Hosted by CEO Jonathon Platt, The Baylor Line’s flagship podcast The Green Room brings conversations by Baylor alumni, for Baylor alumni, about the Baylor Family. Converging at Baylor, interviewees bring stories from all walks of life and diverge on journeys of extraordinary heights (literally), on the big screen, and across the world.
To hear full interviews with all the guests, visit our podcast page.
Alexandra Benda
Former United States Marine Corps Reservist; Deployment Strategist at Air Space Intelligence
Q: “What was it like learning you’d be flying with the Marine One squadron?”
A: “When I was even at Baylor, I remember seeing that the first female that was ever a Marine One flew President Bush and President Obama. … It was in the news because that was a big deal. … I remember in the back of my head thinking, ‘Man, it’d be really cool to follow in those footsteps and get to fly the president someday.’ … Framing my career and perspective, I was able to be successful in my first six years [as a Marine], which enabled me to apply to go to the presidential helicopter squadron. … They don’t take just anybody.”
Listen now: Cleared for Takeoff: An Interview with Alexandra Benda
Amanda Hayes Roark
Booking Producer at Bloomberg TV
Q: “How do you make sure work and life stay in equilibrium while working in demanding positions?”
A: “That is the ongoing question. That’s something I’m always working on learning more about and fine-tuning. The example that comes to mind is this most recent election day, November 2024, with my fellow booking producers. They were talking about how everyone’s holding up with just a long day of anticipation. … I’m a believer in trying to stay calm, whatever way that looks like for any individual, even if the environment around you is stressful.”
Listen now: Behind the Broadcast: An Interview with Amanda Hayes Roark
Dr. Jeter Basden
Retired Director of Ministry Guidance; Professor Emeritus of Religion
Q: “If you could go back and talk to that student on campus who’s finding his way, is there anything, any advice you’d give him?”
A: “I’d say try to figure out who you are, a student. Understand your strengths, understand your abilities, and play to those strengths. God created you uniquely. And then build on those strengths by your educational experiences. And again, as I said earlier, it’s not a one size fits all. Every student is unique. I would encourage them to explore right at the undergraduate level. Take courses that interest them and follow your interests. I think those are God-given as well. Follow your strengths, build on who you are.”
Listen now: Guided by Grace: An Interview with Dr. Jeter Basden
Rev. Dr. Eric Mathis
Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C.
Q: “Baylor prepared you spiritually for the work you do now. If there’s a student who’s experiencing some of the same curiosity, confusion, or even pain you were experiencing, what do you think they need to hear in order for them to know it’s going to be OK?”
A: “Truett was very, very Texas Baptist. What I wish I would’ve gotten more of there was a more ecumenical perspective, a more global perspective on Christianity and on the church then just Texas Baptist. The church is about much more than that, and I wish that bigger picture would’ve been painted a little more for me. “I would also say I’m someone who came out as gay later in life and I think a lot of that and coming out later is my own challenge. … I do think that any institution does a disservice to its students when they don’t give them the space to name and explore fully who they are and also to set that in the context of the God who created them.”
Listen now: Called in Every Key: An Interview with Eric Mathis
Dr. Felipe Hinojosa
John and Nancy Jackson Endowed Chair in Latin America; Professor of History
Q: “How did being raised in a predominantly Catholic, Mexican-American sanctuary church impact your approach to teaching, to scholarship, and even to advocacy?”
A: “I’m not your typical history professor that’s going to give you a timeline of dates and quiz you on ‘What date did this happen?’ I’m a person of faith. I’m a preacher’s kid. There’s probably going to be some preaching going on maybe every once in a while, not to proselytize or convert students, but to raise questions of morality and ethics in the history classroom. … I want them to leave somewhat troubled, asking questions, and hopefully being able to go into different settings in their universe. I think that’s why people are trying to go after [history], or change it, or keep it from being taught, or exclude it from the curriculum. Because people know just how powerful it can be.”
Listen now: The Gospel According to Justice: An Interview with Dr. Felipe Hinojosa
Dr. Coretta Pittman
Vice Provost for Community Engagement and Belonging
Q: “What values did your predecessor Dr. Stephen Reid hold, and what are some of your plans to enhance those values even further in the Baylor Family?”
A: “One of the things I love about Steve Reed is that he’s a kind human being. I think sometimes in this fast-paced world that kindness is seen as a weakness, so I value the fact that when he’s engaging with people across ethnic groups or racial groups or gender or whatever, he’s just kind. … He also believes in grace. When people make mistakes, he extends grace to them. I want to keep that in mind as well. I’m not going to be perfect, and I want somebody to give me grace in my role or just as a human. … We ought to be looking out for each other, and that’s something that I have watched him do as well.”
Listen now: Narratives that Lead: A Talk with Dr. Coretta Pittman
Ambassador Doug Silliman
President of Arab Gulf States Institute; Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq
Q: “You mentioned the high school teacher who really awakened your interest in political science in foreign service. What do you remember about their conversation with you?”
A: “Her name was Carolyn Hines. And I said, ‘Ms. Hines, I’m going to take Latin IV for my senior year,’ and she said, ‘That’s great. You’re the only Latin IV student, so you’re going to get an A and instead of studying Latin, you’re going to help me develop a curriculum and help me teach an English as a second language class.’ … She also called my father and said, ‘Mr. Silliman, when Doug graduates from high school, as a present you should send him on a trip somewhere outside the United States. He needs to see something other than the United States, just to whet his appetite for the rest of the world.’ Mrs. Hines and her husband paid for me to go on a three-week trip to Europe. …For all of you out there who are in education programs, who are teachers, who want to be good teachers in the future, you really can make a difference with your students.”
Listen now: Bears, Beatles, and Zombies: An Interview with Ambassador Doug Silliman
Lisa Hanna
Head of Public Affairs and Policy Communications at Delta Air Lines
Q: “Before working in government and policy in Washington D.C. you worked at a local Waco TV station. What do you remember most about being a young journalist navigating the news scene?”
A: “When 9/11 happened, I remember being in the newsroom that morning. I had just gotten to work and watched the plane fly into the second Twin Tower. … I remember going out to [President George W. Bush’s ranch in] Crawford … and just standing out there and witnessing the unbelievable situation that we were in – history. We had been attacked. Our president had just landed back in Texas. … Our world will never be the same. … Just realizing that you’re actually getting to cover history in the making and that day in that moment changed lives for eternity.”
Listen now: Long Story Short: An Interview with Lisa Hanna
