January 25, 2006 – November 29, 2025

Brianna Marie Aguilera

An Aggie who was always the life of the party

“Anywhere she would go … she was the one that always got everybody going, and she was the one that kept the party alive,” her father said.

Brianna Marie Aguilera was the life of the party. Her father, Manuel Aguilera Jr., couldn’t recall a time when Brianna wasn’t radiating happiness. Whether she was on the sidelines cheering at United High School or headed to watch her little brother’s games, Brianna always had a smile plastered on her face. 

“She always made the best out of everything,” Manuel said. “Even if it was small, she would always make the best out of it. I never saw her as somebody that didn’t take advantage of the whole second that she was in.” 

But Brianna didn’t just take advantage of the moments she was given. She filled those moments with herself and all the things she loved. Most notably, according to Manuel, she filled it with cheer. 

“She made it known, you know, that she was a cheerleader,” Manuel said. “ … Wherever she was, she made that spirit known. ‘I got the school. I got the school’s back.’ … She was always very, very, very passionate about that.” 

That passion from the sideline of her high school’s football field followed her deep into the heart of Aggieland, where she quickly found herself at home. 

Despite scholarships from other institutions — and her father’s initial wishes for her to stay close to Laredo — the second she was accepted to Texas A&M, Brianna knew that College Station was in her near future.  

“In her opinion, going to [A&M], that was a very prestigious school and a very hard school to get into,” Manuel said. “So once she got accepted, you know, that, for her, it was a big hype. … And since she was seeking to be an attorney, she said that was one of the best schools to go to.” 

Despite dreaming of becoming a nurse growing up — most likely to follow in her mother’s footsteps, as her father noted — in high school, her vision for her future shifted. She no longer envisioned scrubs and needles, but instead pantsuits and law books. 

“She would always make fun, ‘Well, my brother’s going to need an attorney,’” Manuel said. “He’s not a troublemaker or anything like that, but she would always make fun of him, ‘Well, you know, eventually he’s going to need an attorney.’”

Despite the many jokes shared between Brianna and her brother, her mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, confirmed that her future aspirations stemmed from a long family line of careers in law enforcement. 

Growing up around extended family members who worked in criminal justice, Brianna knew she wanted to follow in their footsteps by becoming a defense attorney. She quickly began chasing this passion when she joined the A&M Pre-Law Society and started studying political science in preparation for a future in law. 

“Her schooling was very important to her,” Manuel said. “She would always mention she was always stressing about, ‘Here comes a test. I got to study, got to stay up. I got to make this A, I got to make this happen.’”

Brianna’s passion for school was evident to her parents — as was her passion for others. Both Manuel and Stephanie stated that Brianna was someone who always put others before herself. 

“Brianna was the type of person that liked to make everyone else feel better,” Stephanie said. “ … She was always one to be an advocate for anyone else or just be a friend, you know? She was never biased. She hung out with everybody.” 

While Brianna cherished school, social events and — most notably — her yorkie, she cherished her friends and family most of all. 

Her mom recalled that Brianna was always the first to extend a helping hand, even offering to help peers from her hometown get back and forth if they didn’t have a ride of their own. 

“I want people to remember her as someone that was always there for everyone else,” Stephanie said. “ … Even when people needed a ride back home, she was the go-to person. When people needed a ride back to school, she was the go-to person. … She was just very generous.”

From taking care of others to lighting up a room with her smile, at the end of the day, Stephanie said that she was simply proud of the woman Brianna was becoming. 

“She always lit up my world,” Stephanie said. “She never disappointed me. … She was into the church. … She was so determined to become a lawyer. She was a great friend and a great daughter and a great sister, granddaughter. I don’t think there was anything that life couldn’t throw at her. … I was so proud of her.”