Each month we connect with alumni who are making a difference in their careers and communities and find out how Baker helped them along their way.
Mike Stouffer, ’70
2014 BU Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee
Kris (Bolin) Stouffer, ’72
What was the first moment that made Baker feel like home?
Michael: When I joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity in August my freshman year. My 23 pledge brothers developed friendships, relationships, experiences, and connections that are still in our hearts 54 years later.
Kris: My first day moving in I met my roommate, Peggy Deale, her two sisters who also went to Baker, as well as several other Baker people. As we were walking up to the student union that day, I realized I had already made friends and felt like that’s where I belonged.
What was your favorite class and why?
Michael: I really enjoyed a beginning acting class taught by Thelma Morreale. It was the only time I have ever been in a play.
Kris: I enjoyed all of my art classes as they helped me develop my creative side and gave me a sense of direction in many of my future projects.
Who made the biggest impact on you while at Baker?
Michael: My mother, a graduate of the University of Colorado! On the day I told her “I think I’m going to go work in a grocery store instead of going to Baker.” During the ensuing 15-minute conversation of which I said nothing, it was determined that I would indeed be going to Baker and that I would graduate. That conversation changed and shaped my whole life in incredible ways.
Kris: The person in admissions, Ken Snow, guided me initially in my Baker experience and gave me the confidence to spread my wings and try many things.
What are two things you would tell current students?
Michael: Involve yourself in as many different groups and organizations as you can, and seek out every experience Baker University provides.
Kris: Meet as many people as you can because the Baker community includes people from all over the world. Also, I would encourage students to join a Greek organization—I was a Phi Mu—and involve yourself in as many activities as possible.
How did your Baker experience shape your journey?
Michael: In addition to Baker creating incredible learning experiences which sustained me in my educational career, I was fortunate to be able to play football and baseball and be in the Kappa Sigma fraternity. The Baker experience provided me with lots of examples that truly guided me on my career path.
Kris: My journey at Baker enabled me to challenge myself to enjoy and try everything that interested me. I was able to get my first job at the Baker Union snack bar where I met lots of other students. I was nominated for Campus Cutie, and I also became a Baker Pom Pom Girl, Homecoming Queen, secretary of the junior, then senior class, and voted Outstanding Senior Woman. My high school self would never have imagined any of this. I was truly blessed that Baker provided the environment that challenged me to be the best possible person I could be.
Can you briefly describe your career path since graduating from Baker?
Michael: After graduating in 1970, I taught elementary physical education in the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas for 19 years and was an elementary school principal in Shawnee Mission for 22 years before retiring in 2014.
Kris: Baker gave me the confidence to explore several professional opportunities such as a representative for the Pillsbury Company and at a downtown Kansas City advertising agency until I found my calling teaching family and consumer science courses to high school students.
What do you love about Baker the most?
Michael: I am very proud that my lovely bride of 48 years, Kris Bolin, also graduated from Baker and was very successful. In addition, it has always been an honor to say that Baker is my university. Our school makes me proud, especially as Baker continues to set high standards that make all of its graduates successful.
Kris: Baker is so welcoming to everyone. You sense the high expectations, and they celebrate each student, always trying to improve in any way possible. The Baker campus is beautiful and gets better every year. When we visit Baker, we feel like we’re going home.
