Minority Community Leaders Visit Baylor

WACO, Texas - More than 200 Waco area minority community leaders visited the Baylor University campus recently to build stronger relations between Baylor and the minority community during the first President's Reception for Minority Leaders.
During the reception, Baylor President Robert B. Sloan Jr. shared his vision about diversity at Baylor and his desire for inclusiveness of minorities at the university. He called the event a great success.
"Significant challenges face Waco and the Baylor community," Sloan said. "Events like this give us the chance to develop the relationships and the cooperation that will meet those challenges."
"This was a wonderful evening," Sloan added. "The opportunity to exchange ideas, make some new friends and visit with everyone was a real treat."
Baylor regents, administrators and faculty also attended the reception for the purpose of meeting and getting to know minority leaders.
McLennan County Commissioner Lester Gibson attended the meeting and said the community's response will lead to greater educational opportunities between Baylor and McLennan County.
"The reception was a gateway between Baylor and the McLennan County communities," Gibson said. "This Baylor-McLennan County equation will lead to positive results in the education of the children of the Waco-McLennan County area."
Joe Carbajal, pastor of the Mighty Wind Worship Center, said the warmness of the Baylor community increased his desire to be involved with the Baylor community.
"President Sloan presented himself well and is very down to earth," Carbajal said. "This was the first opportunity I have had to be inside of Baylor and it was a pleasant experience."
Gaylon Foreman, counselor for student athletes at Baylor and a graduate of Paul Quinn College while it was still in Waco, said his perception of Baylor has changed since his arrival in Waco.
"I had a negative perception of Baylor as a student at Paul Quinn due to a few isolated incidents, but as I began to work in the Waco community, I saw the quality of people that are at Baylor and the commitment they had to make a positive change in the community," he said.
For more information, contact Jaffus Hardrick, assistant director of personnel services and affirmative action equal employment officer, at 755-2219.