Joy Lord and Luke Baker, Brook Hill, Class of 2009; Baylor University, Class of 2013; Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Class of 2016.

From the desk of Ginger Bell, Director of Family and Alumni Relations:  Luke Baker graduated from Brook Hill in 2009 after attending for 6 years.  You can just imagine the growth he saw during his years at BH.  The Football Stadium, Baseball Complex, Founder’s Hall and the Bell Library were all built during those years.  And Luke is so proud he got to be a part of the rapid expansion.  He loved being a member of the very first football team, too.  Those were such exciting times in the history of our school.  But wait, it’s just as exciting now.  In fact, the Lord keeps building and growing our school from one year to the next!  No wonder Luke is proud to call BH his alma mater!

As part of that new football team, Luke really enjoyed the summer practice where the guys stayed in the boarding house during the week where they bonded as few teams get to.  That tradition continues to this day.  And, then there was Midnight Madness where the guys actually got to suit up and practice under the lights just after midnight when the day finally arrived that TAPPS would allow full pads at practice!  Luke and his family enjoyed those special practices, too.

I asked Luke what teachers he remembers as having influenced him the most and he replied, “ Man, this is a hard one. I had so many amazing teachers at Brook Hill. If I had to pick a few I would have to say Mrs. Reason, Mr. Ballard and Mr. Travis. Mrs. Reason and Mr. Ballard both challenged me in the realm of fine arts and saw potential in me that I did not know I had. If it weren’t for them, there were a lot of events within the fine arts department I might not have even tried out for or attempted. Mr. Travis also challenged me as a writer and critical thinker. I’m pretty sure I still have a paper somewhere stored away because I got a very rare “A” from him! Haha! But in all seriousness, my class was blessed to have Mr. Travis for 3 of our 4 years in high school for English. That is incredibly uncommon due to scheduling, but was worth every minute of it!

In regards to the Christian environment and its impact on his faith, Luke had this to say. “One of the greatest things about Brook Hill is that you have the opportunity to really be surrounded by people who want to encourage you to grow in your faith. Whether or not you take advantage of it and truly try to deepen your understanding of God’s will and what His calling is for all of us is up to each person individually. But Brook Hill definitely encouraged me to not only grow in my faith, but ask some tough questions that made me search in the Word for the answers. I’ve found that more often than not, searching for the answer is much more helpful than the answer itself.” Searching for those answers and learning how to do so was also a great benefit when he hit college, where research is a staple of most classes.

Luke encourages today’s students to not take anything for granted. It is a blessing to attend school in general, but to get to go to an excellent school is an even larger blessing.  Find that balance between academics and extra-curricular activities.  It truly will help you excel in college and in the future!  And, more importantly, according to Luke, “Also, do not forget to stand firm in your faith during the good and the bad. You never know what life will throw at you, but Christ is ALWAYS there. Remember “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

It’s funny to hear Luke say that “obviously” Brook Hill prepared him academically because he has done very well in both undergraduate and graduate work!  But he says BH prepared him in additional ways not measured through letter grades. “Confidence. Due to the smaller size of the school in comparison to public education, and the level of caring the educators have for their students, I was able to participate and excel in practically anything I wanted to in the school. Orchestra, football, Spring Musicals, the list goes on. If I were in either public school or a larger private school, I would maybe get to participate in one of the things listed. Getting the chance to do so many things not only developed other talents, but it developed a self-confidence that has become invaluable in my future endeavors.”

When Luke left Brook Hill, he headed to Baylor where he graduated in 2013.  Luke is now finishing up his final year of schooling and will be earning his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.  He’s currently on clinical rotations around the state and we’re hoping he gets to come back to East Texas soon!  Luke is excited to be graduating in May but even more excited to be marrying the love of his life, Joy Lord, one week after gradation!  After graduation, Luke will take the Physical Therapy Licensure Exam and hopefully practice in Texas…East Texas, please.