loyalty and calmness, even in the midst of fear.

“I had this overwhelming amount of peace, even though there was a lot of uncertainty,” Midkiff said. “This was my first moment of ‘mom-ing,’ where you’re calm and collected in a horrible situation, and you have to say, ‘It’s all right. You’re going to get through this.”

At 20 years old, Midkiff decided to leave an abusive relationship and become a single parent. “I was under the impression that when you have a child with someone, you’re meant to be with them forever. It was a hard lesson to learn that this wasn’t a sealing factor,” Midkiff said. “I didn’t want my daughters growing up thinking that the way he treated me

Amy Cook and her 3-year-old son Alexander Cook wash their 28 hands together. | FOCUS MAGAZINE Photo by Aadil Sheikh

was OK. I wanted them to know that we, as a whole, deserve better.”

Midkiff said being a single mother taught her to persevere, to approach life with courage and to practice patience. Midkiff went on to use these skills during her pregnancy with her second daughter, Sutton, at age 21.

She acknowledged that she would not be where she is today without the love and support of her family.

“It was definitely a village. I’m a single mom, but I’m not alone,” Midkiff said. “You can find your village anywhere. There’s a lot of support out there, but you just have to be willing to ask for help.”

After having children, Midkiff devoted her time and energy to parenting. She later decided to go back to school to gain financial stability for their family of three. Midkiff chose Baylor on a whim, applying on her phone just one week after deciding to continue her education.

“I went back to school because I was hungry. I needed something better, and I did not lose sight of that,” Midkiff said.

Midkiff said she balances school and parenting by completing her classwork while Piper and Sutton are at school.

This schedule allows her to focus on her daughters and be present in the moments they share together.

“My advice for other students is to be unapologetic of who they are in every situation, because their story may inspire others,” Midkiff said.

Amy Cook, a social work major at McLennan Community College and single mother of 3-year-old Alexander Cook, said parenting is a challenging journey that becomes more difficult when parents maintain the impression that everything should be “picture

perfect.” Cook said optimism and transparency are important concepts for single mothers to grasp.

“People always expect you to be a blissful [parent] who never gets annoyed and who never gets upset, but it’s OK to take a minute to say, ‘This is so much harder than I thought this would be.’ It’s OK to be vulnerable and real,” Cook said.

Cook hopes single mothers can break the silence to reveal that parenting is messy and strenuous. Beyond the day-to-day hardships, Cook said motherhood has given her an immeasurable amount of confidence and selflove. Cook hopes to instill this positivity and love in her peers by assuring parents that they don’t have to live in a flawless world where everything goes as planned and appears effortless.

“We need to be more accepting and understanding and real about what [parenting] entails,” Cook said.

“

I had this overwhelming amount of peace, even though there was a lot of uncertainty.

”

Finding solace in the chaos of parenting has been a long journey for Cook, but her journey began before Alexander was born.

“I was in Chicago, and I lived close enough to walk to the hospital to have him. I didn’t want to call an Uber. I moved while I was pregnant so that my apartment was right by the hospital …

I walked him home from the hospital on a rainy evening, and it was freezing cold outside, so right off the bat, it was a journey,” Cook said.

Cook continued her journey by moving to Waco, where her parents live. Cook is pursuing her bachelor’s degree and said she recognizes that to excel in her roles as a mother and a student, she needs make plans but stay open to change.

“There’s a saying that you make all of your plans and then you throw them out the window,” Cook said.

“Plans A, B and C turn into plan J. That’s been a little tricky for me.”

Cook stays on top of her studies by bringing Alexander along for the ride. Since Alexander wants to do everything Cook does, she prints out copies of her school assignments for him to highlight and scribble on.

At the same time, she focuses on completing the real assignment with fewer distractions.

“It’s a bit of a juggling act. I always wonder why, as parents, we don’t just get two extra arms,” Cook said.

Likewise, Andrew and Paige Benzing, Baylor students and parents of 2-year-old twins Ashton and Hayden, learned how to balance school and parenthood by building complementing class schedules. Their contrasting schedules allow them to attend class on separate days of the week and watch the twins while they’re

Baylor senior Hannah Beth Midkiff FOCUS MAGAZINE | 29

Top left: Amy Cook and her son Alexander study together after school.

Top right: Piper, Hannah Beth and Sutton Midkiff (left to right) pose for the camera.

Photos by Aadil Sheikh Middle: Ashton and Hayden Benzing interact in their backyard.

Bottom left: The Benzings spend quality time together.

Bottom right: Ashton Benzing Photos by Will Barksdale

30 | FOCUS MAGAZINE

at home, providing each parent time for studying and care taking.

“It has been important to be fully present in what I’m doing,” Paige Benzing said. “I had to get better at being with the boys when they’re awake and studying when I’m supposed to be studying, instead of being on my phone or procrastinating.”

While the Benzings have found it beneficial to follow a plan, they also recognize that sometimes a plan can provoke increased stress.

“We’re very much taking it one day at a time as far as getting through the week, and one semester at a time for getting through college. That’s kind of become my mantra,” Andrew Benzing said.

The Benzings began dating December of 2015 and had their twins almost a year later. Although they have overcome a number of obstacles since then, they recognize that parenthood is a lifelong journey.

“Going from a single college student, to a dating college student, to a married couple, to parents all within a year was hard because we didn’t quite master each stage within that process,” Paige Benzing said.

“So, with being married and having kids, which we’ve done for about a year and a half, I think we just get better at it as time goes on.”

Many students enter college with dreams and aspirations that usually involve a four-year degree followed by a career or continued education. While this futuristic mindset can be helpful in achieving goals, it may induce anxiety if plans change along the way.

“Everyone’s path is different, and I wish I would’ve known that even as a freshman coming into college,” Paige Benzing said. “This time of life is so short, and even if it takes you six years to graduate, you can make anything work.”

For Midkiff, Cook, and the Benzings, parenting has been a journey of ups and downs. With confidence, careful planning, devotion and love, their unanticipated dual roles as parents and students built a foundation for extraordinary futures. Their circumstances have taught them to be vulnerable and empathetic, instilling within each of them immeasurable confidence that they hope to pass onto their children.

FOCUS MAGAZINE | 31 Aadil Sheikh

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Baylor freshman battles cancer Story and Photos by CORRIE COLEMAN

On Wednesday, Aug. 16, Baylor freshman Rylie York moved into the second floor of Collins Residence Hall to begin a new chapter of her life. On Thursday, Aug. 17, she underwent surgery to remove the cancerous tumor in her neck. On Sunday night, Rylie was back in her dorm room to prepare for classes the next day.

Rylie was a high school senior in Round Rock in the fall of 2017, planning to attend Baylor the following August. When she began experiencing severe abdominal pain, she thought she might have a stomach ulcer.

Rylie found a lump in her neck a few months later. “I didn’t say anything about that to my parents until about a month later around Christmastime,” Rylie said. When antibiotics failed to lessen the swelling, the doctors decided removing the swollen lymph node was the best course of action.

“They removed it, and I thought nothing of it,” Rylie said. “I was totally downplaying it—thinking it wasn’t anything important. The pathology report didn’t come back for a while, and I had honestly forgotten about it.”

On Jan. 25, 2018, five days after

Rylie’s 18th birthday, the pathology reports came back. “I pulled into my driveway after school and my parents were standing there. I thought, ‘This is weird,’” Rylie said. “Before I could get out of my car, they were both at my window. They said, ‘We want you to know that everything is going to be OK. But you have lymphoma.’ I didn’t know what to think. I was completely dumbfounded. I remember just staring at my dashboard.”

Rylie’s Hodgkin’s Lymphoma was stage four cancer. The disease attacking her white blood cells and immune system was not only in the lymph nodes in her neck—It had spread to her chest and abdomen. “In that moment, sitting in that doctor’s office, I was like, ‘I’m going to die,’” Rylie said.

Heidi York, Rylie’s mother, described the way the diagnosis rattled the family’s life. “It just turns your whole life upside-down in a matter of a few minutes,” Heidi said. “We’ve been walking a road and a journey these past nine months that you can’t possibly see coming.”

The Yorks were almost immediately referred to Dr. ZoAnne Dreyer, an

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experienced pediatric oncologist at Texas Children’s Cancer Center in Houston. “Rylie never appeared to be scared,” Dreyer recalled. “She just said, ‘OK, let’s get it done. I have things to do.’”

Heidi remembers the same thing about her daughter. “Very quickly, her question became, ‘How long is this treatment going to take, and am I going to get to go to Baylor?’”

Heidi said Dreyer’s encouragement throughout the year of treatment was impactful on the York family. “I can’t imagine us not getting connected with Dr. Dreyer,” she said. “Dr. Dreyer kept saying, ‘We’re going to do everything we can to get [Rylie] well and ready to move into Baylor in August.’”

After her diagnosis, Rylie quickly began intense chemotherapy. “I couldn’t even get shots when I was 12. I had to have someone hold my hand,” Rylie laughed. “I’ve had to grow a lot since then.”

After about a week of treatment, Rylie began losing her hair, something that was unexpectedly difficult for her. “[My hair] is what I thought was most beautiful about myself before all of this,” Rylie said. “I don’t know why I was so caught up with my hair.”

Instead of watching her hair gradually fall out, Rylie decided she would shave it. “It was cool and crazy. I was now the ‘bald girl’ that I never thought I would be,” Rylie said. “But I eventually got used to it, and I loved being bald.”

Rylie said this experience gave her a new perspective on hair—both her own and others’. “Every time someone tells me, ‘I wouldn’t look good bald,’ I tell them, ‘Yes you would,’” she said.

“The world just focuses so much on things like hair… It’s a big step to not have something that makes you fit in and look normal, but I think everyone would look good bald.”

In May 2018, nearly four months after

her first diagnosis, Rylie completed chemotherapy treatment. When her scans came back, she was cancer-free.

A month later, after radiation treatment, she was officially in remission.

“I got about a month of freedom.

My family went on vacation, I prepared to come to Baylor, and I went on a mission trip,” Rylie said.

No one expected the cancer to return. In early August, while shopping with her mom for new school clothes, Rylie discovered another lump in her neck. On Aug. 12, four days before she was scheduled to move to Baylor, she found out the cancer had returned in her clavicle.

The York family suddenly faced a difficult choice. “I had to decide if I was even going to come to Baylor, which was awful,” Rylie said.

The family ultimately decided that Rylie would be able to attend college.

“That was a really, really tough and emotional time for everybody. But in [Rylie’s] usual style, she handled it,” Dreyer said. “She and her parents were like, ‘We’re moving her in, and

“

Rylie before cancer was boring. Life before all of it was boring. And now it’s hard, but I have a purpose, and I know what my purpose is.

”

Baylor Freshman Rylie York

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we’ll figure it out from there.’”

The York family’s decision triggered great support from the Baylor community. “Everyone rallied around us to help us get connected to the right people and get everything figured out,” Heidi said. “We kept getting calls from people at Baylor saying, ‘Everyone is going to do everything we can to keep Rylie here and keep her healthy.’”

Because the cancer was only in her clavicle, Rylie’s doctors decided she would undergo “chemo lite,” a milder form of chemotherapy than the treatment she underwent in the spring.

Nearly every Friday throughout the semester, Rylie and her mother drove to Texas Children’s Cancer Center in Houston for chemotherapy treatment.

Rylie said she didn’t feel sick on most days. “When I’m feeling well, I feel pretty normal. I don’t normally start feeling down about things until hours before I know I’m about to get treated,” she said. “I can live a normal week and not feel sick other than the fact that I know it’s there.”

Although her semester was busy, Rylie said she has felt encouraged throughout her time at Baylor. “I’ve been able to keep up with my classes, but sometimes I don’t know how I do it,” she said. “I’m happiest when I’m busiest. Getting back into a routine and getting back into school makes me happy.”

Rylie said she especially feels encouraged because Baylor students and professors have rallied behind her throughout her journey. “Baylor has been a light through all of it.

I can’t imagine doing it again and not being here,” Rylie said. “There’s been an overwhelming feeling of connection and support. Baylor is special, and it makes everything a hundred times easier.”

Rylie’s positive college experiences

were particularly influenced by the close friendships she made early on.

“The night before I started my first day of chemo, all the girls on my hall in Collins decorated my room and surprised me. They had posters and streamers and balloons. My door is still decorated with everything,” she said. “I didn’t even know these girls for two weeks, and they were just pouring themselves into making sure I’m OK. I’ve found great friends.”

Rylie said she struggled with a fear of the unknown before she experienced cancer but now finds comfort in focusing on the present. “It was like God came in and said to me, ‘Forget everything you’ve planned. This is all out of your control, and you don’t have a choice.’ Because I wanted to control everything,” Rylie said. “I think I deal with [fear] the best when I focus on what’s happening now. Let’s kill cancer today. Let’s be positive today.”

In mid-October, Rylie underwent a PET scan to gauge how well the chemotherapy was working. The next week, she received a text from Dr.

Dreyer that read, “PET is perfect.”

The cancer was gone.

Although Rylie is now cancer-free, she will continue radiation treatment until mid-December.

Rylie said her cancer diagnosis brought her joy as well as struggle. “I wish people knew that there is both destruction and beauty in cancer.

It forms bonds that I never thought I would build,” Rylie said. “There’s so much emotion and sadness and hopelessness—but there’s also hope.”

Rylie said cancer taught her the value of self-expression, gratitude and living in the present moment. “Going through this, and knowing that your days are short, and anything could happen at any moment, I think it’s so important to just tell people what’s on your mind,” Rylie said. “I wish people knew the value of a day.”

Despite the troubles she has faced, Rylie said the past nine months additionally shaped her into a more interesting and determined person.

“I wouldn’t wish my diagnosis on anyone, but I know that it’s made

me a better person,” she said. “Rylie before cancer was boring. Life before all of it was boring, and now it’s hard, but I have a purpose, and I know what my purpose is.”

According to Dreyer, though painful and frightening, cancer creates opportunities to apply courage and strength to life. “It’s the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, and all these blessings and hardships wrapped up into one,” she said.

“We’ll never look at life the same after coming through this. We’ll never be the people that we were on Jan. 25, 2018. And that’s a good thing.”

From the moment she received her diagnosis, Rylie knew cancer was something she was prepared for.

“I knew that night, with my family and friends all around me, that everything was going to be OK,” she said. “I’m supposed to go through this so that I can benefit others through the process. As weird as it sounds, I know confidently that this is what I was born for.”

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SPECIAL THANKS TO BAYLOR CENTER FOR GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT & BAYLOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

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