It’s here. The year I have been waiting for and yearning for since I was a freshman; senior year. It’s the year that I’m apart of the oldest kids on campus, the year I get to take pictures in a cap and gown and it’s the year where I get to graduate and go to college.

As a freshman, I remember having the best time of my life. I excelled in my classes and developed friendships with upperclassmen. I thought I wanted to stay in high school forever.

Then, sophomore year came along. I already felt worn out. I was tired of being around the same people everyday in such an enclosed environment. This is when I realized that I wanted to be involved in something bigger.

I had just been invited to go to an Aggie football game at Texas A&M University in College Station. I was beyond excited to travel to CSTAT. It was at that football game that I fell in love with the atmosphere at A&M; it was there that I finally discovered what I wanted to be a part of.

I ended up getting to go visit the campus again in the spring and two more times during my junior year. Each visit made me fall in love with the idea of being an Aggie more and more.

Finally, it was the summer before senior year. Applications opened on July 1, and I was beyond ready to apply. The process was long and stressful, but I worked to get it done as soon as possible.

I finished the entire thing and submitted it in August. Now came the hard part: waiting for a decision.

One week passed. Two weeks passed. I was logging in to my Howdy account to check my status everyday at least once, sometimes even two or three times.

Two and half weeks after I submitted it, I had the chance to go tour the campus again with my friends and go to another football game. We arrived in CSTAT on Thurs., Sept. 19 and got settled in for the night.

As I was scrolling through social media, I noticed someone posted about getting into A&M. I became super anxious and immediately went to login to my Howdy account.

“Congratulations, Sydnie! You’ve been admitted! Welcome to the Aggie family!”

It was finally real. It is finally real. I’m the newest, loudest and proudest member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie class of 2024! Whoop!