May, the month of bittersweet goodbyes. As the semester comes to an end so does my time in an organization that has served as my source of encouragement, laughs and endless memories this past year. From the moment I opened my acceptance letter, I knew I was in for an amazing journey. The one thing I didn’t expect was how hard it would be to say goodbye to the Monday night meetings, weekly lunch hangouts and even the constant GroupMe messages. Whether we are leaving because our time here at Aggieland has come to an end or we have simply aged out, we know that we will leave a piece of our hearts with the organization. I don’t think I can possibly encompass all of the gratitude I have for those who have shaped this incredible adventure in one post, but I’m going to give it a shot.

Wow y’all, we made it. I showed up to the first meeting not knowing a single soul and nervous that I wouldn’t fit in. However, as the night went on, I began to meet so many of you and I knew that I was where I was meant to be. Now, things were a little awkward at first but through the help of retreats, socials and weekly meetings, friendships bloomed, personalities began to mesh and we found where we belonged. Also, I never thought I would be thankful for GroupMe, but holy cow I think we all owe the app designers a huge thank you. From one simple group message came so many late night Whataburger trips, grocery store runs, movie nights and all sorts of shenanigans that brought our friendships to life. As the year went on we settled into friend groups but knew we could find support and encouragement from all.

If I had to choose one word to describe this group of Aggies, it would be passionate. Our passion for selfless service was displayed through weekly service projects and tireless dedication to our philanthropy event raising money for those in need. We stood as the Twelfth Man at many a football game, uttered our first whoop and honored the traditions of A&M as we showed our passion for the university we hold so dear. A passion for leadership was more than visible as we learned to not only accept, but also appreciate the diversity in our organization along with leading a conference that encouraged the youth of our area to also be leaders and pursue a brighter future. Most importantly though, we showed passion for each other. I have never seen a group so willing to serve and other whether it be providing coffee and snacks for studying or being a shoulder to cry on and a voice of encouragement when the burdens of life hit us. It is because of this passion that I couldn’t be more grateful for our student organization.

Goodbyes are never easy; I know. This may seem cliché but I have pretty good feeling that this isn’t a goodbye, it’s a see you later. If there’s anything I wish for all of us it is to continue to show this passion in our later pursuits. For those that are graduating: use your leadership and passion for your careers to succeed in later endeavors. For the future staff of the organization: you have such a heart for what we do and it shines through. Inspire the newest members to embody this same passion and I guarantee you all will do great things. Lastly, to those who are like me and moving on: don’t let these passions die. We all have unbelievable potential and if we take the lessons learned this past year and apply it to our remaining time at A&M, we’ll be unstoppable. While our time here is coming to an end I know that the memories and friendships made will be endless. Thanks for the memories my dudes.

Love,

Lilli