Aggie Ring travels across country to get resized

In late 2023, the Aggie Ring of Rupak Gandhi '07 traveled across the country to get resized. Gandhi is the superintendent for Fargo Public Schools in North Dakota. After Jeff McCanna '20 was hired as the Officer of Human Capital for Fargo Public Schools, the pair decided to partner with Texas A&M University on a grant program regarding school leadership and turnaround. 

At a meeting between Fargo Public Schools and the Texas A&M grant team, Gandhi told the group he was a former student of Texas A&M. "Why aren't you wearing your Aggie Ring?" he was asked. 

His Ring had become too large for him to wear. Matthew Etchells '18, who leads part of the grant program, offered to take it back to Aggieland for him to get resized. Gandhi took him up on the offer. 

Gandhi gave his Ring to McCanna, who brought it to Etchells right before he left to the airport to head back to Aggieland. "It traveled very nervously in my pocket," Etchells recalled. Once it got to Aggieland, Matthew handed it to his friend to deliver it to its final stop at The Association of Former Students, which operates the Aggie Ring Program. "The goal was: that thing never leaves anybody's hand and is not just in the mail," McCanna said. 

The goal was almost achieved. McCanna, who lives part of the year in Houston, was hoping to get the Ring before a flight to North Dakota. Things didn't quite work out and the Ring ended up being signed for by McCanna's wife. She sent the Ring in a package that reached McCanna's office just as he was heading back to the airport to go back to Houston. The package was signed for and held tight until it could be given to Rupak the following week. 

"On behalf of Matthew [Etchells] and myself, we'd like to re-present you with your Aggie Ring," McCanna told Gandhi over an online meeting. "It just fit him like a glove," McCanna said.