What Was the Moment You Felt Most Proud To Be Part of Texas A&M?

In 1999, I was back at Texas A&M University serving as a Marine Corps officer instructor in the ROTC department. The outpouring of support to try to rescue those trapped in the stack after the Bonfire fell was something I will always be proud of and will never forget. 

Gen. Eric Smith ’87 
Commandant of the Marine Corps 
Washington, D.C.

During my senior year, it was standing in the north end zone of Kyle Field, lined up on the bugle rank, for our first home football game against Wichita State. In high school, I remember drawing pictures of a bugle, with a Texas A&M banner tied to the bottom, dreaming of the day when I hoped to carry one of those as a senior in the Aggie Band. It was a dream come true. 

Dr. Stephen McDaniel ’71 ’72 
Senior Professor & Regents Professor Emeritus of Marketing  
College Station, Texas 

It was when I first put on my Aggie Ring. It is a permanent bond to our values, traditions and expectations of excellence. That sense of joy came rushing back as I handed my oldest daughter, Claire ’27, her Aggie Ring last fall. No matter where one travels, you can always spot an Aggie by their ring. No other university in the world has that global connection. 

Glenn Hegar ’93 
Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System 
Katy, Texas 

For me, it was walking across the stage at graduation. It represented a lot of hard work but also being part of something bigger than yourself. Now, having the opportunity to attend commencement and watch today’s students cross the stage, it means even more. You see their families’ pride, the sense of accomplishment and the potential ahead of them. It reminds me how special this place is and the role it plays in shaping lives. 

Tommy Williams ’78 
Former Texas Legislator & Texas A&M University Interim President (2025-26) 
College Station, Texas

I spent more than 30 years running a variety of businesses, often under very challenging circumstances. The tough calls and hard decisions I made were always anchored in a set of core values. When Texas A&M formally established its core values in 2005 — reflecting what Aggies had been living for decades — I saw my own values. It was clear that I had learned much more than engineering from my time at Texas A&M. I remain extremely proud to be associated with the university, our honor code and our values. 

Darren Woods ’87 
CEO of ExxonMobil 
Spring, Texas 

I was so proud when the university was invited to join the Association of American Universities in 2001 during my presidency. 

Dr. Ray Bowen ’58 ’61 
Former Texas A&M University President (1994-2002)
Houston, Texas 

Tragically, I think it was in the wake of the Bonfire collapse. Stunned, brokenhearted and mournful, the Aggie community responded, first at the physical site, then holding close those most affected, and finally by providing the emotional and financial resources to begin the healing process. Almost spiritually, the last play of the Texas A&M vs. UT football game that year — when Aggie linebacker Brian Gamble ’02 recovered the winning fumble and pointed to heaven — is imprinted on the memory of Aggies forever. 

Dr. Ed Davis ’67 
Former Texas A&M Foundation President & University Interim President (2006-08) 
Bryan, Texas 

For me, it was the Red, White and Blue Out (instead of Maroon Out) football game in 2001 to honor the fallen from the 9/11 attacks on the United States of America.   

Dr. Doug Welsh ’79 ’82 ’89 
Former Horticulture Professor and Texas Master Gardener Coordinator 
College Station, Texas 

My proudest moment as a student came unexpectedly during my first Aggie Muster. I was sitting near the rafters with my Corps freshman buddies at the top of the stands in G. Rollie White Coliseum. I confess I entered the event without fully understanding what it was all about. Before the formal ceremony, I observed the families and loved ones gathered on the floor, some crying and hugging, and others who were clearly old friends engaging in the laughter of retold memories. When the lights later dimmed, candles were lit and every name on the roll call answered with “here,” I finally knew what it meant to be a Texas Aggie and was proud to forever be part of this family. 

Col. Michael Fossum ’80 
Vice President of Texas A&M University, Chief Operating Officer of Texas A&M Galveston and Former Astronaut
Galveston, Texas

Seeing how Aggies step up for one another, especially in moments of challenge. That shared sense of loyalty and purpose is something you carry with you long after graduation.

Chairman Robert Albritton ’71
Chairman of the Board of Regents
Fort Worth, Texas

I felt proud to be an Aggie from the first day I walked on campus as a student. I felt like I fit in with the other students in terms of my beliefs, abilities and goals. Even though I was in a minority as a female Aggie, I felt like I belonged, and this caused me to grow in self-confidence throughout my years as a student. When I returned to Texas A&M years later as a faculty member, I found the campus changed in some ways but much the same in others, and I was proud to contribute to the Aggie environment for new generations of Aggies.   

Dr. Sallie Sheppard ’65 
Former Associate Provost
Austin, Texas

It’s difficult to pinpoint a single moment because my 40-year journey with the university has been defined by so many remarkable experiences. On a professional level, it is deeply humbling to use my art to honor the lives and heritage of the Aggie family and help fund thousands of scholarships. A true full-circle moment — and the catalyst for my philanthropic efforts — was becoming the first Sul Ross endowment recipient to establish an endowment of my own. I was fortunate to do this with the support of my friend Buddy DuVal ’51, the author of the poem “The Last Corps Trip.” 

Personally, I am proud of my years as a visualization professor and agricultural economics lecturer. It is extremely rewarding to serve as a mentor and take an active role in the development of the next generations of Aggies. On a more lighthearted note, sharing the tradition of ‘sawing varsity’s horns off’ alongside my friend President George H.W. Bush is a memory I will always treasure. 

Benjamin Knox ’90 
Artist of the Aggie Spirit 
College Station, Texas 

I will never forget where I was the moment I was informed of the Bonfire accident. I was proud of how the students came together to support each other and the victims’ families. The memorial is a special place, and I pay my respects each time I visit.  

Roxanne Orsak ’88 
President of H-E-B  
San Antonio, Texas

I think back to Final Review in May 2016 when I walked off Simpson Drill Field for the last time in a cadet uniform. I vividly remember watching all the Corps of Cadets units pass in review, and I held my emotions in check until the Aggie Band made its way across the field.  

As the band passed in review, playing “The Aggie War Hymn,” tears welled up in my eyes at the finality of my Corps experience. I shook the Commandant’s hand then walked quickly down the side of the field with my head down to hide my emotion from the hundreds of family members in attendance. I remember pausing and kneeling at the edge of the field, trying to soak everything in for the last time, and thanking God for such a wonderful, challenging experience over the past four years. I knew our leadership team had given it our all that year to improve the Corps, and I was extremely proud of those men and women I served alongside for their commitment and dedication to their cadets. It was the proudest, and saddest, day of my time at Texas A&M.  

Alyssa (Michalke) Stipek ’16 
First Female Corps Commander 
Battle Creek, Nebraska 

I feel proud to be an Aggie every time we’re in Kyle Field with 100,000 Aggies while the Aggie Band is playing and we’re honoring God and country. It’s hard to beat that camaraderie.   

Bryan Bracewell ’98 
Co-Owner of Southside Market & Barbeque, Inc.  
Bastrop, Texas

Attending my first Game Day march-in as a freshman is a standout memory! It was the first time I truly felt the magnitude of what it means to be an Aggie. The spirit of patriotism, the sense of community and the longstanding traditions all merged to remind me that I was a part of something special, something bigger than myself. I still get that feeling when I go back to campus for events like Aggie Mom Camp, Barbecue Summer Camp or any sporting event! 

Rachel Bracewell ’98 
Co-Owner of Southside Market & Barbeque, Inc.  
Bastrop, Texas

It was the moment I co-founded the Texas A&M Symphonic Band. When I was a student, there weren’t a lot of musical opportunities for civilian students, but I was quite a good musician through high school. Discovering I was not alone, we all banded together, made a petition and got approval from the vice president of student affairs, Dr. John Koldus, to form the band.  

Ray Rothrock ’77 
Venture Capitalist and Philanthropist 
Portola Valley, California 

So many great memories to choose from, but I’d have to say Ring Day. There’s nothing quite like the moment you hold your Aggie Ring for the first time. 

Shaquille Gould ’15 
Former Yell Leader 
Austin, Texas