Baylor University Honors Parents of the Year for 2012
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Stuart and Gina Solomon of McLean, Va., recognized Oct. 13 at Baylor-TCU football game
WACO, Texas (Oct. 16, 2012) - Stuart and Gina Solomon of McLean, Va., were honored as Baylor University's Parents of the Year for 2012 during the University's annual Parent and Family Weekend celebration Oct. 12-13.
Baylor President Ken Starr and Parents League director Judy Maggard presented the award to the Solomons at halftime of the Baylor-TCU football game on Oct. 13. They also were recognized earlier in the day at a Parents League volunteer appreciation breakfast.
The Solomon family's story has been etched with Baylor green and gold from the beginning, when Stuart, BBA '85, MBA '86, and Gina, BS '85, met during their first week at the University as members of the Baylor Golden Wave Band. The couple married shortly after graduation in 1985. In 1986, they moved to Los Angeles, where they grew their careers and raised three children, Melissa, Michelle and Jeffrey, all current Baylor students.
"We are delighted to honor Stu and Gina Solomon as our Parents of the Year," Maggard said. "Starting with their own Baylor experience as students and now in their role as Baylor parents, Stu and Gina have remained faithful to the University through their service and dedication not only to the Parents League organization but to many other areas of University life. They are outstanding representatives of the values and Christian ideals that are at the heart of Baylor University."
"Having attended Baylor, my parents have always been involved," said Jeffrey Solomon, a sophomore pre-business major. "We grew up watching Baylor football and basketball games on TV. Then, when we got old enough to choose a college, we all three independently chose Baylor."
Today the Solomon family lives in northern Virginia, where Stuart is the managing director of Accenture's metropolitan Washington, D.C., region, and Gina leads Women's Ministries at Potomac Baptist Church in Potomac Falls, Va. The Solomons have enjoyed sharing their Baylor green-and-gold spirit around the globe, participating with their church in leading a teaching program in Malawi, Africa.
"Having a solid foundation, rooted in God's grace, is a large aspect of our family's beliefs," Jeffrey said. "My parents taught us to rely on Him in times of hurt and to praise Him always. Without that foundation, the transition from life at home to independence in college would have been much more difficult."
The Solomons participate in many Baylor activities, including attending music performances, helping with recruiting and development and hosting different Baylor groups visiting D.C. In addition, Stuart serves on the Hankamer School of Business Advisory Board. The couple also is active in Baylor Parents League, hosting local Send-Off Parties and participating in 1st Call to Prayer. They were especially pleased to co-host this year's Send-Off Party in July with President Starr and First Lady Alice Starr, joined by special guest Robert Griffin III, Baylor's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and first-round draft pick of the Washington Redskins.
"These parties allow my parents to do what they love most: share in the excitement of the incoming freshmen and give a listening ear and words of advice to anxious parents, all while creating more friendships within the Baylor Network," said Michelle Solomon, a senior elementary education major.
The Baylor Parents League provides a link between parents and the University. Chapters are located throughout the country, which bring Baylor parents together in support of Baylor students and families through activities such as Send-Off Parties and 1st Call to Prayer. For more information about the Baylor Parents League, visit www.baylor.edu/parents or contact the office at 888-287-5557 or parentsnetwork@baylor.edu.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.