Business students honored with Jabara Award

Two recent Baker University graduates who thrived as business majors—TJ Libeer and Trinity Gilbert—were honored as recipients of the 2024 Professor Fran Jabara Leadership Award during commencement ceremonies on May 19.

The award is named for renowned Wichita educator and entrepreneur F.D. (Fran) Jabara, a lifelong proponent of recognizing and promoting excellence in leadership. It recognizes a male and female graduating senior from each participating private university in Kansas and includes a $1,000 award.

TJ LIBEER

“The Business Department gave me opportunities to excel inside and outside of class, introducing me to exciting opportunities that could only be made possible through excelling in the classroom,” said Libeer, who is from Prairie Village, Kansas. “They challenged students to go above and beyond the standard curriculum.”

Libeer was a member of the soccer team, served as the finance chair and treasurer of the Interfraternity Council and treasurer of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, and was an orientation leader.

“The professors at Baker . . . provide you all the necessary tools for success but hold you to a higher standard to take in the information and be able to come up with your own conclusions. You are not babysat, you are not cradled, but you are also closely monitored to ensure you go about your learning with respect and integrity,” said Libeer. “The professors have perfectly modeled the working world and show you how to be successful long after graduation.”

Libeer, who focused his business major on finance, completed an internship at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and has accepted a position in the associate account manager program with Lockton Companies in Kansas City, Missouri, a provider of insurance, risk management, and employee benefits.

“Baker is the smallest community I have been a part of in terms of actual size, but it is the largest community in terms of diversity and footprint across the world. Baker taught me how to communicate with people from many different cultures, utilize information from a wide scope, and find common goals between differing opinions,” he said.

TRINITY GILBERT

“The Baker business department prepared me with some of the technical skills I needed, especially in data analysis,” said Trinity Gilbert, who is from Greenwood, Missouri. “Outside of that Baker taught me to respond to assignments in a way that is beyond thorough, which is something that is really valued by employers.”

Gilbert, who completed the management and marketing concentrations within the business major and minored in data analytics, held several executive positions in the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She also served as the chapter president of the business honor society Delta Mu Delta.

“Dr. Judy Smrha in particular pushed me to produce things that I never knew I was capable of. She really empowered me as a female business student,” she said.

Gilbert completed an internship at Zurich North America, a commercial property-casualty insurance provider. “It exposed me to the corporate world, and it helped me determine the kind of culture that I was looking for in a workplace. It was an amazing experience, and I learned so much and made so many connections,” she said.

Gilbert has accepted a position with Zurich North America as an underwriting trainee for the Midwest middle markets.

“At Baker, I learned that you shouldn’t be afraid to just take the lead on something. It is better to be proactive than to let opportunities pass you by,” Gilbert said.