Every time I drive from my hometown in Brownsville, Texas, to College Station I find myself reminiscing back to the long road I had throughout my college career. I can still remember the feeling I had in my stomach as my parents left me in my dorm to start my Aggie life with my international roommate who would later become one of my best friends. That’s when I first knew I was going to cross paths and metaphorical highways with a lot of interesting and amazing people.
As a first-generation college student and first-generation Aggie, I really didn’t know what I was going to experience, but I was confident that it would be wonderful with whatever bumps, detours, and u-turns that would come along my drive. I cannot thank those that have shaped and kept me trucking along enough.
Thank you to all my friends and family who never failed to support me in whatever situations came up. They motivated me to transcend into the Aggie I am today. From my sister, Lisa, calling me randomly to ask how I was doing to my friends coming over late at night to have study sessions, I always felt their energy being my backbone as I drove into the unknown.
Thank you to my learning community and scholarships that believed in us, and pushed us to be the best Aggies we can be. I loved being a part of those communities as it assisted many of us who are first-generation college students in feeling at home, even with our family being far away from us. These experiences really made us create our own Aggie family here in College Station. One that would have splendid amounts of love and care that you could not find anywhere else other than Aggieland.
Lastly, I cannot thank The Battalion enough. The newsroom full of life and energy that I cannot forget, and members with some of the most fascinating minds that I have interacted with. As soon as you walk into the offices, you can feel the drive everyone has, and the motivation to fulfil their goals. The experiences and skills I have acquired will forever be stored in my mind’s engine, and will continue to push me forward into my future career.
Many of us are currently feeling as if there is some construction happening on our road to success with the global pandemic hovering over us. During these times we have to remind ourselves that, just like the countless constructions that pop up in College Station, this too shall soon pass. The construction never stopped us from continuing our drive to move forward and continue our journey before, and neither will this one.
Like my family always says, “Si se puede,” which means yes, you can do it. We will all get through these difficult times together. We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we, true to each other as Aggies can be. We will be the backbone energy for each other, and we will continue our tradition of spreading love and support.
Thanks and Gig ‘em.
Robert Castro is a Telecommunication Media Studies senior and Multimedia editor for The Battalion.