Baylor Recognizes Outstanding Students

The Baylor University Council for Institutional Development recently honored nine individuals as Outstanding Students during its spring meeting in the Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center. The nine students represent Baylor's nine major academic areas.
Collin Cox was named outstanding student from the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a graduate of Midway High School in Waco, Texas. Cox has served as the Student Body President in both his junior and senior years and is a member of seven academic honor societies including Mortar Board, Alpha Chi, Omicron Delta Kappa, Order of Omega, Gamma Beta Phi and Golden Key National Honor Society. Cox is currently a finalist for the Rhodes, Marshall and Fulbright Scholarships and has a 3.9 grade-point average.
After graduation, Cox plans to earn a master's degree in American History, followed by a doctorate or law degree. He would like to pursue a career in law or politics or as a professor or administrator at a university.
Misty Schiller was selected as the outstanding student of the Hankamer School of Business. Schiller, a graduate of Eden High School in Vick, Texas, has been on the Dean's List and has maintained a 4.0 grade-point average while at Baylor. Her honors include Gamma Beta Phi, Mortar Board's Top 100 Freshman, Alpha Lambda Delta, Golden Key National Honor Society, Order of Omega and Beta Gamma Sigma. She is a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority and several other on-campus organizations including the Baylor Pre-Law Society, the Business Excellence Scholarship Team and the Baylor Association for Human Resources.
After graduation Schiller will work with Price Waterhouse in Dallas as a member of its management consulting team. She also plans to attend graduate school.
Chara Kay Allen was chosen as the outstanding student from the School of Education. Allen, of Beaumont, Texas, holds a 4.0 grade point average, has been on the Dean's List and has received Mortar Board recognition for Outstanding Academic Achievement.
She is a member of several academic honor societies including Golden Key National Honor Society, Alpha Chi National College Honor Scholarship Society and Gamma Beta Phi Society.
After graduation, Allen plans to earn a master's degree in educational psychology at Baylor and eventually attain a position within a school as a teacher and a licensed specialist in school psychology.
Rachel Scott was selected as the College of Engineering and Computer Science outstanding student. Scott holds a 3.790 grade point average and has been named to the Dean's List many times. She has received numerous academic scholarships including the Texas Instruments Student Scholarship and the ACM Endowed Scholarship for Computer Science. She has been honored as a member of ACM, UPE, Golden Key National Honor Society, the Baylor University Programming Team and the Honors Program Student Committee.
Scott plans to pursue a master's degree in Computer Science or begin a career in the field of computer programming.
Stephanie Dooley was chosen as the outstanding student for the Baylor School of Law. Dooley graduated from the University of Texas in 1991 with a degree in government and then worked for senator David Sibley of Waco. In law school, Dooley has received many honors including the C. Clifton Robinson Insurance Law Award, the Vial Hamilton Koch & Knox Moot Court Award and was honored as a Top Ten Speaker for the Dawson & Sodd Moot Court Competition. She has been named to the Dean's List numerous times and is included in Who's Who Among American Law Students for 1996-97.
Dooley will graduate from the Law school in May and take the bar exam in July. In September, she will join the firm of Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal in Dallas.
Bradley Hunter Welch was named as the outstanding student for the School of Music. Welch, of Knoxville, Tenn., holds a 3.9 grade point average. He has received honors as Outstanding Choral Musician and the Dean's Award for Outstanding Performance. He has served as the accompanist for the Concert Choir, Men's Glee Club, A Cappella Choir and has been the organist at St. Alban's Episcopal Church since his freshman year at Baylor.
After graduation, Welch plans to pursue the Master and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees at Yale University and eventually plans to become a professor of organ at a major university, serve as an organist in a church and perform as a concert organist.
Jill L. McCraken was named the outstanding student from the School of Nursing.

McCraken graduated form Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Mo., and has a 3.37 grade-point average at Baylor. While on the Waco campus, McCraken was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She was named to the Dean's List and has been honored as part of the Golden Key National Honor Society and Who's Who Among American College Students. She is a member of Alpha Tau Delta, a professional nursing sorority and the Baylor Student nurses Association (BSNA).
After graduation, McCraken hopes to work at the Baylor Medical Center in Dallas as an intensive care nurse and eventually become an Emergency Room Nurse Practitioner.
William D. Shiell was selected as the outstanding student from George W. Truett Seminary. Shiell, a Pensacola, Fla. native, graduated Cum Laude from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. Shiell, a full-time student at Truett Seminary, has a 4.0 grade point average and serves as the Minister of Music and Education at First Baptist Church of Lorena. He has held numerous positions in church-related vocations such a music assistant (FBC, Pensacola, Fla.), interim minister of music (FBC, Anniston, Ala.) chaplain's assistant (Baptist Hospital, Pensacola, Fla.) and college ministry intern (Dawson Memorial Baptist, Birmingham, Ala.).
After graduation, Schiell plan to begin work on his doctorate in the fall and pastor a church.
Tamarah Lynne Adair was chosen as the outstanding student for the Graduate School. Adair earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Baylor in 1985, taught school for eight years and worked part-time as a medical technologist. She returned to Baylor to pursue a graduate degree in biomedical studies and earned a master's degree from The Institute of Biomedical Studies in 1996 and is now a candidate for the doctorate in biomedical studies. Adair maintains a 4.0 grade point average and has been named to the Dean's List, the Distinguished Dean's List and has won the Excellence in Teaching Award in 1991. She spends her extracurricular time with her family which includes her husband, Rick; children, Wesley (15), Brandon (14), Tyler (11) and Haley (7).
Adair plans to complete her doctorate by May 1998 and to stay in medical research and teaching at the college level, preferably in a pre-med program.