Giving with PURPOSE

ANONYMOUS DONOR PLEDGES $50 MILLION LARGEST PLANNED GIFT TO UMHB TO DATE

In February, UMHB announced the largest planned gift to the university to date from donors who wish to remain anonymous. The future estate gift from a Central Texas family will be unrestricted and is currently valued at $50 million.

“The magnitude of this planned gift to UMHB is overwhelming. We are grateful to God for how He continues to bless Mary Hardin-Baylor through friends like this family who love the university and believe so passionately in Christian higher education on our campus,” said Dr. Randy O’Rear, president. “I’ve never met more humble people, and I thank God for their unbelievable generosity. This family wants to ensure that our university’s future is strong, and this transformational gift will unquestionably impact UMHB students for generations to come.”

Noteworthy

First Office Of Kingdom Diversity Leaders Named

Dr. Sanfrena Britt ’20 recently began serving as the inaugural director of the Office of Kingdom Diversity

“The Office of Kingdom Diversity is an intentional resource to assist with God’s vision for the rich and diverse student population at UMHB by embracing those who may feel invisible or who may not have found their sense of belonging, yet,” said Britt. “Student success is the goal, and this success is measured in retention to graduation for all students.”

The Office of Kingdom Diversity is the result of a task force that spent time praying and listening to professional guidance resulting from datainformed assessments on racial diversity.

“We are learning how to do this successfully and collaboratively by seeking to understand the modern student from diverse lenses and helping students find a place to belong,” she said. “This means continuous efforts to reach minority, firstgeneration and underserved populations and measuring success through student data.”

Britt came to UMHB from Texas A&MCentral Texas where she served in a number of roles, including chief diversity officer, director of the University Center for Applied Research and Engagement, and special assistant to the provost and vice president for academic & student affairs. She is a 2020 graduate from UMHB with a Doctorate in Educational Administration in Higher Education. Britt received the Outstanding Qualitative Research award for her doctoral dissertation titled Socioeconomic Inequality and Disadvantages in Education. She also holds a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from Texas A&M-Central Texas, and a psychology degree from the University of Phoenix. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at UMHB since 2020. Rebeka Retta ‘87 will serve as assistant director. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Christian Studies from UMHB, and a master's in religious studies from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has worked as the resident director of Burt Hall for 27 years and College View Apartments for six years. She has also taught classes in the Christian Studies department and was an instrumental member of the task force that explored race relations at UMHB.