Texas A&M’s Student Government Association hosted the “Aggies Got Talent” talent show and Silent Auction in Rudder Theatre on Saturday evening. The fundraiser was meant to assist SGA in raising money for their endowment and serve as a platform for Aggies to express themselves.
Edgar Aguilar, petroleum engineering senior, won first place with his performance of “Ordinary People” and “All of Me” by John Legend. The Texas A&M Aggie Wranglers were a close second, followed by human resource development senior Joshua Leal, who sang an original song titled “Fool for You.”
Leal saw the Aggies Got Talent show as an opportunity to share his music with his fellow Aggies.
“Winning third place in the show was an incredible experience,” Leal said. “It’s amazing to feel such support from the people around you, and it has really encouraged me to work harder at sharing my music with people.”
Former student and former SGA development commissioner, Gracie Wood, started Aggies Got Talent last year as a way for SGA to reach their endowment goal of $1 million. Once SGA reaches their goal, the interest collected from the endowment will be able to fully fund SGA and make it a self-sustaining organization.
“Once we have the funds from the endowment we will be able to give more money to Big Event, Muster, Traditions Council, CARPOOL, and the ten other committees within SGA that need funds to operate at their fullest potential,” said Grace Dansby, chemical engineering sophomore and SGA development commissioner. “This will help the community around the College Station area and also help the students at Texas A&M.”
Aggies Got Talent is not only a fundraiser, but a way for SGA to form connections with students so that everyone knows SGA exists to make sure Aggie voices are heard.
“We want to make sure that students know that SGA is here to support them and to be a representative of them as a whole to administration,” Dansby said. “I feel like Aggies Got Talent allows that connection point and shows people that we are interested in them.”