Alumni Spotlight: Finding Christ, Finding Calling

When Dr. Corbett Boone arrived on the Hardin-Simmons University campus in 1996, it wasn’t part of his plan. The Stephenville, Texas, native had his sights set on Rice University and Division I football until a last-minute coaching change derailed his dream.

“I said I would never go to a small school for college,” Boone admitted. “But friends of mine just kept bugging me to come check out HSU. I finally gave in and as soon as we drove on campus, I thought, this is a pretty place.”

What sealed his decision were the unexpected connections. Football coach Jimmie Keeling had coached Boone’s father decades earlier, and assistant coach Alan Wartes recognized Boone from Texas Tech football camps.

“Realizing the relationships I already had here made me feel really at ease,” Boone recalled. “And then I had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to be here.”

That summer, Boone attended HSU’s orientation week on his 19th birthday. A speaker’s blunt message about choices and consequences cut through his comfortable rationalizations.

“I was already living a stereotypical sinful lifestyle even though I’d grown up in the church, but what he said hit me like a punch in the gut. I couldn’t get it out of my head. That night in room 316 of Anderson Hall, I gave my life to Jesus. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t been at Hardin-Simmons during that time,” said Boone of the life-changing decision.

That spiritual awakening became the foundation for everything that followed, including his development as a leader. Once on campus, Boone discovered HSU’s leadership minor and credits peer Mitch West ’99, as someone who recognized the influence Boone could make and challenged him to use it positively.

“He told me, ‘You are one of the best natural leaders I’ve seen. People are following you—either in a positive direction or a negative one. There’s no neutral ground,” Boone recalled.

West offered him the role of sophomore class president, beginning a trajectory that eventually led Boone to serve as student body president in 2000.

“My confidence in those roles just exploded,” Boone said. “It started with Mitch, but it grew because of the support, care, and example of the people guiding me at Hardin-Simmons.”

The transformation extended beyond leadership. Growing up with a stutter, Boone rarely spoke in public. HSU’s encouragement helped him gain confidence.

“My parents said, ‘We don’t know exactly what Hardin-Simmons did, but you would hardly talk when you left home. Now we can’t get you to stop talking,” he said with a laugh.

After graduating in December 2000, Boone married his college sweetheart and moved to Houston for medical school. The path wasn’t easy – Tropical Storm Allison had flooded the medical school, and administrators nearly canceled his entire class.

But the foundation laid at HSU sustained him through challenges and ultimately led to a career as a primary care sports medicine physician.

Originally drawn to orthopedic surgery, Boone immersed himself in the field. But one day, after assisting with a hip replacement, he walked into the doctor’s lounge and felt a sudden clarity.

“I sat down and thought, I don’t think I want to do this for the rest of my life,” he said.

That moment redirected his path. A chance connection with a University of Houston team physician introduced him to primary care sports medicine, a specialty that combined his love of athletics and his passion for treating the whole person.

“I realized I could care for athletes’ injuries, but also manage concussions, chronic conditions, and overall health,” Boone said. “God knew that putting me in to be able to visit with patients and do all the talking and explaining — that’s my calling. I can honestly tell you in the 15 or 16 years that I’ve been doing this, I can count on one hand how many days I did not want to be at work.”

In addition to his practice, for 15 years, Boone served as one of the head team physicians for Baylor University athletics, working many of those years with his former high school coach. Today, he continues to practice primary care sports medicine in Waco, where nearly all of his colleagues are devout believers.

The transformation from a reluctant visitor to passionate advocate is perhaps most evident in how Boone now promotes his alma mater. Working in Waco, he regularly tells patients, “if you want your kids to have a truly biblically Christ-centered education, send them to Hardin-Simmons.”

“In so many areas where other Christian schools are struggling or compromising, Hardin-Simmons is doubling down,” Boone said. “HSU is willing to take a bunch of arrows to stand firm that Jesus is going to be the center of our school.”

His conviction stems not only from what he experienced as a student, but also from what he continues to see today. Boone stays active with HSU alumni groups and encourages families to consider the unique environment that shaped his own faith and leadership.

The transformation from a quiet, stuttering teenager to a confident leader and medical professional illustrates the unique power of faith-centered education. It doesn’t just impart knowledge – it transforms lives by addressing the whole person: mind, body, and spirit.

“Jesus wanted me to find him there,” Boone said simply. “I’m so glad that I was at Hardin-Simmons during that time.”