Fisher Hargrove is a proud Houston native, born and raised in the suburbs of Klein, Texas. He will soon graduate from Baylor University with his degree in Entrepreneurship and a minor in Digital Media Management. During his time at Baylor, he has been actively involved with the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity (ATO), where he held the position of Sing Chair. During the week, Fisher enjoys participating in intramural football and volleyball games as well as attending ATO Bible study. On weekends, he is surrounded by his friends and also visits his girlfriend in Chicago, while attending church services at Harris Creek Baptist Church. He further displays his passion for working with young people through volunteering on a Young Life College team that works to mentor local high schoolers. When not engaged in these activities, Fisher loves to make music, sing, and play the guitar!
Fisher’s great grandmother, Frances Derden, was privileged to grow up close to the Baylor campus on 9th Street. During the first 100 years of its existence as an educational institution in the early 1930s, she and her two sisters all graduated from this esteemed university. Her brother Albert Derden also attended school there, where he joined a multitude of teams such as football, golf, and debate while attaining his law degree in 1928. His outstanding performance enabled him to be successful in Texas politics later on, with roles including state legislator (1931-1941) and assistant attorney general for the Texas State. His aunt received a journalism degree, his uncle a finance degree, his mother an Education degree, and his father a Psychology degree…all from Baylor! But a rich legacy is not the only reason Fisher chose Baylor. He is a Baylor fan through thick and thin.
Though being part of a strong Division 1 athletic program has been amazing, even more valuable to Fisher is the academic excellence in his field of study. He originally planned to get a degree in the new and up-and-coming S3 program at the business school. However, after further consideration and realizing that he would likely be working for his father’s privately-owned medical device company, it made more sense for him to move over to Entrepreneurship/Corporate Innovation. With Baylor hosting one of the nation’s premier ENT programs, Fisher knew that this was a unique chance to gain valuable knowledge and expertise–something he could bring back and utilize in his family business for further growth.
According to Fisher, Professor Scheefe was his favorite professor at Baylor due to his teaching style of promoting collaborative yet instructive group projects. What made him stand out even more was that he enabled students to express themselves creatively in ways relevant to their future professional endeavors. Allowing them this freedom and opportunity resulted in a truly meaningful learning experience.
During his time at Baylor, Fisher was blessed to discover a band of brothers who made the college experience so much more enjoyable. Countless hours were devoted to eating together in dining halls, studying together, as well as simply bonding through conversations on their house porch. Fisher says, “These friendships have challenged me to embrace differences, work through conflict, hold fast to my faith, and deepen my relationship with Christ. It is one of the aspects of leaving the university setting that I will miss the most and likely never experience again in the way I did during these past four years at Baylor.”
Fisher is convinced that Baylor has imparted priceless knowledge to him all throughout his years of schooling there. “My freshman year I learned the importance of tradition and school spirit running in the Baylor Line before every home game. It is a contagious joy that translates from schools to companies, churches, and families. Through serving in mission programs in the community my sophomore year, I learned the need to leave a margin in our busy lives to be available to help the under-served communities around us,” says Fisher.
Fisher gained the skills to use his voice during his junior year during his time in Waco schools with YoungLife. He was presented with the possibility of weaving together his leadership strengths and enthusiasm in order to bond with high school students while advocating for Christianity’s mission. “I think the influence of the Christian atmosphere at Baylor is unique to Baylor. My fraternity, professors, clubs, and academics offered outlets for my Christian beliefs to not only thrive but also grow and deepen, and this will undeniably set me up for success,” says Fisher.
Fisher recounts Baylor’s mission statement: to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community. “I am proud that my family’s legacy has represented that mission with honor and excellence, and I look forward to the opportunity to follow in their footsteps after graduation,” said Fisher.
