A World Beyond Campus: Meet Baylor University Graduate Students

Nearly 6,000 graduate students pursue their Masters or Doctoral degrees at Baylor—nearly one-third of the student body. Many of these students study on campus, while others pursue online degrees as they work in their home communities. It’s a unique blend of the personal and professional that draws them at distinct stages in their lives. Across more than 100 programs of study, these students are doing far more than simply advancing their personal aspirations.

“Graduate students mean a lot to me, and they mean a lot to Baylor,” Larry Lyon, Ph.D., Vice Provost and Dean of the Baylor Graduate School, says. “They come from all over the world. They’re older, and more experienced. Quite often, they are also a husband, wife, mother or father. On top of these things, they have had full-time jobs, and may keep them while they’re here. They bring an occupational, cultural, geographic diversity to Baylor and our models for our undergraduates as they view a world beyond their four years here.”

As Baylor celebrates Graduate Student Appreciation Week, meet five of the many students whose scholarship, work and experiences advance Baylor’s mission and contribute meaningfully to our role as a Christian research university—impacting the world beyond campus borders.

RAMONA BROCK

Master of Social Work, Online and Hybrid

Home
I am from Northern California and currently live outside of Waco, but Baylor has become a second home to me through my studies and connections with the faculty and students. 

Work-Study-Life Balance

I am balancing graduate school and a full-time job as a Patient Care Technician at Dignity Health, where I have worked for 13 years. I am married, a girl-mom of two, and working full-time while completing my MSW. Balancing all these roles has been challenging, but also incredibly rewarding.

Future Goals

My goal is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and open my own private practice to provide low-cost therapy to underserved communities. In addition, I want to continue working in hospice care, supporting individuals and families through end-of-life transitions with compassion and dignity.

Why Baylor

Baylor’s commitment to service, ethics, and faith-based social work made it the perfect fit for me. The faculty genuinely care about their students, and the program has given me the tools to advocate for the communities I serve and help their families navigate end-of-life challenges with dignity and emotional support. Through both areas, I hope to make a meaningful impact by ensuring individuals receive the compassionate care they deserve.

NICOLE HANCOCK

Masters in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Online and Hybrid

Home

Houston, Texas

Work-Study-Life Balance

I have worked as an Army Reservist while in school. It is not your typical part-time job. I would attend army drills one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. I will complete my reserve time in April 2025. Before I began graduate school at Baylor University, I worked as an administrative assistant at a Finance company for about 2 years. Then I served on Active Duty for about 3.5 years in the Army.

Future Goals

I would like to work with adults at a medical setting. I go to the Michael E. DeBakey Hospital often, and I love seeing the Veterans. Eventually, once I gain more experience, I will be applying to work with Veterans at the VA Hospital. 

Why Baylor

The online CSD program provided me with flexibility. I was blessed with the opportunity to move to Hawai'i for about 8 months and continue with the program. Also, the program's semester class schedule and practicum experience are well thought-out. The classes progress from simple to more complex. I liked that the program ends with a full-time adult setting (without classes). Other programs make their students attend classes and gain clinical hours with adults, whereas Baylor allows their students to be fully present for a harder practicum. 

JAMES HOWARD

Ph.D. in History, President, Graduate Student Association

Home

I’m from Southern Nevada, and received my Bachelors and Masters at UNLV. 

Work-Study-Life Balance

Four months ago, my wife and I had our second child. We’re getting even less sleep than before, but that comes with the territory. That’s the weird experience of graduate students—you might be coming in at any life stage. 

As I pursue my Ph.D., I actually wear a decent number of hats. I am the assistant book review editor for the Journal of Church and State housed in the Carroll Library and teach a History 1300 class. And then on top of that, I'm the Graduate Student Association president.

So aside from just working on the dissertation, I have those other three things going on.

Future Goals

The primary motive for me is to become a tenure-track, teaching-oriented professor at a university. But, with these experiences I've had in the Graduate Student Association, I'm not going to hold onto that too tightly. I am open to whatever God has for me in the sense that I could go into some alternative academic routes such as administration or work in higher education in a leadership capacity. I think that's the beauty of a graduate education— you're constantly adjusting and adapting and gaining more skills and experiences along the way.

Why Baylor

What drew me to Baylor was not only its Christian identity, but what was tied to that Christian identity: scholarship is going to be emphasizing those faith commitments and the interest in those faith commitments. So, as a student in the history department, this is really a unique place in terms of investigating the history of religion and as it maps onto the United States. That's my particular field. And there are not too many schools that do those overlapping focuses the way that we do.

VICTOR ROJAS

Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering 

Home

My home will forever be my little corner by the beach in Puerto Rico, but Waco has been my temporary home since 2022 and it has grown on me. It was a big jump from Denver, where I worked as an engineer for Lockheed Martin before coming here.

Work-Study Balance

I came from the professional world, and it was a major shift from the regular 9-to-5 to grad school. My salary was good, but every day I would go to my office cubicle and perform my regular day-to-day tasks. 

Now, as a grad student, each day is very different with varied challenges and new opportunities to learn. One day I could be exclusively writing on my manuscript, another I’ll be all day running our million-dollar-plus machines conducting experiments, or even interviewing and mentoring undergraduates. It never gets old or boring in this group.

Future Goals

I plan to be a world-renowned leader in additive manufacturing processes, solving the toughest problems and advancing AM technology to its limit. I also plan to involve Baylor as collaborators to my future employer, furthering the paradigm of advanced additive manufacturing. 

Why Baylor

Being from Puerto Rico, I didn’t know much about Baylor before coming. It was faith and God’s plan that brought me here. The Materials Science program wasn’t even fully created yet, but I trusted my best friend who talked me into getting my PhD with him and joined him as his group moved from Alabama to Baylor. It was the best decision I could have made. 

Dr. Paul G. Allison and Dr. J. Brian Jordon are my advisors. They are my mentors academically, professionally and personally. I admire the commitment and dedication they bring to both the University and to each one of their students. Their very kindhearted nature, determination to bring out the best in us, and their vast technical and academic acumen aids us in our degree and personal journeys.

CARO ZAS

Masters in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Online and Hybrid

Home

I am a first-generation Cuban-American from Miami, Florida.

Work-Study-Life Balance

I am currently working very part-time as I approach the end of my degree, but I love questions about balancing life and studies. I graduated from the University of South Florida in 2015, and like many people, didn’t get accepted into graduate school right away. 

After working professionally and retaking the GRE, I was finally accepted into graduate school, which had been a long-time dream of mine. But then, an even bigger dream came true—I became a mom. At that point, I decided it wasn’t the right time to pursue grad school. I continued working as an SLPA, but I knew I wanted to do more. With the support of my wonderful husband and amazing parents, I took the leap.

With their support, staying proactive with my studies, the courage to speak up and ask questions and forming amazing friendships throughout the program, I’ve been able to succeed and have finally almost achieved this dream.

Future Goals

Although I haven’t fully decided on a specific setting yet, I know that I want to become an exceptional and innovative Bilingual Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist who delivers care through a transdisciplinary approach. 

I aspire to contribute to my community by educating families and community members about communication sciences and disorders while collaborating with professionals from other fields to provide better services for everyone. In the future, I also hope to mentor others in the field of Speech-Language Pathology, just as I have been fortunate to have had mentorship throughout my journey.

Why Baylor

Baylor stood out to me as the perfect place to pursue my degree—not only is it one of the top schools in the nation, with faculty who are experts in the field, but it’s also a faith-based institution. At Baylor, I’ve had the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become a leader and innovator in the field of communication sciences and disorders, while also learning to approach my work with compassion, integrity, and a deep commitment to the well-being of my future clients. Additionally, I appreciate the flexibility of Baylor's online program, which allows me to work at my own pace.