A Baylor Family Gives Back

SPRING 2023 - For Don Kennedy, what began as a brief visit to Baylor University's campus as part of a church group during his senior year in high school has become a long family tradition of being Baylor Bears.

"It was my first time on a college campus," Don recalled. "The experience was transformational. When I returned home, I told my parents somehow I was going to Baylor."

That fall, he found himself in Waco, and two years later his sweetheart Bonita joined him at Baylor. The couple had grown up together in Bonham, near the Texas-Oklahoma border, and started dating during Bonita's freshman year in high school, when Don was a junior.

"Neither of us had any direct connections with Baylor, but Bonita knew early on she was going to college just like her parents," Don said.

Don earned a B.A. from Baylor in 1960 and an M.B.A. from the University of Arizona four years later. After attending Baylor, Bonita Kennedy earned a B.A. from the University of Washington in 1962 and an M.Ed. degree from Arizona State University in 1967.

Some 30 years later, their daughter Sadonna Lee Kennedy Cody crossed the stage to receive a B.A. from Baylor in 1992. Then last year, her son Drake Donaldson Cody became a fellow Baylor graduate when he earned a B.B.A.

A SUCCESSFUL PATH

Don said his education at Baylor enabled him to enjoy success in his subsequent professional life.

"Early in my banking career, I was exposed to young men fresh out of college — many from elite schools," he said. "I learned that my time at Baylor had been well spent, with many lessons learned. The faculty challenged me academically and demanded performance."

Today, Don and Bonita reside in Georgetown, Texas, as retirees. Later this year, the couple will celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary. They both said they are grateful for the many blessings they have enjoyed in life.

Bonita taught high school and was in secondary school administration in Arizona for 20 years. In addition to her daily job, she served as president of the Desert Financial Credit Union for several years.

Don's banking career began in Arizona and Texas before his interests became more international. In 1998, he was a member of a consulting team responsible for the reorganization of indigenous banks in Jamaica, going on to serve as CEO of what became the third largest bank in Jamaica. He later opened the Jamaica National Building Society in Grand Cayman.

LEAVING A LEGACY During their careers and their many decades of marriage, Don and Bonita have been dedicated to helping others achieve success in their lives. In 1994, they established the Wilbur D. and Bonita S. Kennedy Endowed Scholarship Fund at Baylor, which has been an important source of financial support for Baylor students over the years. Now Don and Bonita have taken the additional step of naming Baylor as a beneficiary of their retirement accounts in order to benefit their scholarship fund. "The sacrifices of my parents, nurturing teachers and the incredible kindness of others helped me get into Baylor and have success that first year," Don said. "Bonita and I were fortunate in our careers and investments, and we are motivated to share with students what we experienced." Don said the appeal of making a planned gift lies in its ability to make a profound difference in the lives of others by growing over time. "Bonita and I understand that it's impossible to determine with any measure of certainty the impact a gift will have," Don said. "However, we have faith Baylor will reward scholarships to deserving students, and we hope those recipients will use the educational benefits received to build an exceptional life for their families and create the opportunity to someday become donors themselves to extend the Baylor Line."