Dear Freshman Me

Hi Reagan, 

Welcome home! A thousand moments led to your decision to come to Aggieland, and a million more moments in these next four years will confirm this is the place you were meant to be. Yes, you’ll even learn to appreciate the exercise that comes with your fourth-floor dorm room that you’re dreading for move-in day! 

Your time at Texas A&M will be full of opportunities to discover and pursue your many, many passions. The financial freedom awarded to you through your PES will give you time and resources to try things you never would’ve dreamed of and find avenues to continually serve others along the way. For a few semesters, you will lead service organizations on campus. Another semester will find you working abroad in a developing country, and some semesters will inspire a step back from organizational leadership to better invest in the amazing relationships founded in those same organizations. As a wise friend once said, “Pursue your passions, and your resume will build itself.” 

You will certainly face embarrassing situations, hurtful rejections and awkward conversations, but you’ll come to find that you never regret being genuine with yourself and others. Compliment people in your classes and ask meaningful questions when spending time with friends. Talk to the custodians in your building; tell them thank you and mean it. Visit your professors’ office hours and demonstrate a real interest in their work and lives. When you finally get the chance to study abroad after numerous COVID-related cancellations, step out of your comfort zone and build real relationships with your colleagues while in their country. These investments in people will be your most valuable throughout your time at Texas A&M. 

Oh, and one last thing: Definitely take the sixth-row football tickets in the 2021 Alabama game so you can rush the field after a very memorable victory! 

Thanks and Gig ’em! 

Reagan Isbell ’23 

Dear Austin, 

I know you’re feeling overwhelmed as you enter the next big stage in life, but your time here in College Station will be truly life changing. While everything may not go as planned, the next four years will transform you as a student, leader, friend and future professional. 

I want to give you three key pieces of advice: work hard, say yes and be relationship-driven. Texas A&M will provide you with countless opportunities to put this philosophy into practice, and thanks to the support of the Texas A&M Foundation and your PES, you will have the time to pour into people and organizations across campus. 

First, work hard—both in school and out. Engage in the classroom and focus on the long-term applications of your education because Aggie engineers can create tremendous impact in the world. Pour your time and energy into organizations across campus to help develop yourself and others. 

Second, say yes to all the opportunities you’re presented. While additional commitments can be overwhelming, you can’t miss the “other education” Texas A&M has to offer. Say yes to opportunities like Titans of Investing or Aggie Venture Fund even though they’re outside your field. Say yes to Horizons Consulting and a computer science minor to help stretch your mind and skill sets. 

Lastly, be relationship-driven. The knowledge you use day-to-day is ever evolving, but the relationships you build at Texas A&M will last a lifetime. Invest in relationships through freshmen leadership organizations or men’s organizations, and don’t forget to invest in the people that make your education possible by giving back through organizations like the Maroon Coats. 

Texas A&M offers countless opportunities for you to grow as a future leader, and the next four years will make you prouder to be an Aggie than you could ever imagine! 

Thanks and Gig ’em, 

Austin Gaskamp ’23 

Dear Aabid, 

Buckle up. These next four years will be the most incredible and exciting time of your life. There will be twists and turns you can’t predict or expect (mainly a pandemic), but it will all add to the memorability of your journey. 

Even before classes start your freshman year, you’ll go to Italy with a couple dozen Aggies and see a new part of the world, with most of the experience covered by the generosity of donors. By the third week of school, you’ll lose count of all the organizations you have joined, but don’t sweat it. Some of your closest friends will be found in the moments late at night when you decide to drive an hour to the nearest Waffle House. Oh, and when you have the chance to start a student-run investment fund and manage $7.5 million for the Texas A&M University endowment, I know it sounds crazy, but just say yes.  
 

Dear Joseph, 

Everything you’ve heard about the unique traditions, the Aggie Network and the spirit that can ne’er be told—it’s all true. Your PES donors and many others have graciously given their time and resources to ensure that you succeed and begin to comprehend how Aggies are a family. This is why you came to Texas A&M—to find a home away from home. 

Lots of opportunities and friends will come your way during your exciting time at Texas A&M. Do not rule anything out, especially life-changing research opportunities that you find through opt-in emails! Take risks and run toward the things that are hard. You will be better because of it. 

At the same time, don’t be surprised when hardship comes your way. You may not be admitted into every organization you want to be part of. You may not always earn perfect grades. However, you will develop a capacity to learn from these experiences by reflecting on them and always getting back up after you fall down. 

Never make yourself too busy for the people around you. Find ways to get to know them, learn from them, invest in them and eventually lead them. Your impact both at this university and the world is not about your accomplishments, but rather how you treat others and the impact you leave on them. In the end, these are your lifelong friends that you will laugh, cry, and make memories with. Cherish these moments because they are some of the best you will ever have. 

As you look toward the future, you are not alone. The experiences and friends you made over four years at Texas A&M will never leave you. Strive for excellence in all that you do, and know that “from the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. And from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.” 

Gig ’em, 

Joseph Balmain Rodgers ’23