Determined Are the Leaders

Meet Daniel Russell

When Daniel Russell sets his mind to something, he pursues it relentlessly. As a triple major in the business school studying finance, entrepreneurship and management, setting goals has helped him stay focused on what really matters – a vibrant Baylor experience that runs deep and wide. 

“Baylor offers great academics, but beyond that, there are so many ways to get involved and enjoy your college years,” Daniel said. “That’s what really makes Baylor special – you can grow spiritually and achieve your academic goals, and you can have a great time while you’re doing it with friends in a close community.”

Daniel knows that college life isn’t all about the books – though he is deeply committed to his studies, he has also prioritized other areas of his life while at Baylor.

Relationships with faculty have made a big impact. “My first teacher on my first day introduces himself and he actually offered to take every single one of us out to a lunch or breakfast on him. I took him up on it and met him for breakfast one day and had a great talk. He still talks to me when he sees me. And that’s just one example that has made my Baylor experience so memorable.”

Daniel’s determined leadership makes its way from the classroom to the court, where he fervently cheers on the Baylor Bears during basketball season.

“I’m in an organization called the Bear Pit,” he said. “We lead the student section during basketball games. I always sit in the front row of Foster Pavilion and help lead the chants, cheer on the players, and hype up the crowd.”

Making friends at Line Camp the summer before his classes began helped Daniel adjust to campus life. “Being from out of state, I didn’t know a lot of people coming to Baylor,” Daniel said. “Going to Line Camp and already having a group of friends to rely on and reach out to when I arrived in August was a really big benefit. My best friend now is someone I met at Line Camp.”

As he looks to his future, Daniel is eager to explore new horizons and reach new heights. His next challenge: a job in software sales in the Dallas area after graduation. With the experience gained in two internships after his sophomore and junior years, he began to figure out what he wanted to do. 

“When I have a goal in mind, I’ll do whatever it takes to achieve it,” Daniel said. “Being in three majors while balancing my job and other commitments takes a lot of goal setting, planning and strategy. Knowing what I want to accomplish in my time here at Baylor has really helped me stay focused. I’m very excited, a little nervous to go out into the real world, but I know Baylor’s prepared me well.”