Aggie Ring Day

A few weeks ago, I celebrated a day that I will remember for the rest of my life.

At Texas A&M University, receiving your class ring is one of the greatest moments of your college experience. It certainly was for me.

My dad's and my Aggie Rings

The Aggie Ring marks the hard work I've spent over the last three years (and year to come). If you know anything about Aggies, we are proud of our traditions. The ring is a tangible bond that connects former students to each other. It's difficult to explain or understand the significance of this achievement unless you are an Aggie, but the ring is a symbol of the school we love and cherish.

One of the most entertaining things about my university is the formality that surrounds Aggie Ring Day. The event basically consists of picking up your ring from a table at the alumni center, but everyone dresses up and invites their extended families and friends to join them in the excitement.

My parents and grandparents came to town for the occasion. We stood in line and filed into the alumni center just before rain fell from the sky in buckets. Since my dad is an alumni of Texas A&M, he placed the ring on my finger.

It meant so much to me for my family to be there, supporting me through a special and important moment in my life. The Aggie Ring is only a small piece of gold, but it carries its true value through its meaning. It is the mark of a goal I worked hard to achieve. 

At the end of the day, many Aggies participate in a tradition called Ring Dunk. Typically, one drops their ring in a large pitcher of beer and drinks until they reach the bottom and catch the ring between their teeth. My friends and I held a "dry" event, but our rings needed to be baptized nonetheless.

Quite often, people throw up after downing an entire pitcher of liquid, so I took the easy route and filled my pitcher with brightly-colored M&Ms. No, I didn't eat them all, but rather I dumped the entire pitcher over my head. (My roommates and I have been feasting on M&Ms for weeks now.)

One of the best moments of the night was that my dad chose to participate in the ring dunk. He had never dunked his ring before, so he filled his pitcher with ice water and merged the Aggie Ring Dunk with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

We stood in three inches of rain water with cheering friends gathered around us, accessorized with ponchos and pitchers and rain boots, and we proudly dunked our rings.

Overall, the day was one of the sweetest of my college experience. I felt unified with my school and my friends and my family. An accomplishment that meant so much to me was finally reached.

I will never forget the day I got my Aggie Ring. More than a month has passed, but I still find myself staring at this pretty symbol of my hard work and daydreaming when I should be listening in class (my bad, prof).

It's amazing how much my life has changed since coming to Texas A&M. When I was in high school, I never pictured myself at such a big university. The Lord brought me gently outside of what I ever hoped or dreamed for my future. Attending this school meant leaping far from my comfort zone, but every day here has been worth the hard work.

My senior year is here. I graduate in only a few months and I'm cherishing the little time I have left as a college student with all the freedom in the world. I'm so proud and thankful to be an Aggie. (And now I finally have my ring, whoop!)

Three years ago: Me? Pregnant?
Four years ago: Volunteer your time