Fall 2025 - Christine Stucker Klote's love for Baylor University is rooted in the sense of family found across its campus, from classrooms and residence halls to student life facilities and athletic venues. Baylor is a place where people know your name, she said.

"When I started looking at different universities, I knew I wanted to stay in Texas. My high school graduating class at Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth only had 32 students, so I thought a large public university would be overwhelming," she said. "When I visited Baylor, I instantly decided it would be a perfect fit for me. The students and faculty were so friendly, and of course the spiritual aspect was also important to me."

Today, Christine still stays in touch with her Collins Residence Hall friends and often vacations with her Kappa Alpha Theta sorority sisters. And as a reflection of the powerful role that supportive communities can have on a person's life, she and her husband, Jeffrey Klote, have made a bequest commitment in their estate plans to benefit Baylor University.

STRONG VALUES

Christine, who earned a B.B.A. and an M.B.A. from Baylor in 1984 and 1996, respectively, said she quickly converted her husband to Baylor fandom when they began dating. A graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, Jeffrey now happily pulls on his green-and-gold gear to join in cheering on the Bears at football and basketball games.

In recent years, the Klotes have grown to have great admiration for the student-athletes and staff of the women's basketball program. In fact, they have designated their planned gift to create an endowment for the team.

"We have a deep appreciation for what the program represents, not just in terms of athletic excellence but concerning the lives it touches and the values it upholds," Christine said. "When we thought about our estate plan, we wanted it to reflect what matters most to us — faith, education, equity, and opportunity. Including Baylor women's basketball felt like a natural extension of those values and a way to leave something lasting that could continue to make a difference well into the future."

Christine said that attending Baylor strengthened the values that have enabled her to achieve success in her personal life and career. "The rigorous academics prepared me for the challenges of my career, while the University's emphasis on faith, leadership, and service helped me grow in values that continue to guide my decisions today," she said. "I left Baylor not only with a degree but with a deep sense of purpose and a supportive community that I've leaned on over the years."

As senior vice president of Texas highway products for Race Rock, a market leader in Texas for the distribution of highway products to installers, today Christine leads a team that handles highway guardrails, bridge rails, crash cushions, signposts, and corrugated metal pipes. In 2024, she was selected as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Construction and Civil Works by Women We Admire.

A LASTING GIFT

Christine explained that her and her husband's philanthropy has a strategic purpose.

"For us, financially supporting Baylor is more than just philanthropy — it's an investment in the next generation of leaders and a way to ensure that students today have the same transformational opportunities we had," she said. "It's deeply meaningful to contribute to a place that continues to align with our values and that we know is making a lasting difference in the world."

The Klotes hope that the endowment their planned gift will create ultimately becomes a symbol of commitment — to women's sports, education, and the holistic development of young women — in alignment with Baylor's mission to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service.

"I would encourage other alumni to think about the lasting impact they want to have, not just today but for generations to come," Christine said. "A planned gift to Baylor is a powerful way to extend your legacy and invest in a mission you believe in."