Aussie Bears
After graduation, Baylor Alumni fling their green and gold around the world, including one family who still finds ways to rep the Bears, even while living over 8,000 miles and 15 time zones away in Australia.
David, B.S. ’01, and Sunny Hodge, B.S.N. ’03, both enjoyed stellar collegiate careers as student-athletes, with David earning All-America honors and helping Baylor men’s tennis to the program’s first Big 12 Championship title in 2000. He was the first Baylor men’s tennis alumnus to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam, earning a spot in the 2002 Australian Open.
Baylor volleyball fans may remember Sunny Hodge, formerly Nicholas, as an All-Big 12 middle blocker, named to the program’s 25th Anniversary team and earning three All-Big 12 academic first team selections. She would go on to attend Baylor’s Louise Herrington Nursing School in Dallas, finishing her studies as the valedictorian of her class.
Sunny’s work in high-risk labor and delivery at the University of Colorado Hospital and Stanford Hospital, along with David’s time coaching at the collegiate level, kept the family stateside for a few years after graduation until 2007. David accepted a position as the Head National Coach for Tennis Australia, overseeing the country’s top professional players, and Sunny earned a role at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, the largest teaching hospital in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Hodge family has grown over the years, with Ainsley, John and Camden all born in Australia, but retaining U.S. citizenship — as David adds, “just in case they earn a spot at Baylor in the future!”
The family still gets up early to watch Baylor teams play on streaming, “with our green and gold on at every opportunity,” said David.
“We are proud ambassadors for Baylor and we’re excited to see our Baylor family, teammates and classmates — and to show Bear Country to Ainsley, John and Camden — this fall. We plan on catching as many events as we can during that time!”