Creating Opportunities

Fall 2019 - When Doug and Natalie Freeman look back on their Baylor years, they are in complete agreement about the profound impact that attending the University had on their lives.

"Second only to my parents and my family, Baylor is the foundation of who I am as an adult," said Natalie, who earned a BBA with a concentration in finance from Baylor in 1988. "Of course, I learned my vocation at Baylor, but I also learned how to apply my Christianity to my work and home life and how to challenge myself to do more than I ever thought possible."

For his part, Doug said he remembers Baylor as a community of people who were serious about their faith and their education. "I was able to live out my faith at Baylor, and it was nurtured and encouraged there," said Doug, who graduated from Baylor with a BBA in accounting and finance in 1988.

"Baylor has also had a huge impact on our heart for missions," Doug said, "and God has used that mightily over the years in our lives."

Today, Doug and Natalie both said they can see their Baylor experience continuing to shape their lives because it encompassed far more than the undergraduate degrees that equipped them to earn a living. Being part of a campus community grounded in faith and committed to academic excellence gave the couple a sense of purpose and possibility.

Doug is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Global Management Accountant, and he is licensed in the state of Kansas. Natalie began her career with Andersen Consulting, followed by ten years with Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, and now has a bookkeeping business. They have five children, one of whom was adopted from China and two of whom are Baylor graduates.

"When our oldest child decided to attend Baylor, we were so excited for him!" Natalie said. "We knew he was about to experience something amazing, and we were so comfortable sending him to the place we loved and still love."

Like many families, the Freemans were grateful for the scholarships and financial aid that helped them pay for their children's Baylor education. "With five kids and increasing college costs, we honestly never thought we'd be able to afford to send our kids to Baylor," Doug said. "But with scholarships and financial aid to supplement our contribution, it has been possible."

A desire to enable others to have the same opportunity they and their children have had to experience a transformational education at Baylor led Doug and Natalie to make a provision in their estate plans in support of Baylor's mission.

"We knew the greatest gift we could make to Baylor would come after our needs were done, given that our capacity for giving back to Baylor while raising kids and in retirement would be limited," Doug said. "Baylor is a special place for me. It is worthy of the best I can give to honor how God used the University to mold me."

Natalie echoed Doug's words, noting that an estate gift to Baylor has allowed them to commit to a gift now while ensuring that the couple has adequate funds while their children are growing up and starting their careers.

"I believe Baylor is worthy of my investment because our world would be better in so many ways if more people had the opportunity to be impacted by Baylor and similar institutions," Natalie said.