REP-PP Spring 2016 Blog: Loyalty

Blogger:  Tom Connally

Law School Year:  ​3L
Placement:  Representative Joe Barton’s Office

Loyalty — Acceptance is Forever

Loyalty—devotion and faithfulness to a cause—is a core value that all Aggies should strive to embody. According to Dr. David Prior, former Texas A&M University Executive Vice President and Provost, “Loyalty and respect for tradition is about a sense of belonging to something greater than yourself.” Anyone who has ever seen the 12th Man in action, attended Aggie Muster, or had the privilege of earning an Aggie ring understands what it means to be a part or something more—a tradition.

The Residency Externship Program in Public Policy reflects respect for loyalty and tradition, and epitomizes the Aggie Core Values. The REP-PP, itself a new tradition, has allowed me to participate in something larger than myself. For months I have passed the Capitol on my morning commute, each time feeling awestruck as I gaze at the beautiful dome bathed in sunlight. For me, there is nothing greater than this feeling, nothing greater than working in aid of the collective, deliberative body that is Congress, and nothing greater than contributing to a body of work larger than the individual.

Respect for tradition goes hand-in-hand with being a part of something greater, a fact which the Aggie Network exemplifies. The Aggie Network is one of the largest undergraduate, graduate, and professional networks in the country. Aggies with various temperaments, talents, and convictions attend and graduate from our prestigious university, and often go on to accomplish great and wonderful things. It is an Aggie’s sense of loyalty and acceptance, however, which urges him to contribute to something greater than himself, and to give back for those following in his footsteps.

I have experienced firsthand the expansive reach of the Aggie Network, and have witnessed loyalty personified. It seems like no matter where I turn, an Aggie is there to lend a helping hand or to offer words of wisdom. Such a network has enormous implications for Aggies entering the professional world, and is especially valuable in a location like Washington. Throughout my externship, I have learned that what and who you know are far less important than who knows you. Aggies, driven by their sense of loyalty and respect for tradition, understand this basic premise, and are actively involved in creating opportunities for their fellow Aggies.

In essence, loyalty and respect for tradition is really about leaving a lasting legacy for those who come later. By participating in, and showing respect for, our time-honored traditions, we share a common bond with those Aggies who have come before, as well as those who have yet to come. Through our unfaltering loyalty and acceptance forever, doors are opened and opportunities abound. In recognizing that we are all part of something larger, something greater than ourselves, we strengthen not only the Aggie Network, but also the collective body of work for which it is responsible—the legacy of Texas A&M.