More To Celebrate: Today Some Get Both A Diploma And A Ring

The day students get their Aggie Ring, a beloved tradition filled with symbolism, is full of photos and pomp, and The Association of Former Students is working to make sure every student gets the full court press when they pick up their little ring made of gold.

“Sometimes students can’t get their Ring until graduation because maybe they transferred in or are a graduate student,” said Amarette Renieri '18, campus programs and Aggie Ring assistant at The Association. “We’re trying to make a little more excitement around getting your Aggie Ring for the days when we have fewer people picking them up.”

In years past for smaller Ring delivery days, in August and December, students would stop by The Association early on graduation day to pick up their Ring, with little fanfare.

“Getting your Aggie Ring is a big deal and we want to celebrate with every student who earns one,” Renieri said, noting about 150 Rings will be delivered Friday; about 4,600 were delivered in April, the largest Ring delivery of the year.

On August or December delivery days in the past, The Association would set up a table at the Clayton W. Williams Jr. Alumni Center for graduating seniors to pick up their Rings before heading over to Reed Arena.

Today, The Association implements its procedures used on larger Ring Days, including distributing Rings from a larger conference space, allowing more room for Ring presentations, and providing photo stations for students to snap a shot with their new hardware, as well as placards to hold for that social media-perfect pose under the larger-than-life Aggie Ring replica on the Haynes Ring Plaza.

Students began picking up their Rings at 7:30 a.m. They must bring two of the following: Ring receipt, student ID and driver’s license.

The Aggie Ring is the most visible symbol of the Aggie Network that connects Aggies around the world. Dating back more than a hundred years, it is a tradition that is deep in symbolism. Every symbol represents values every Aggie should hold: excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect and selfless service.

Those who have earned the right to wear the Aggie Ring have cleared some of the toughest requirements in the country for a class ring, thus making it one of the most treasured items an Aggie possesses. The requirements were established by the Official Senior Ring Committee of 1933.

The Next Tradition

For those picking up their Aggie Ring on Friday or for any students graduating over the weekend, The Association encourages them to learn more about the school’s alumni organization and how it serves them.

“The Next Tradition is an opportunity for former students to come learn about what The Association does and how we support them when they leave,” Renieri said. “It’s the handoff from being a current student to being a former student. They can get connected to resources we have like A&M Cubs and Constituent Networks, and we also talk about the Century Club, the fact that they get 50 percent off membership for the next three years.

“But overall, it’s a time to relax before they go off to graduation or relax after, to hang out and celebrate, take some photos,” she said. “We will take a professional headshot for them to put on their Linkedin or anywhere they need it. We put the photo on our website and they download it themselves.”

Once processed and posted, photos can be downloaded at photos.aggienetwork.com.

The Next Generation is set for 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Williams Alumni Center. Graduating seniors can also enter to win prizes, enjoy free refreshments and pick up an Association of Former Students window decal.