Khalil Baker, the athletic recruitment coordinator at Campbellsville University, is bringing new meaning to the role of an admissions worker by making personal connections with each student he meets. Graduating from CU in 2022, and now pursuing a master’s degree, Baker’s commitment goes beyond just the bare minimum. He strives to make sure every student feels important and understood while they are at CU. When an athlete is considering CU, he tells them what programs they have, what to expect and what to look out for.
Baker has a passion for his students and a genuine care for them and how they are doing.
“Treating students like a person and not just another number or recruit to meet my numbers is very important,” he said.
Andrea Underwood, director of undergraduate admissions, is one of Baker’s coworkers.
“It’s truly a blessing to have someone so excited and motivated to meet and recruit our students,” Underwood said. “His dedication is truly unmatched. He doesn’t just work hard, he raises the bar for everyone around him.”
Underwood said Baker is unique and different from so many others.
“His love for God, his strength and his determination are what sets him apart from so many people,” she said.
Underwood said Baker goes above and beyond for not just his coworkers but also for his students.
“He strives to give them the best attention and makes sure they are looked out for,” she said.
Baker’s upbringing played a big part in who he is today. He was an only child but grew up in a big family with a lot of cousins. His family “started the foundation” for him.
“I went to Sunday school and kids service with my cousins,” he said. “I looked forward to it every Sunday. I took pride in being one of the children who stayed awake during the service.”
Baker’s mother had a strong impact on who he is, and he looks up to her.
“It pretty much has always been just my mother and I, raising me by herself alongside other family members,” he said. “She’s the strongest, most resilient person I’ve ever met. If I become a parent one day, I hope to be at least half the parent she has been.”
His mom would work early in the mornings so she would always take him to his granny’s house. He and his family would always hang out at her house.
“Unfortunately, my granny passed away last summer, which was very difficult for all of us. She was the backbone of our family,” he said. “She played a huge part in raising each of us. She was so loving, caring and consistent.”
Baker said how lucky he is to have had two amazing women in his life that paved the way for him and laid down his foundation.
“There’s plenty more amazing people who have played a big part in my life who I could name, the list goes on,” he said. “But I think it starts with those two women shaping me into who I am today.”
Baker’s journey at CU started in 2014 when he came here to play football. He received an athletic scholarship that helped him decide to play at CU.
CU means a lot to Baker, and he is very grateful for how much he has grown and for the community at CU.
“I believe coming to CU was a God-ordained thing,” he said. “Except for going home for my first two summers in college, Campbellsville is where I’ve been for the last 10 years.”
Baker said he was initially worried that he was maybe taking the “wrong” path and was unsure.
“I eventually learned that God has a way of making your wrongs right,” he said.
Baker’s family and his childhood made him into the caring and genuine person he is today.
Baker’s care for students is not just something that’s said about him from his coworkers, but students, as well.
“He’s just a very genuine person,” Jeremiah Schine, a freshman at CU, said. “You can tell he loves doing what he does.”
Schine said he never got the chance to meet Baker over the summer, but Baker treated him like he personally knew him.
“I hadn’t even met him, and he responded to my text very fast,” Schine said. “He didn’t even know who I was.”
Schine is planning on transferring to another college after two years and Baker helped him make sure he’s in line for that next college.
“That’s not even in his department,” Schine said. “He went above and beyond to align up for the next school.”
Schine said if it wasn’t for Baker he would not feel as secure and confident about being in a new place.
“I wouldn’t be as knowledgeable if I didn’t have him because I wouldn’t know where to go,” he said.
Baker makes sure his students are aware of everything they will need through sending reminders or emails, even if they don’t always text him back.
“Please text me back, it makes my job easier,” he said.
Baker said he tries to use his “weird” personality to make conversations lighter when he’s meeting students or parents.
“I try to use that I’m weird to break the ice or just being outgoing and friendly,” he said. “There’s times where people thought I was a woman over text, so when I met them in person, I would tell them they have been calling me ‘ma’am,’ which helps ease the tension.”
One of Baker’s interns, senior Sebastian Serrano, said Baker is “weird, but good weird.”
“With just his presence he can let you know that he is open and available for you,” Serrano said.
Serrano said Baker makes the work environment fun, but when they need to get things done, it will get done. He said Baker’s personality is not like many others.
“It stands out a lot,” Serrano said. “He’s not a person that you just talk to and forget exists. I can remember all the times we’ve talked in our lives and still remember exactly what we talked about.”
According to Serrano, Baker can make anyone laugh, no matter how they are feeling, and how he can brighten anyone’s mood.
“He has the capabilities of making you laugh and making you feel important at the same time,” Serrano said.
Baker just wants the best for students and for them to get the best out of their college experience, while knowing that someone is there and cares for them.
“He is going to give his 100 percent to reach someone,” Serrano said. “He genuinely cares about the students and wants them to make the best decision for themselves.”
Baker doesn’t just have an impact on his students, but on everyone around him. Serrano shared how much of an influence Baker has had in his life, and how he represents what CU is all about.
“I remember this one time I was in my sophomore year, and I was in chapel, or some event, and they started throwing around the word ‘servant leader’ and I always thought about Kahlil,” Serrano said.
Baker said he doesn’t just help his students, but they teach him things as well.
“It’s given me patience and learning different care for different people,” he said. “They help you realize to not take yourself too seriously.”
Baker works with approximately 400 students at a time, so knowing about all his students is not an easy task. Having a genuine relationship with them that’s not just surface level is even harder.
“He has people just coming to say hi to him because of the bonds that he creates with people,” Serrano said.
