Baylor Launches Trailblazer Scholars Program

During a July 14 virtual town hall event hosted by the Baylor Black Alumni Alliance and the Baylor Alumni Latino Group, Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., announced the establishment of the Trailblazer Scholars Program. The program is designed to recognize the importance of fostering diversity and mutual respect at the University.

Trailblazer Scholars launched with $5 million in scholarship support. The University also is actively engaging alumni and donors to benefit at least 80 students through the program. The individual scholarships will honor donors and trailblazers throughout Baylor’s history.

Students in the Trailblazer Scholars Program will participate in leadership and service opportunities through various groups and programs, including Baylor’s Department of Multicultural Affairs. The annually awarded and renewable scholarships will be available to students who maintain a 2.5 GPA and are actively committed to conversations and initiatives advancing racial conciliation on Baylor’s campus and throughout the nation.

“Establishing the Trailblazer Scholars Program is a meaningful and tangible step in supporting, encouraging and equipping our students of color,” Livingstone said at the event. “Baylor University made a pledge to lean into opportunities to listen, learn and grow alongside our students, and this innovative new program is another step forward in fulfilling that promise.”

Dr. Kevin Jackson, vice president for Baylor Student Life, said Trailblazer Scholars will foster an inclusive and supportive environment in which students will grow as leaders. “Baylor’s students are called to be lights in this world and are charged with graduating from this University to lead, serve and improve the communities in which they will live,” Jackson said. “A life of service and such important community building must be developed during their time as students. We have had many inspiring examples throughout Baylor’s history of the impact our students can have at Baylor, and I look forward to witnessing how the recipients of the Trailblazer Scholarships will honor that legacy.”