Baylor Student Reflects on Xavier Domestic Exchange Experience

Following the creation of a student exchange agreement with Xavier University of Louisiana, junior biology major Megan Washington became the program’s first participant.

In October 2016, Baylor established its first-ever domestic student exchange program with Xavier University of Louisiana as a means of introducing students of both schools to new educational opportunities and creating an awareness of different institutional and cultural perspectives.

"I found out about the program at a Baylor Association of Black Students’ meeting," Washington said. "I decided to join the program, because I wanted to gain new experiences and to know what it was like to attend an Historically Black College or University (HBCU)."

Xavier University of Louisiana was established as a four-year college in 1925 under the leadership of St. Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Like Baylor, Xavier upholds a faith-based mission — one that emphasizes academic research, leadership and service.

Though Washington had never participated in a study-abroad program, she suspected that spending the spring 2017 semester studying in a city as vibrant and storied as New Orleans would offer a very similar experience.

"I met so many people from around the world — Senegal, Morocco, Venezuela, Canada, France, as well as Louisiana, New York, California and South Carolina — and it struck me how much we all had in common," Washington said.

But, aside from the cultural diversity, a live jazz scene of international renown or even fresh beignets from the famed Café du Monde, Washington was keenly interested in the astonishing rate at which Xavier graduates are accepted to medical school.

A 2015 New York Times article titled, "A Prescription for More Black Doctors," noted that Xavier University "consistently produces more black students who apply to and then graduate from medical school than any other institution in the country. Xavier is also first in the nation in graduating black students with bachelor’s degrees in biology and physics."

"During my first three semesters at Baylor, I focused solely on my coursework," she said. "I feel like the Exchange program helped me to step out of my comfort zone and into new situations, and I’m more adaptable to change now. I would definitely recommend this program."