By Veronica Gonzalez Hoff, Division of Student Affairs

Persistence and determination are a huge part of Katy Fredericksen’s story. The education major transferred to Texas A&M University in January. It was a dream come true after applying to Texas A&M multiple times. 

The road to Texas A&M was anything but easy, but now she’s now part of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of ‘22 and working on her dreams toward becoming a teacher. 

The first time Katy applied to Texas A&M was in high school. The Houston native ended up being offered the Program for System Admission (PSA), which is an alternative admission program for selected students who are not offered freshman admission to Texas A&M.

After not getting the answer she hoped for, she decided to try a different university instead. She really wanted to go to the same institution for all four years of her college experience. Katy tried to get involved on campus and the surrounding community during her first year, but it just didn’t feel like the right fit for her. 

“They say to give yourself a full year to try an institution and I’m really proud of myself for doing that. I just realized it wasn’t working for me,” she explained. “It was that experience that made me determined to really try to transfer.”

Katy tried applying to Texas A&M again that summer but was not able to get in. So, she decided to apply and attend Blinn College to work on improving her chances of getting accepted into Texas A&M. 

LIFE-CHANGING SEASON

In July 2019, Katy experienced a challenging medical diagnosis and had to defer her fall start at Blinn so that she could focus on getting through a 16-hour surgery and recovery. 

“It was really hard for me. None of this was part of my college plan, but I believe things happen for a reason.” Katy shared. 

She spent the rest of the fall semester recovering and re-learning how to complete simple tasks. By the spring of 2020, Katy was back to studying at Blinn. She adapted to online learning like many other students during 2020 when COVID-19 changed the course of that year. Despite the state of the world, 2020 finally brought the news Katy had been working so hard toward. She received her acceptance letter from Texas A&M.  

GETTING INVOLVED

In February, Katy attended Howdy Camp and immediately began getting involved with student organizations and Aggie traditions, and found a job on campus as an orientation leader. She is now one of the Orientation Team Leaders for New Student and Family Programs, as well as a counselor for T-Camp and a member of Aggie Sisters for Christ. 

“I wanted connections. It took me so long to finally get to Texas A&M,” the education major shared. “I went through a bunch of obstacles to get here. That makes my experience different from others who have been here since freshman year.”

Katy is passionate about getting involved and experiencing Aggie traditions and enjoys encouraging new students to do the same. Her enthusiasm is apparent as she leads orientation groups during New Student Conferences. Being a part of the New Student and Family Programs team has been a highlight of her Aggie experience. The full-time staff have been a huge support to her as she has found her place at Texas A&M. 

“For those that know they want to be here, it's worth it,” she said. “There might be obstacles before you get here. And that's OK.”