On Tuesday Sept. 5, friends and family of senior Caroline Killian gathered at the Clayton W. Williams Building to watch as her Aggie Ring was collected and displayed by the Association of Former Students in the Memorial Ring Collections display.
Killian passed away this summer and was to be honored at the September Silver Taps, but after the cancellation, will be remembered in the October ceremony.
Lisa Killian, Caroline’s mother said she is glad to have something at Texas A&M to represent her daughter’s memory and love for the university.
“She loved A&M so much,” Lisa Killian said. “And we just felt like that would be an amazing opportunity to have a piece of her there at the university forever.”
Lisa Killian said that the idea to donate her daughter’s ring was originally suggested by psychology senior Anna Mussleman and economics junior Cole Burnam.
“One way to truly honor her and leave her legacy on campus was to donate her ring to the Association,” Mussleman said. “And it’s totally something [Caroline] would adore.”
Although every person visiting the Memorial Ring Collections case may not have had the privilege of meeting Killian, her friends and family hope that visitors look further than the ring itself and more at Killian’s legacy and impact on those around her.
“I hope they see beyond the gold and see her for who she was. Always smiling and brightening everyone she came into contact with daily,” Burnam said. “I hope they see that she truly did embody the Aggie Spirit.”
Killian’s ring will be displayed among those of General Earl Rudder, Ormond R. Simpson and many other honored Aggies.
“It’s such an amazing tradition that A&M has that for a student and it’s a blessing for us for her ring to be there,” Lisa Killian said. “I know she would be so proud of that.”