For first-generation Aggies, traditions such as Aggie Ring Day may at first appear strange, but finally receiving the ring is a validation of the Aggie experience.
Health junior Hannah King said she had never heard of the ring before coming to A&M.
“My parents are both from Indiana so they went to schools like Purdue,” King said. “I had a few friends whose parents were Aggies and they told me to check it out. I came with my mom to visit and immediately fell in love with the campus. There’s just so much tradition and this ended up being the only school I applied to.”
Mechanical engineering senior Caleb Upson said his parents went to Purdue as well, and that is where he saw himself going.
“[Purdue] has traditions, but not that many,” Upson said. “It’s kind of weird coming to an area so rich in tradition but it was welcoming beyond all aspects. Having that welcoming atmosphere and home feeling is nice.”
When King was a freshman, she said her Fish Camp counselor explained the ring tradition to her and she said she thought it was fascinating.
“Since then, I’ve had several friends get it and it just builds up the excitement as more people I know get theirs,” King said.
Garrett Goble, computer engineering senior, said he learned about Aggie tradition while visiting Texas A&M when he was in high school.
“My dad went to the University of Houston and my mom went to school in Arizona, so I didn’t know much coming in,” Goble said. “Once I got here, it was a very good experience. There are plenty of ways to learn about the history and traditions of campus.”
King said many of the class rings from other universities don’t mean as much as the Aggie ring does to A&M students.
King said Ring Day was another unique aspect of A&M that made it a landmark.
“To me, the ring signifies going through college and the bond you develop with the school,” Goble said. “It represents all the memories and hard work put in throughout college.”
King said she looks at the ring as a reward for perseverance.
“Getting your ring says, ‘I’ve done this in college,’” King said. “There are definitely times I wanted to quit and didn’t so it’s just one of those things that you survived. It is so many accomplishments wrapped up into one thing.”
Upson said it’s more than just a piece of jewely.
“It’s the spirit can ne’er be told,” Upson said. “You just fall in love with it without even realizing it.”