Melissa Go: Cheerful Change

When you meet junior Melissa Go, one of the first things you’ll notice is her cheerful personality.  She is bubbly and takes time to enjoy the little things in life.  Melissa is an entrepreneurship and accounting major.  This might not seem too uncommon until you learn a little bit more about her story.

Melissa is from Jakarta, Indonesia.  She is fourth out of five siblings, and followed her two older sisters’ footsteps to come to Baylor.  Family legacies at Baylor are common, but not many families can say they all traveled overseas to attend Baylor! When Melissa came to Baylor for her sister’s graduation, she knew she belonged here, too.

“I knew I was meant to go to Baylor,” Melissa said.  “It’s the only school I applied, too!”

Even though Baylor is a family tradition, Melissa has made it her own.  She joined Alpha Lambda Delta, and serves as the historian.  She is a regular at Waco favorites Bangkok Royal and Baris, and has created a place for herself in the Baylor community.

Melissa quickly found her place was in the business school.  In Business 1301, she discovered she loved business and how decisions can affect the business sector.  Unlike most students, she actually enjoyed the business simulation project! Melissa chose entrepreneurship as her major because ever since she was 7 years old, she has desired to start her own business.  She hopes to open a business in Indonesia that will help others.

“I want my business to be both profitable and charitable,” she said.  “I want to help those in Indonesia who have not been as fortunate as I have been.”

At Baylor, she learned she doesn’t have to wait until she graduates and moves back to Indonesia to help others.  As a freshman, she helped explain difficult business material to her friends, and realized that not only was she good at tutoring, but she also enjoyed it!

“I became a tutor because I like helping people,” Melissa said. “I like to see them smile when they finally understand a concept!”

Melissa encourages everyone to take advantage of the free tutoring services Baylor offers.

“I attend tutoring when I have trouble understanding something, too,” she said.  “It’s good to seek out help when you need it.”

Her cheerful disposition and heart for helping others makes her a great asset to the tutoring department.  Once she leaves Baylor, those same characteristics will help her change her home country of Indonesia!

Claire Major: Standing Out

From the beginning, Claire Major learned to stand out.  She is one of six children, “a true middle child,” and she learned early on she loves having a look all her own.  She fell into the typical little sister mold of stealing her older sisters’ clothes, but soon decided she could create her own looks.

She never considered fashion a career option until she reached high school, when she took an apparel construction class at a community college. “Once I learned to sew, it was all downhill from there!” she said. 

Today, Claire is a standout Apparel Design and Product Development major at Baylor.  In fact, it was Baylor’s top-ranking fashion program that drew her to the University in the first place.  Baylor was on Claire’s radar during the job search because her oldest sister attended, but when she discovered the 19^th ranked fashion program was here, it seemed like a match made in heaven.

“The combination of my familiarity with the school, its academic prestige and Christian background, and the excellence of the fashion department led me to Baylor,” said Claire.

Claire has further honed her skill and passion for the apparel industry during her time at Baylor.  Several professors, especially Ms. Fader, have taken an interest in her development.  “She has confidence in me (more than I have in myself sometimes) and is always pushing me to higher levels of excellence,” she said. 

Claire became a tutor because she enjoys helping others reaching their greatest potential, just as Ms. Fader has done for her.  She loves seeing students actively seeking support, and striving to succeed.  She encourages all students to attend tutoring, because “it can’t hurt” and it’s free! 

No matter what she is doing, Claire stands out.  From her unique fashion style to patient and cheerful personality, she is a stand out in any crowd!

Fun fact about Claire: She enjoys practicing yoga and is a vegan!

Kaila Jurado: Traditions, CPAs... and Food!

Kaila Jurado is one of the most driven students you will ever meet.  An accounting graduate student, she balances work and extracurricular activities with some of the toughest classes at Baylor.  It’s no secret that the Accounting core is rigorous, but Kaila thrives on the pace of the accounting world.

Make no mistake- Kaila’s life is full of hard work.  Currently working on passing her CPA exams (which have only a 16 percent pass rate on the first attempt), she spends her time studying.  But she also finds time for fun, and is the proud owner of a new puppy!

Baylor’s many traditions are what drew Kaila to Waco.  Originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, she is the first Bear from her family.  She has created a legacy, though.  Her younger sister is now a freshman at Baylor!

“I wanted to attend a university focused on Christian beliefs and academic excellence,” said Kaila.  “My favorite memory is my sister choosing to follow in my footsteps!”

Kaila choosing Accounting as her major had less to do with tradition and more to do with food.  The many free meals provided by the Accounting Department are what originally drew her into the field.

“I loved all the free George’s meals at accounting events,” Kaila said.  “And my favorite professor, Dr. MacGregor, brought us bananas sometimes!”

While Kaila enjoys the perks of being accounting major, the fast-paced nature of the field fits in with her hardworking personality.  Because of this work ethic, tutoring seemed to be the perfect choice when Kaila decided to get a job.

“I love teaching others seemingly complex concepts in a way they can understand,” Kaila said.

Kaila hopes to eventually move into the non-profit field, where she can combine her love of business with her love for helping people.

Erica Xeiwei Jiang: Searching for Passion

Erica Jiang is a unique student.  A sophomore from China, she understands things about life that most college students haven’t begun to grasp. Through her studies of various mathematicians, she has discovered the seed that will sprout success in her life- passion.

 One of Erica’s favorite books, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, led her to the search for passion.

 “If you aren't passionate about your vocation, you will have a real tough time sustaining a startup, let alone living through the dark days,” the book explains.  Erica understands the importance of loving what you do, and she is in search of just the right vocation.

While at Baylor, Erica has discovered some important things about herself, and she has begun to uncover some of those passions.  For example, she loves mathematics.  She respects their ability to solve problems and create order in a chaotic world.

“They are so efficient and straightforward,” Erica said. “Nothing else can help to explain a system and to make predictions about behavior as efficiently as mathematical models.”

To a student who is constantly searching for meaning, tutoring seemed an obvious choice.  While she is constantly discovering new questions and searching for their answers, she is able to provide guidance to students.  She is able to share the knowledge she has gained through her journey in discovery.

“I enjoy the moment when students who turn to me completely understand the question due to my help,” she said.

Even though Erica hasn’t completely figured out her life yet, she knows she’s on the right path.  Baylor has been a step in the right direction, and she knows she will discover her passion during her time here.  It’s just a matter of perseverance.

“I’ll never give up,” she said. “I will always work hard to achieve my goals.”