The Fellowship Of The Aggie Ring

Kreshna Gopal ’00 took a vacation to Belize over the summer and, as many tourists do, he donned a snorkel to "explore the dancing colors engulfing the exquisite marine life" at Hol Chan Marine Reserve.

You might see where this tale is headed.

Whenever a story starts out with an Aggie as the main character and a large body of water as the setting, it far too often concludes with the unwilling separation of that person from his or her Aggie Ring. Around 60 Aggie Rings are reported lost each month to The Association of Former Students, and falling into a large body of water (lake, river, ocean) is the most common fate.

But this story comes with an extraordinarily unlikely twist, thanks to a stranger named Santiago and an accidental assist from an eight-limbed passerby.

Gopal, who received two advanced computer science degrees from Texas A&M, wrote up this tale and it was published in Amandala, which is billed as the leading newspaper of Belize. You can read his story here.

You could then head over to this post about keeping your Aggie Ring safe and increasing your odds of getting it back if you lose it. We originally wrote that post as advice for spring breakers, but the advice applies anytime you are skiing, fishing, tubing, swimming or enjoying other water sports.

The Association has operated the Aggie Ring Program since 1969, ensuring that the proper academic qualifications are met for ordering and that the design and appearance are protected. The Ring Program operates on funds provided by Association donors. Lend your support at tx.ag/give.