We also endowed a Sul Ross Scholarship. This program was initiated in 1978, named after Lawrence Sullivan Ross, a former Texas Gov. and President of Texas A&M. Many historical records contend that the quintessential Aggie spirit and Texas A&M traditions—still a vital component of each cadet’s college experience—began when Ross was president. Seven Aggie students have been the recipients of this scholarship which is renewed annually based upon the student meeting certain GPA requirements. These individuals are listed below. Please scroll to read their letters of appreciation and how they have applied the opportunity we helped to provide.
Thank You Letters
From Our Sul Ross Scholarship Recipients
Andrew Bailey ‘28
Andrew Bailey was awarded our scholarship in the fall of ’24. He is a freshman in L-1 majoring in history and is considering a career in either medicine or international affairs. He grew up in Potomac, Maryland, and came to Texas A&M after making a visit during high school.
Dear Class of ‘76,
I hope you are doing well. I am incredibly grateful for this award and your financial support. Your contribution to my tuition not only assists me but my parents who are funding my way to receive a college degree from Texas A&M and a great experience in the Corps of Cadets.
My name is Andrew Bailey and I am the oldest of six children. I am from out of state and went to a small all boys Catholic high school called The Heights School in Potomac, Maryland. I ran cross country and track through High school and participated in many formational catholic groups through my school and Church. It was in these experiences where I forged great friendships including a buddy who is now a current sophomore in the Corps. Because of this friend and the visits I took to College Station, I decided I wanted to challenge myself to become a better person for my friends, family, and for God and join the Corps.
Currently, 1 am a freshman in outfit L-1. I am not involved with any Corps related activities at the moment, however I plan to join activities offered for upperclassmen Corps members. Outside the Corps, I am involved at St. Mary’s Catholic Student Center participating in John 15, a youth group, and Opus Dei, a Catholic formational group for men.
My current major is History and there are two paths I am considering for my future career. One is a career in medicine by acquiring a Pre-Med Minor and the other is a sort of international affairs career. Although the Corps is very time consuming, it has allowed me to manage my time better and focus on my studies with more intensity to help prepare for my future career.
Finally, I would like to reiterate my gratitude for the scholarship I am receiving funded by you. I take great pride and honor saying I am in the Corps of Cadets and without your help this would not be possible. If you are ever on campus please let me know and I would love to meet and thank you in person as I can only say so much on paper.
Thank you and may your day be filled with blessings from God.
Best regards,
AMB
Andrew Bailey ’28
L-1
Emily Russell ’27
Emily Russell was awarded our Sul Ross scholarship in the fall 2023. She hailed from Ellijay, Georgia from a family of eight brothers and sisters of which she is the oldest. She is a member of Squadron 2 (Gator 2) and interested in majoring in kinesiology.
Dear Class of ’76,
I’m writing to express my sincere gratitude for your Corps of Cadets Scholarship. My family and I are incredibly thankful for you and your generosity.
Since I wrote to you last, I have learned many things including following leadership well, the power of unity, time management, and how to act in difficult circumstances. This has better shaped who I am today and continues to do so daily. I have participated in and led in Christian organizations among similar things. I struggled in many ways last semester, however, I have learned from my challenges and have come back better and plan to continue growing and learning with the little time I have left as a freshman.
This semester, I am training to become a Valor leader for the incoming freshman, I am partaking in Baptist Student Ministries activities, and leading an Awana group through my church. I am also taking a Military History class which is very intriguing, a Kinesiology class, which I am passionate about, and other core classes. If I continue doing well this sets me up on the path of success I am working towards.
In the future, I hope to work in the career field of physical therapy/training. Through my upperclassman’s examples and advice, the Corps is helping me achieve my goals through leadership, physical, and educational training to become a better person and leader in the years to come.
It would be a privilege to meet with you and thank you in person whenever you come to campus. My contact information is above.
None of this would be possible without you so, once again, I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to you as the recipient of your Corps Scholarship. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Emily Russell ’27
Gator 2
Joshua Coker ‘23
Joshua Coker hailed from Waco. He was a member of S-2 and pursued a degree in Construction Science.
Dear Class of ’76,
The purpose of this letter is to express my deepest gratitude for your Corps of Cadet scholarship. Your support truly means a lot to me and my family.
Since speaking with you last, I am enjoying my last semester in the Corps here as best as I can. My classes are a bit easier and I am taking two Army classes as I missed one last semester due to internship in Waco. The biggest Corps activity I am doing is the Corps baseball team, which we are doing well in but do have some stiff competition. Additionally, I joined a construction competition team as I’ve always wanted and were going to the finals in two weeks for that. It is the roofing competition team and I did the estimate on the Globe Life Field roof.
This semester for me is a really busy one, with army and cav and baseball going on. Just this past weekend, I shot expert with a 39/40 targets hit with army, which I thought was real cool. Other than that, I’ll continue having lots of fun finishing up all I’ve started here in the Corps.
In the near future, I will finish up my degree in December and commission as a gold bar in the army. I also have met a real sweet girl that may be a potential forever with so we shall see how that goes. Life seems to be setting in place, now I just need to pass classes as usual and start a new chapter soon.
Once again, I’d love to extend my deepest appreciation for being the recipient of your Corps scholarship. Thank you for your support. Please let me know if you would like to visit, it would be a pleasure!
Respectfully,
Joshua Coker, ’23
W. Grant Walford ’22
Grant Walford was awarded our Sul Ross scholarship in the fall ’18. He majored in Forensic and Investigative Sciences and graduated in 2022. His parents are both Aggies Class of ’90. Grant was in Squadron 20. Below is a recent update Grant provided and his final thank you letter sent in 2022.
Dear Class of ’76,
As the 31st Aggie in my family, College Station is definitely home but I am originally from Abilene, Texas. However, I grew up mostly overseas due to my father’s military career. While at A&M, I was a proud member of Squadron 20 of the Corps of Cadets and I earned Bachelor of Science in Forensic and Investigative Sciences with Honors. The Sul Ross Scholarship, for me, was more than a financial aid package, it was the embodiment of the Aggie Spirit. The generosity of the Class of ’76 was overwhelming. To have such support from those who came before me, veritable strangers at the time, showed me what it means to be an Aggie beyond my time in Aggieland. I strive to emulate that same spirit every day. Where am I now? Well, I am back in school. Currently, and I hope y’all do not make me pay back the scholarship for this, I am entering my last year of law school at The University of Texas School of Law. My career aspirations are to serve the great state of Texas and our nation as a federal prosecutor, but before that I will spend two years after graduation working for federal district judges in Midland and Amarillo.
Thanks and Gig ’em!
Grant Walford ‘22
Dear Class of ’76,
I am writing you to extend my continued appreciation toward you for your investment in my future through the Corps of Cadets Sul Ross Scholarship. I am also writing to provide you with an update on my progress in my educational career and plans following my graduation in May.
Although my senior year has been my hardest year academically, I maintained a 4.0 GPA last semester. Last I wrote, I mentioned that I would be applying to law schools. I am excited to report that I heard back from all the schools I applied to and I was admitted into every law school in Texas. This included the University of Texas School of Law, which was a welcomed surprise. This surprise made the decision quite easy since UT has the best law school in the State and is tied for the 15th best law school in the country. I begin the next chapter in my life at law school in August to pursue a career in criminal law. My ambition is to serve as a district attorney in Texas, with I aspirations for political office beyond that point.
My clubs are continually growing and are very active. My role as president of the forensic science organization was accompanied with more stressors than I previously anticipated, but I enjoy a challenge and I am ensuring a fun year for my members. We will be taking trips to many crime laboratories around the state to observe experts in action, which has been highly anticipated.
The Corps of Cadets persists as an ever-present source of excitement. Serving as the executive officer has been a rewarding experience and forced my leadership to undergo a metamorphosis of sorts, from the hardline disciplinarian to a seasoned guide and source of inspiration. My unit, Squadron 20, is operating at maximum efficiency and producing an unparalleled group of cadets, all of whom are worthy of the very same generosity you have shown to me in my Corps career. It will be bitter-sweet to walk across that stage in a few short months because the memories and friends I made here are beyond words, and yet I find myself with a buzz of excitement to enter the next phase of my life, to begin my career, to leave a lasting impression.
As always, I would be extremely honored to meet with you in person the next time you are in College Station to extend my gratitude properly. My contact information is listed above should you be inclined to get in contact with me.
Very respectfully,
William Grant Walford ’22 Squadron 20
Brannon Sickels ‘20
Brannon was a Political Science major from Plano, Texas. He was a member of B-2. Below is his final thank you notes
Dear Class of ‘76,
The purpose of me sending you this letter is to serve as a continued thank you for your generous support with your Corps of Cadets Scholarship, which means a lot to my family and I.
Since I wrote you last, I applied to become a Texas State Trooper and earned a 95% on the PT and written tests. Most applicants score between an 80%-85% so I am very excited about my score. I am now waiting to hear back to schedule a polygraph test and then an interview. If I am accepted, I will start the academy in January 2021.
I am still the Commanding Officer for the AM TU. We are currently preparing for my last All Army shooting championship in March.
I will be graduating in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Military Studies. Thank you for your support over the past four years and helping achieve my goal of becoming an Aggie!
Again, if you happen to visit College Station, please contact me so I can thank you in person. My contact information is above.
Thank you so much for helping me as the recipient of your Corps Scholarship.
Respectfully,
Brannon Trainer Sickels, ’20
Clay Hooten ‘17
Clay was a Management major from Lubbock, Texas. He was a member of E-1. After graduation, Clay commissioned into the US Army.
Dear Class of ’76,
I am writing this letter to thank you once again for providing me with this scholarship that enables me to continue as a student at Texas A&M University for another year.
Another semester has passed and I still have the privileges of being a member of the Corps of Cadets and attending this wonderful university, which would be impossible without your generosity. Last semester went well. I told you about getting to go to the Bold Leader Competition with Ranger Challenge, and we actually went and did very well. We are getting the chance to advance to the next competition this semester at West Point. l, of course, hope we do well there and we have already been hitting it hard preparing for it and it’s going to be really challenging mentally and physically.
Like I mentioned in my last letter, I am interested in receiving an educational delay from the Army and attending law school. I am still doing everything possible to make sure that I can achieve this. Last weekend I actually took my first LSAT which I felt very good about. It feels weird because it seems like it was just last year that I was taking the ACT to get into college. I’m looking around at schools, but honestly hope I can get into Texas A&M’s relatively new law school.
I would be honored to meet with you and thank you in person whenever you are in College Station. My contact information is above.
Once again, I would really like to thank you so much for supporting me with this scholarship for another year. I love this university along with the education I’m getting while attending it, and because of you I get to come here another year. I really can’t thank you enough.
Very Respectfully,
Bryce Watson ‘16
Bryce Watson majored in International Studies. Post graduation, he attended The Bush School where he earned a master’s in International Affairs. Below are two of his thank you notes – one from the start of his Fish year, and a second from the end. Bryce was in L-1 and hailed from Santa Rosa, CA.
Dear Class of ’76,
I would like to share my deep appreciation for your Corps of Cadets scholarship. Living out of state, I did not think there was a great possibility that I would be able to afford Texas A&M University, but with your scholarship and the in-state tuition that came along with it I was able to fulfill this dream. I cannot overstate how incredibly appreciative I am of your gift.
I went to Rancho Cotate High School in Santa Rosa, California. This school afforded me a great deal of opportunities in both academics and extracurricular activities. I was captain of my tennis team, treasurer of my student council and a member of both Future Business Leaders of America and California Scholarship Federation. As well as this, I worked at a clothing store titled Tilly’s as a sales associate. There was not one defining moment in my life that brought me to Texas A&M, it was every experience I had, both inside and outside the classroom. Tilly’s taught me to be bold and gave me the skills to speak to strangers and use persuasion. The clubs I was in and the student council all gave me an idea of how to run a successful organization, and Tennis was my first opportunity to lead others into a challenge. Yet my greatest influence has still yet to be mentioned, my family and friends. My parents have always
been incredible people, they started with nothing, but they were able to both raise my sister and me and raise a company to its success. They have taught me more than I can illustrate here about life and I can absolutely say they were my largest influence before coming to Texas A&M.
I am a Freshman in L-l, the Lonestar Company. I also plan to work with the club Global Justice and the Model United Nations, I may not know exactly which club to join as of yet I do know it must be working for international aid and service.
Dear Class of ’76,
I am writing this letter to sincerely thank you and show my deep appreciation for the scholarship that your actions have afforded me.
I am a freshman in L-1. As a Freshman I am unable to hold any leadership positions in the outfit, but at the moment I am doing a number of extra curricular activities. I am in Rudder’s Rangers, a special unit within the Corps of Cadets that is meant to give extensive military training to motivated cadets. I am also apart of Global Justice which is an international outreach program at Texas A&M. The club essentially does whatever it can to battle the horrors of the world.
I am pursuing a degree in International studies, with a focus on China. I am currently learning Mandarin and I hope to also minor in Journalism. My future career goals include either becoming an international journalist that covers mostly foreign conflicts, or a position in the government working with diplomacy between countries. Last semester I posted the best academic GPA than any other freshmen in my outfit as well as better than most of my upperclassmen. It was a 3.43 and this semester I hope to post a 4.0 GPA. Chinese is both my most challenging and rewarding classes. Learning the language and the culture from native speakers has been a delight. I hope to go to Amman, Jordan for a study abroad this summer and learn beginning Arabic as well to enhance my knowledge for my future as an officer in the Army.
I would be honored to meet with you anytime that you are in town.
Once again I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to attend this university.
Bryce Watson ’16
L-1
