When Ana Mendoza arrived at Texas A&M for her freshman year, she came as a first-generation college student and Aggie. She was excited to work her way into the nursing program and break generational cycles, but unsure quite how to find her place or reach her goals on a campus of more than 72,000.
No one else in her family had ever attended a four-year university, so life in Aggieland was unfamiliar territory that she had little context for beyond her classmates and high school teachers who were former students and inspired her to apply.
However, that quickly changed for Mendoza with her decision to attend MSC Open House - a showcase for the more than 1,300 recognized student clubs and organizations at Texas A&M.
When she walked up and down the aisles of MSC Open House, she happened to see a friendly face from her hometown at a table representing a student organization called Aggie Miracle. Although she had never heard of Aggie Miracle, it intrigued her right away.
As her friend working at the table shared more, she quickly fell in love with their mission to support children who have endured illness or developed chronic illnesses in their infancy, and their families. Mendoza felt connected and wanted to join, but one thing that surprised her about the process to apply and become a member of Aggie Miracle was the cost.
“I never expected that joining a student organization would cost me money out of my own pocket,” Mendoza shared.
Unsure of how she would make it work, a current Aggie Miracle committee member told Mendoza about the Aggie Experience Fund, and mentioned it might be able to help her cover membership fees. So she applied, the funds were awarded to her, and she was able to pay the fees to join without worrying.
Since joining Aggie Miracle during her sophomore year, Mendoza’s time at Texas A&M has been filled with experiences she wouldn’t have found elsewhere. Mendoza has made close friends, participated in meaningful outreach, helped with volunteering and fundraising efforts, and met the inspiring children and their families whose lives have been impacted by the funding provided by Aggie Miracle.
“It was so amazing to be able to participate in AggieTHON, our biggest fundraiser of the year - we met the miracle families treated at McLane Children’s Medical Center, participated in games, danced together and so much more. It was beyond rewarding to see what we had been working towards all year and the smiles on the families’ faces,” said Mendoza.
“What I love the most about being part of Aggie Miracle is seeing the kids who recover and become ‘miracles’, and actually being able to show up for the miracle families and come alongside them to say, someone is out there supporting them, fundraising on their behalf - so they don’t feel alone.”
Being a part of Aggie Miracle was also a piece of the puzzle that helped Mendoza on her journey to get into the full-time nursing program.
“Through Aggie Miracle, I gained leadership experience and a broader understanding of the impact we can have on children and families. It gave me a unique, outsider perspective on the lives of the kids we fundraise for, which really ended up deepening my passion to pursue nursing,” said Mendoza. “I also used my experience with Aggie Miracle to strengthen my nursing school application. It allowed me to showcase my commitment to service, leadership, and my motivation to work with children—all qualities that aligned with my goals in nursing.”
