The Eternal Gift of Friendship

While there’s a lot to be said for focusing on the future, there’s still a certain magic found in looking back. When you pause to admire the journey, life reveals its beauty in the seemingly ordinary-turned-defining moments that change your course forever—and nowhere is this more truly reflected than in our relationships. Each personal connection we make forges a formative impact, whether temporary or timeless. And when established in a place like Aggieland, where character is rooted in core values and fellow Aggies rarely meet a stranger, these relationships are even more likely to grow into lifelong, life-changing bonds.

In this issue of Spirit, you’ll hear a handful of heartwarming friendship origin stories that are sure to conjure up a smile. From maroon-blooded matrimonies and Aggie sisterhoods to friends found in unconventional places, our “Best Buds” feature embodies the wildly unique yet all-too-familiar Aggie experience that countless former students share.

Reading these stories brought an additional cherished friendship to my mind: the partnership between Texas A&M University and our incredible Texas A&M Foundation donors. Similar to the enduring connection between Aggies, the everlasting nature of our donors’ endowed gifts creates ties that bind them to Texas A&M forever.

In contrast to the immediate impact of one-time gifts, endowments are invested by our organization to generate steady streams of annual returns, which allow our donors’ gifts to keep giving. And in the spaces where their affinity for Texas A&M first began, donors can choose to direct these annual distributions toward the corners of campus nearest to their hearts, creating a relationship with our university that is not only exquisitely personal but also eternal.

Like the love in a deep-rooted friendship, the value of an endowment continues to grow over time. To put this powerful tool into perspective, consider this example: A donor who established a $25,000 endowment in June 1994 saw their cumulative annual distributions to Texas A&M eclipse the value of their original gift by June 2014, with $33,957 directed to their designated campus area. By June 2024, campus distributions totaled $51,692—more than double their original gift—while the market value of their endowment had grown to $58,797.

As you can imagine, endowed gifts provide vital sustenance in our mission to build a brighter future for Texas A&M. Our donors embrace our vision with open arms and provide the strong, sustaining support our university’s success is founded upon. As you’ll be reminded in this issue, Texas A&M has hundreds of programs and opportunities across campus—from scholarships and student activities to research and academic initiatives—where your endowed gift can make a difference, and the possibilities that await are as boundless as the extraordinary network we all belong to. Once an Aggie, always an Aggie; and once a Foundation partner, forever a friend.

Thanks for all you do.