Texas A&M

November 17, 2009: Today, I am thankful for Texas A&M University. 10 years ago, a terrible tragedy occurred on campus when the annual Bonfire collapsed, killing 12 Aggies. While I was not yet a student, I vividly remember where I was when I heard the terrible news. Entering my freshman year on campus 4 years later, the memory of that collapse still rang strong with all the students. The tradition, the love and the passion that Texas A&M students exude is different than any other college in the country. I became determined to take full advantage of my time at A&M so that I would walk away a better person, regardless of what I learned academically. I joined student organizations that taught me to lead by serving, to love people whom I don't even know and to love my friends with great abandon. My classes taught me to think critically, to evaluate all aspects of politics and to read voraciously. My professors and mentored challenged me to learn more than I ever thought possible. I loved my 4 years at A&M and look back on them wishing I could experience something like that again, but I know I never will. My 4 years there changed my life and have made me into the person that I am today.