Grow@BU Participant Spotlights
Read below for spotlights on participants who are participating in the Grow@BU initiative.
June 2026
Sam Smith
Sam Smith faced a challenge as a young teenager most people will never encounter. On her 13th birthday she suffered a stroke as a result of spinal meningitis that left her unable to speak or walk. She recovered over the following months, but her story ever since has not been the story of just a survivor, but also of a thriver. Her experience as a young teen deepened her faith, emboldened her witness, and inspired her to help grow others.
After meeting her husband at work at the State School in nearby Mexia, the young family moved to Waco where Sam began working in Human Resources at Waco ISD. A friend worked at Baylor, and after learning of Baylor’s tuition remission plan, Sam set her eyes on a career change and joined Baylor in fall 2018 at the Texas Hunger Initiative, now known as the Baylor Collaboration on Hunger and Poverty. The tuition remission came in handy as planned and her second son AJ will graduate from Baylor in 2027.
In her time at Baylor, Sam has continued to grow and is now a key part of the inaugural staff of the newly formed School of Earth and Environmental Sciences where she serves as the school’s Administrative Manager. In April, Sam completed the Grow@BU Professional Development Initiative, but she continues to invest in others as well. In early 2025, she launched a private initiative called She Speaks Boldly to help women heal and grow, and to help them “become the authentic women God wants them to be.”
Away from the office, she enjoys spending time with her husband and her three children Traylen, AJ, and daughter Aryanna. Congratulations, Sam, and thank you for your commitment to professional development and your contributions to Baylor.
Tamra Burkhart
While visiting a friend enrolled at Truett Seminary in the fall of 2017, Tamra Burkhart and her husband Blake fell in love with Waco’s hometown charm and Baylor’s Christian mission. After completing their studies at Wayland Baptist University, located midway between Amarillo and Lubbock off Interstate 27, the couple moved to Central Texas in search of careers and to begin their post-collegiate life.
After spending a year teaching preschool, Tamra joined Baylor’s Office of the Registrar in the fall of 2019. Now in her seventh year on staff, she serves as the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for Psychology and Neuroscience, where she helps plan undergraduate events and assists students with registration and enrollment to ensure they maintain their academic progress toward graduation. The role is a natural fit as Tamra majored in Psychology at WBU, while minoring in both Business Administration and Art.
Tamra was part of the first group to complete Grow@BU in April. An avid learner, her journey is not done yet as she is currently working on completing the requirements for the Lead@BU Professional Development Initiative. In addition to being a professional, a wife, and a mother, Tamra loves to connect with her passion for art and crafting. This summer she will have to schedule her hobby around her next educational adventure when she begins a Masters in Educational Psychology at Baylor. Way to go, Tamra! Keep learning and we wish you the best in all you do.
