Waldo Villarreal

Contact: Waldo_Villarreal@baylor.edu

Year I joined Baylor Admissions: 2023

Hometown: Brownsville, Texas

Favorite Thing About Baylor: My favorite thing about Baylor is its close-knit community feel. Baylor has done a wonderful job at creating an environment that fosters quality community. This was apparent to me during my time at Line Camp before school even started. Since then, I've experienced the same quality community that I fell in love with all those years ago. From the caring faculty to the countless staff that is invested in your success and well-being, Baylor has continued to produce wonderful stewards of its mission to provide a caring community for its students.

Favorite Place in Waco: My favorite place in Waco is George's Restaurant. There's nothing better than having a sizeable chicken fried steak with fries and an ice-cold Dr. Pepper after a long day of work plus the ambiance is kind and welcoming. A close second favorite is Pinewood Coffee Bar. My wife and I frequent that place for its espresso and charming ambiance.

What Inspires Me: My entire family inspires me, but especially my mother. She has been such a pillar of strength for my siblings and I, and her faith in God has never wavered even through the really difficult seasons in her life and in ours. She inspires me to be the best Christian I can be, and I strive to always be someone that she can be proud of. She truly embodies the words of David in Psalm 23:4, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me."

Favorite Hobbies: I love to sing! I have been in choir since I was in seventh grade, and I was actually in three different choirs while I was at Baylor without being a Music major! I enjoy playing acoustic guitar--my friends and I would sometimes do impromptu worship nights and would just pass the guitar around and have different people play while others sang. I also love sports and rooting for my teams, especially the Baylor Bears! I also enjoy are having game nights (board games, card games, and video games such as Mario Kart), seeing movies with friends at the theater, and having theological discussions!

Fun Facts About Me: I'm a native bilingual--English and Spanish. As of this post, I've achieved a 205-day streak in French Duolingo. I lived in Mexico until I was eighteen. I'm an above-average Mario Kart player. I got to go on three mission trips during my time at Baylor to Kenya, South Africa, and Kenya again. I lived on campus during my freshman year and my third year of graduate school as a residence hall chaplain. I was in the last freshman class that ran the Baylor Line at Floyd Casey Stadium, Baylor's previous football stadium.

My Advice to You: You don't have to have it all figured out by the time you're eighteen. It may feel like the choices you make now will mark the course of your life forever, but remember that there's nothing wrong with changing your mind and trying other paths. With that being said, put in the work daily so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor down the road. Submit everything as early as possible so that you can truly enjoy your last year of high school making memories with your friends. Also, enjoy this process as much as you can. It may seem daunting to have to make a decision like this, but know that you are never alone in this process and we are here to support you to the best of our ability. SIC 'EM BEARS!!!