Four grads recognized for academics, leadership

Four Baker University graduates—Ashley Daub, Max Dutton, Garrett Hart, and Mercedes Ruiz—were named Outstanding Seniors at the May 21 Commencement Ceremony at Liston Stadium. This award recognizes graduates who exhibit superior achievement in academics and leadership.

The Outstanding Seniors received a cash award made possible by the Outstanding Senior Endowed Fund, established through a gift from the Class of 2021.

ASHLEY DAUB

Daub, of Independence, Missouri, graduated with bachelor of arts degrees in Spanish and communications studies and a minor in leadership studies. Daub said she struggled her freshman year to find her place on campus but thrived once she immersed herself.

“After returning from COVID and summer break in 2020, I realized how important community is since we had just spent months and months without seeing each other,” she said. “I stepped into some leadership roles as the recreation coordinator on SAC’s executive board, Student Senate’s secretary, and became a resident assistant on campus. I regretted not being a part of campus life during my first year, so I became focused on fostering community and helping others, specifically freshmen, get involved on campus early.”

Daub studied abroad in the summer of 2022 at the University of Granada in Granada, Spain, and described the experience as life changing.

“First, as a Spanish major, I learned so much about the language through taking classes taught exclusively in Spanish,” she said. “I also gained so much confidence in my speaking abilities since my host mom and many others we met exclusively spoke Spanish. Second, as a human, I learned so much about people and how big the world truly is. We were totally immersed into the culture from the second we arrived, and it was so beautiful. The way of life in Granada was so inspiring and influenced me to make some changes to mine when I returned to the United States.”

Daub plans to move to Kansas City and pursue career opportunities. “I think that my legacy at Baker lies within the people I’ve touched and the organizations that I’ve helped to shape. I have prepared future Wildcats by training and prepping the people who will take over for me. I hope that I have set a strong example of how to lead in these organizations so they will continue to thrive next year and on.”

MAX DUTTON

Dutton, of Sterling, Kansas, graduated with a bachelor of science degree in mass media with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. Dutton transferred to Baker after his freshman year at Sterling College.

“Baker changed my life,” he said. “I had just missed half of my freshman year due to COVID shutting down the school, and I didn’t know what I was going to do. I came on my visit just days before the campus shut down, but I knew that this was where I needed to be. I started my sophomore year as a nervous, clueless kid, and now I’m leaving as an ambitious, confident man who knows what he wants to do and the legacy he wants to leave. My legacy at Baker will be based on not what I did, but on how I did it. I got my money’s worth here. I was involved in cross country, track, theater, choir, The Baker Orange, and admissions. I made sure that I was going to do as much as I could.”

During his time at Baker, Dutton worked as a news reporter at KSNT News in Topeka, which catapulted his career to a weekend morning anchor at KWCH News in Wichita and ultimately landed him a full-time postgraduation job with KWCH News. “This is my proudest accomplishment while at Baker. I made immense sacrifices to get this position. On most weekends when my friends and other peers were watching football or at a party, I was in Wichita anchoring alongside other broadcast professionals at Wichita’s No. 1 news station. I went through an extensive interview process to get this position, and I am the youngest anchor the station has ever hired.”

Dutton was the 2021 Kansas Association of Broadcasters Student News Anchor of the Year and received honorable mention in 2022. He started the student-run news show “The Word with Max Dutton” and was all-conference in track and cross country.

“Students can see my story and know there is a place for them when they step foot on campus,” he said. “They can see my story and know that it is possible to be a full-time student and work full time. I don’t make excuses. I didn’t have the typical college experience, and that’s not what I wanted. I wanted to use Baker as a way to set myself up for success in life. I did that, and I leave here as a person I never would’ve been without this school.”

GARRETT HART

Hart, of Lawrence, Kansas, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and minors in sports administration and data analytics. Hart said one of his main goals at Baker was to become as involved as possible.

“Once arriving on campus, I immediately gravitated towards Greek life to meet new people around my age and connect with those previously affiliated with the chapter who are currently in the workforce. I also joined Baker Serves and became an active member in the club, leading several events such as the annual 9/11 flag planting and benefits for local police and fire departments around Baldwin City.”

Hart served in many roles within the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, including as its president in 2022. He helped the chapter regain its national distinction as a SigEp Learning Community accredited chapter, which is awarded to fewer than 50 chapters nationwide and requires the chapter to achieve a housewide minimum GPA of 3.25.

In the summer of 2022, Hart interned as an operational accountant at the Dairy Farmers of America. He used that experience to win the business department’s annual BOOK internship competition in the fall.

“I gained a further understanding of the full operations of Dairy Farmers of America and how exactly they operate with farmers as a milk marketing co-op,” he said. “My final presentation consisted of issues surrounding sustainability within the dairy industry, most notably controversies with a continual overproduction of milk, the impact of seasonal effects, and product sales/prices of dairy products over the past three decades. The competition was one of the most beneficial experiences I have had within a classroom setting, as it allowed me to connect with Baker alumni serving as judges, present my findings that I had worked tirelessly on, and helped significantly from a financial perspective towards paying for school.”

Hart, who is working as an accounting assistant for Zarco 66, said he hopes Baker students realize the wide variety of opportunities available to them. “I feel that the legacy I am leaving behind is the reality that Baker has a multitude of different clubs, organizations, and societies that are available to students of all walks of life. Involvement on campus should not be a scary idea, and I’m certainly glad that I was able to recognize this early on within my college career and continued to serve my school and community throughout my four years at Baker.”

MERCEDES RUIZ

Ruiz, of North Hills, California, graduated with a bachelor of science degree in business and minors in psychology and data analytics. Ruiz said she was timid her first year at Baker and wondered if the campus was a good fit.

“That reminds me of how far I’ve come as a Baker student,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud of the person Baker helped shape me into. Our institution granted me opportunities to support my academic, leadership, and professional goals. I want my legacy to be a person of color who took advantage of every opportunity she had. I want to be a role model to others. I want them to understand that everyone starts somewhere, and that the only way to grow is to be uncomfortable.”

Ruiz served as class president and president of Mungano. “I pushed to overcome the challenges of getting students involved in a multicultural organization at a predominantly white institution. As president, I worked with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion faculty group. I implemented insightful posters of historical figures that align with some of our significant departments at Baker. Through consistency and open minds, I am proud that my executive team and I improved attendance at Mungano events and kept diversity, equity, and inclusion in everyone’s mind.”

During her time at Baker, Ruiz completed an internship as a marketing analyst with Eurofins Scientific.

“My internship was my first natural step into the data analytics world,” she said. “With my supervisor’s guidance, I could experience what goes on at the professional level and how to use my academic skills in a practical sense. Although I felt underqualified for the position, my experience helped build my confidence in myself and my abilities.”

Macy Warburton, executive director of Student Affairs, said Ruiz left a lasting impression on Baker’s campus. “Mercedes helped evolve Mungano throughout her time as an executive officer to make it an open space for a variety of our students.”