The Greatest Aggie Symbol

As I am coming to the end of my junior year here at Texas A&M, I am looking forward to one time-honored tradition—getting my Aggie ring!

Over winter break, I got the email I had been waiting for notifying me to check to see if I was eligible to order my ring. Of course, I already knew that after the fall semester ended that I had taken more than 90 hours of classes, which meant I did meet the requirement.

So, I set up an appointment to go in person to get sized and, of course, to take my picture in front of the ring statue with the chalkboard sign—another Aggie tradition!

It was a surreal moment that the day had already arrived and it made me realize how fast my time at Texas A&M has gone by.

Now I am in a suspenseful wait, anticipating the day in April that I will get to receive the ring!

I am excited that my family is coming on Ring Day to help me celebrate my big achievement with me.

The ring itself holds a lot of symbolism.

Every element on the ring has a meaning and even the direction you wear the ring does, too—when you receive your ring, you wear it with the class year facing you to symbolize that your time at Texas A&M is not yet finished; during graduation, a ceremony is led in which you turn the ring around, signifying that you are going out into the world as an Aggie.

The Aggie ring is a great way to recognize fellow Aggies anywhere in the world. When a fellow ambassador and I went abroad last summer, we were recognized as Aggies at an airport in London because of her ring!

The Aggie ring is such an amazing way to unite fellow Aggies and the tradition is one of my favorite at Texas A&M!

The Finish Line

With about three and three-quarters years of my undergraduate education completed, the countdown to graduation has begun. If all goes according to plan, I will be walking across the stage to receive my degree in early May.

Looking back on my time at Texas A&M, I am grateful for the opportunities provided by the hardworking professors, faculty, and staff. Everyone devoted their efforts to create an environment conducive to knowledge and growth. The professors never failed to show their dedication to a student’s success, going above and beyond the classroom.

The student body of Texas A&M continuously demonstrates what it means to be an Aggie. For most, college is the first time on one’s own, but hardly any make it through their four years alone.

The numerous and diverse student body allows anyone to find their group, a place to belong, and people to lean on. Events like Silver Taps or Aggie Muster show that regardless of your individual involvement, a student’s impact reaches far beyond their inner circle.

As I prepare to leave Texas A&M, I return to where I started. I will move from something I worked hard to know and step forward into another unknown adventure with only a vague sense of a plan.

The coming future is another “if it all goes to plan.” I will be taking a gap year to work on my medical school application and gain more research and medical experiences.

I will move home and return to life under my parents’ roof. I am excited to no longer have to grocery shop for myself, but I think being back will motivate me to succeed.

No matter what is to come, the only sure thing is, I will not stop working toward my dream of being a physician.

But before I get ahead of myself, I need to make sure I graduate, so I’m going to get back to studying for physiology.

I will see you in May, at the finish line.