Thoughtful ‘Thank-yous’

I am finally a senior this year, and it is bittersweet. I am equipped with my boots and ring, and while I have been preparing for this moment for the last three years, it feels very strange. I can still vividly remember being a fish during Freshman Orientation Week and being pulled aside to write a thank-you letter to you for your scholarship. Even then you were helping me out!  

I am finishing out that finance degree; however, I am commissioning straight after graduation. I will be contacting you shortly after to get your advice on what I should do during my stint in the Air Force.  

I really enjoyed meeting you at your home in College Station, and that small talk had a huge impact on my life and pushed me to continue working hard to achieve great things. Your mentorship has been invaluable to me. 

I can’t express how much your donation has helped and given me opportunities I would never have had otherwise. I greatly appreciate you taking the time out of your busy life to pour into me and help me achieve my full potential.  

Sincerely,  

David Smith ’22 

I’m currently studying biology and have a minor in psychology. I hope to become a pediatric oncologist and work in special education advocacy on the side. I have a strong passion for advocating for children with special needs and believe that everyone deserves to have someone who believes in them. It is so important for me to fight and advocate for those who can’t do so themselves. I’m currently working as a therapy technician at a private therapy clinic in College Station called Believe Therapies. I’ve learned so much, and my passion for helping children is greater than ever.  

While my reasons for attending Texas A&M have stayed the same, I have only become more confident in my decision after attending in-person classes. After my first day of classes, I had a sense of purpose and belonging. Each day, I find strangers cheering me on and rooting for my success. Texas A&M is truly a home away from home. 
 

But the good news doesn’t stop there! I just found out that my research proposal (for senior design and engineering honors required research) was accepted! I’m designing a new hearing test based on wavelets (instead of pure tones) and then designing a hearing aid that will be electronically programmed based on the results of that test. The appeal of such a system is that the hearing test could be programmed into an app and accessible to everyone. Because the nature of people’s hearing changes all the time, they could run this test on themselves and have their hearing aids update themselves (without frequent trips to the audiologist).  

As far as my social activities are going, my bluegrass band’s main fiddler graduated last spring, so I’ve stepped up in ranks—meaning I get to fiddle a little closer to the microphone every chorus. We’ve played a few gigs this semester already.   

Thank you again for your support. Without the scholarship funds to attend Texas A&M, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am.  

Most sincerely, 

Lauren Williams ’22 
 

I’m an out-of-state student, and my first real experience of Texas was arriving here for my New Student Conference. Since then, I’ve met so many good people, gone to so many interesting classes and experienced all of the wonderful traditions that this school has. I can still remember going to my first Silver Taps and finally comprehending what everyone meant when they said, “From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. And from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.” This school has been incredible, and receiving this scholarship these past four years has been just another reason why I will be forever proud to call myself an Aggie. 

Thank you again for this generous scholarship. The only reason I’m here as an out-of-state student and can (hopefully) get a bona-fide Aggie engineering diploma is due to this scholarship. I hope this final letter finds you well, and I hope to one day continue this legacy of generosity. 

Sincerely,  

Nicholas Justice ’22 
 

Dear Dr. & Mrs. Richard Byrd, 

Thank you for your generosity and investment back into the Aggie School of Medicine community. I was excited to hear about this scholarship at commencement. Then I was touched to learn of your brother and his service in Vietnam. Now, as a recipient, I am deeply honored by the opportunity to represent both this scholarship and its namesake as a former Army officer myself; particularly when considering his children and grandchildren’s involvement in this educational endowment, which serves as a celebration and remembrance of Joseph’s legacy of service, commitment and devotion to family and nation alike. 

Your generosity comes at a pivotal time as I’m conducting a non-traditional transition from active-duty service into medicine with my wife and three daughters (ages 5, 3 and 1) in tow. Maintaining financial stability for our family through this four-year phase is no small task, but the welcoming Aggie community—and specifically your gift—continues to provide an overwhelming support basis for me and my wife, and our children by extension. Thank you for your selflessness in giving as well as your example as a medical professional maintaining active involvement and investment within the future development of our profession. 

Sincerely, 

Joshua Nedelisky ’25 

(and Allison with Georgiana, Adeline and Elena)