Advancement
David Fabian
Hometown: Sugar Land, TX
Major: Chemical Engineering
Favorite LIFE Memory:
My favorite LIFE memory would have to be traveling in caravan to Angel Fire, NM for a week full of skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and hanging out with ALL of my best friends. You would be surprised to find how close you get to 40 people when you are on a 14 hour car ride with them, and then have the opportunity to live in a single house for 5 days.
Another great event was the Saint Arnold's Brewery Plant Trip. We traveled to Houston, TX to discover concepts of beer making, and then had a huge sleepover at my house relaxing by the pool before finals and seeing how many people we could fit in an 8 person hot tub.
Words of Wisdom:
Let loose, be responsibly crazy, and most importantly, be yourself! College and high school are completely different, and as a person you will change a lot in the process of transitioning. You are given the opportunity to totally start fresh and to be who you want to be without anyone judging you. My best decision my freshman year was joining LIFE because it gave me these possibilities. I've made awesome friends for a LIFEtime!
Belle Ibanez
Hometown: The Woodlands, TX
Major: Petroleum Engineering
Favorite LIFE Memory:
There are too many! The plant trips were basically the bomb.com (do you kids still say that?). Road tripping to Houston for the weekend to go to NASA was one of the first things we did as a FLO, and I remember not knowing anyone before the trip! The tour was great, but afterwards we all went out to eat, partied it up at Kemah, and then had a sleepover! I left the trip with 40 new best friends. The road trips just got to be more and more fun as the year went on; it was so great to get away from all the homework and tests in College Station with some of your best friends, even if it was just for a day.
No big deal, but advancement pretty much had the most extreme committee dates in the history of LIFE. I’ll never forget our 14-hour marathon of a committee date which consisted of crashing another committee’s date. Details are classified at this time… ask Paula if you want to know more.
One of the best parts of being in LIFE is having 60 people to pull tickets with at all the football games! I don’t want to brag, but we basically had the best seats on third deck. EVER. But some of my favorite memories from this past year were just the little things like running into people in the commons and talking for two hours, or going into the first day of spring semester already knowing a ton of people in your classes, or “studying” on the 4th floor annex with LIFE. I honestly made some of my best friends in this organization and couldn’t imagine starting my year at A&M without it! Take the Nike approach: just do it.
Words of Wisdom:
Go ask my partner, David.
Development
Michael Esparza
Hometown: Juarez, Mexico
Major: Civil Engineering
Favorite LIFE Memory:
My favorite memory of LIFE would have to be Blue Bell trip, cause who doesn’t love free ice cream?!? I know cats sure do!!! I own three cats. Ski trip was also totes fun because we got to spend a lot of time with the people we care about, and the ones we didn’t :(… but don’t tell Paula that. As fun as ski trip was it was equally as much fun driving to New Mexico. It makes me wonder, who really framed Roger Rabbit? Anyway there are many favorite memories of LIFE, another one of mine is Shack-a-thon, where we get to build a shack and live in it, cause what takes me back to my Hispanic heritage more than nesting in an empty shack haha lol haha
Words of Wisdom:
1) Learn to love cats
2) Don’t let me touch you
3) I call dibs on yall’s extra meal plans
4) Microsoft Word is informing me that yall’s is not a word :/
Aubrey Korol
Hometown: Arlington, TX
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Favorite LIFE memory(ies):
So many things happened in the previous year that made me love LIFE: camping out in a tent for football and basketball games, documenting ski trip as if it were an episode of Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls, passing around white elephant gifts at winter formal, making puns using the word LIFE (seen above), walking across campus wearing strange outfits for themed meetings, and going to Relay for Life, but the one that tops the cake is definitely Shack-a-thon. Nothing can beat spending an entire weekend building and decorating a wooden shack and then living in it next to Kyle Field for a week - all for Habitat for Humanity!
Words of Wisdom:
1) Sleep, Make good grades, Have fun. (You may only choose two of the above)
2) Take plenty of naps at all hours of the day.
3) A balanced diet is a Sbisa chocolate chip cookie in each hand.
4) Correct punctuation is extremely important. (e.g. “Let’s eat, Paula!” versus “Let’s eat Paula!”)
External
Paul Hinojo
Hometown: Mesquite, Tx
Major: Civil Engineering
Favorite LIFE Memory:
My favorite memory in LIFE was definitely the ski trip. It’s just amazing because I don’t even really know how it happened but you get crammed in a house with a ton people you sort of know and after a week of skiing, playing in the snow, and generally doing nothing but hanging out, everyone is friends with everyone. This kind of stuff happens anytime LIFErs get together, every event can leave you with awesome memories you’ll never forget. I could write hundreds of stories in this paragraph!
Words of Wisdom:
1. How involved you are with an organization is directly related to how many friends you make in that organization.
2. Never take any homework, test, or extra credit opportunity lightly. The better you do during the semester, the less stressed you’ll be during finals.
3. Never be scared of failure. The regret of not trying is a much worse fate.
4. Take care of yourself. While you do need to study, make sure to blow off stress at the rec, make time for friends, and sleep. And call your parents. They miss you.
5. YOU ARE AWESOME, SO BE AWESOME, YEAH.
Terri Siqueiros
Hometown: Gonzales, LA
Major: Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Favorite LIFE Memory:
Oh man, I had a blast this past year with LIFE. For starters, the weekly meetings were a ton of fun, and I especially appreciated them when I needed a break from studying. Sometimes we’d have guest speakers like the cool CIA guy or competitions between committees like the Halloween costume contest or baking competition (which D-MENT dominated, btw nbd). Relay for Life was also awesome. Some of us stayed up all night and got to listen to Paul’s band play. We even broke the world record for spooning. :) Plant trips were great, and we even got to go into the mission control center at NASA. Afterwards, we’d go stay at someone’s house and just hangout, watch movies & play games. Definitely some awesome memories & I can’t wait to make some more. :)
Words of Wisdom:
1. Homesick? Stressed? Heartbroken? Blue Baker will make it better.
If you don’t have a car, on-campus options include Sbisa cookies or for really serious issues, the King Kong burger from The Grill at the Pavilion. It’s going to be ok.
2. Be nice to people. You’re an Aggie, so this should come naturally but everyone needs a little reminder once in a while. It’s different with your friends, but as for everyone else, you never know what someone might be going through, so don’t be rude to/make fun of them. I promise it does not make you look cool.
Internal
Trey Dugger (T-Duggy Fresh)
Hometown: Richmond, TX
Major: Chemical Engineering
Favorite LIFE Memory(ies):
Certain events over the course of my freshman year stick out in my mind, including FLObowl, Shack-A-Thon, FLO in the Dark, and our Ski Trip to Angelfire. However, what I have come to enjoy most are all of the smaller memories I have made spending time with the friends I developed in the organization. Whether playing games, watching movies, or just hanging out, I was able to learn more about each person in LIFE and improve the bonds I had formed with them, overall creating a first year in college I’ll never forget.
Words of Wisdom:
I used to be an extremely shy person, and I still am reserved today. But what I have learned over my first year of college is that you shouldn’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Countless times over the past year I have done things that I wouldn’t ordinarily do, and never once did I regret those decisions. So get out there, meet new people, get involved, and more importantly, try to be yourself in the process.
Andrea Abeln
Hometown: Richardson, TX
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Favorite LIFE Memory:
I have a ton of great memories from last year, but my favorite would have to be my 36 hour marathon packed with 3 LIFE events and zero sleep. First we did Relay for Life which included volleyball, concerts (one by our very own Paul!), the world’s largest spooning chain and a whole lot more. Then after staying up all night some of us went to breakfast at IHOP for a little wake me up breakfast. After IHOP we went and played in a kickball tournament hosted by FAST. Then right after kickball, we all went home and showered and made ourselves look fancy because we had FLO Formal that night! Pictures and dinner started about 2 hours after the tournament. Then we danced all night and finally crashed at around 3 that night. It was definitely the greatest weekend of the year for me.
Words of Wisdom:
Get INVOLVED! You can sleep when you’re dead :)
Service
Joey Sitzman
Hometown: Mansfield, Tx
Major: Civil Engineering
Favorite LIFE Memories:
Favorite memory hands down would have to be the LIFE ski trip. You can’t beat snowboarding with your friends and making up your own trails down the mountain. Driving an entire day to New Mexico and staying in the same house with a group of college kids brought everyone closer together. It’s an experience I will never forget. Another one of my favorite memories from last year would be all the plant trips that we went on. Every plant trip was different in their own ways which is why every trip was an awesome experience.
Words of Wisdom:
“March to your own beat and rise above the crowd.”
Don’t be afraid to be yourself and above all, Get INVOLVED. Don’t let the moment pass you buy, live it up! Joining a FLO was the best decision I ever made, and I believe you would feel the same.
Alyssa Thompson
Hometown: San Angelo, TX
Major: Civil Engineering
Favorite LIFE memory:
Ski trip, even though I fractured my wrist my second run down. I learned snowboarding isn’t my thing and I earned a new nickname: Gig ‘Em Girl. Shack-a-thon—Building the shack was the most fun for me but hanging out in the shack was also a blast. Plant trips to NASA, Bluebell, and St. Arnold’s Brewery. Relay for Life, jamming out to Paul’s band at five in the morning. And just going to the meetings and seeing all the Lifers; it was definitely a bright spot in my week.
Words of Wisdom:
You’ve most likely already been told numerous times and will be told a number of times more but DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. There’s a reason it’s called higher education, you have to work harder and study more. This being said, don’t pull a hermit and stay cooped up in your room all the time. Being involved and enjoying your experience here is just as big of a part of college as the learning part. I almost didn’t apply for a FLO at all but it seriously was the best decision I made this past year. LIFE has been absolutely incredible and I am beyond excited I get to spend a whole second year in it!
Socials
Hank Crippen
Hometown: New Braunfels, TX
Major: Civil Engineering
Favorite LIFE Memory:
Ski trip by far. I had never skied before but after that trip, I want to go every year for the rest of my life. I loved the awesome cabin we stayed in, the car ride up and back, but most importantly I loved to watch all of the wrecks that we all had. If you get a chance you should ask Alyssa about her ski trip experience ha. But we did so much more that will always be in my best memories category such as random camping trips, constantly hanging out, shack-a-thon, service events, committee dates, FOOTBALL GAMES, ultimate frisbee and so much more!
Words of Wisdom:
1) Make time to have fun. studying all day, all the time will only burn yourself out and you will find out that the better quality of breaks you take, for example playing volleyball with me, will result in higher quality studying as well.
2) Get enough sleep!!! i can't stress it enough. 8 hours a night goes a long way.
3) Paula can have a very mean stare so watch what you say to her...
4) Be enthusiastic in whatever you do. If you have to get up in the morning at 7 and go to a lifting class and its pouring out and cold and windy (can't you tell I have had experience) and you head to class dragging your feet or grumpy the entire class, that makes no one happy. Instead, act like you love rain, wind, and cold. It may actually end up fun that way and you will lift other people's spirits too!
5) If you are bored at all, text me and it would be my honor to find something fun for you to do, which will result most of the time in hanging with me.
Meghan Whipple
Hometown: Johns Creek, GA
Major: Petroleum Engineering
Favorite LIFE Memory:
To be honest, I don’t have a favorite LIFE memory. There were so many events and moments throughout the year that were fun or special to me, that I cannot say one was better than the other. Of course ski trip was amazing because that brought everyone under one roof for a week of snow, massive amounts of cooking, funny comments, and bonding. The three plant trips were awesome in that we learned everything that occurred to make the place function, and of course the two over night ones added to the fun and memories. The two retreats were unique in their own way. The fall one was awkward, to say the least, but it was so much fun just to hang out with 60 classmates and future friends. Finally, the little events and get-togethers throughout the year were so awesome and fun that I don’t even know where to begin. Each time, you’d talk to and get closer with a different person, allowing you to befriend every LIFEr by the end of the year. You’d be surprised how one movie night, one dance night, or one dinner can bring together people, and possibly bring two best friends together.
Words of Wisdom:
My mom told me two things when I went to college (actually she told me a lot of things but these two stuck):
1) Balance.
2) Work hard. Play harder.
Ok on the first one, basically make sure you balance school and fun. Easy you say? HA! You have freedom now that you most likely have wanted for the past 18 years. Therefore, you are going to want to go out and do whatever you want. Find the balance between study time and fun with your friends, and you will succeed in college.
The second one I never thought I’d hear my mother say, but hey I’ll go with it. She has a good point though. There will come a time when you have studied for two weeks straight without seeing the outside of your dorm or library. And once you have taken that last test of the week, and have aced it of course, it is time to have fun. You need to go out, give yourself a mental break, and let loose. College is a place to learn great things that way you can go out into the world and be a successful engineer, but it’s also a place for you to grow, find yourself, make life-long friends, have fun, and create memories you’ll hold dear to your heart for the rest of your life.
Co-Chairs (The Supreme Overlords)
Emily Anderson
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: Grapevine, TX
Favorite LIFE Memory: Honestly, all of it! We do lots of really fun stuff as I'm sure you've gathered from the other bios, but besides all the fantastic things we do (and we do a LOT of fantastic things), LIFE has introduced me to most of my closest friends here at A&M. Some of my favorite memories aren't just of epic capture the flag moments or of free samples at bluebell, although those were awesome! I've had so many good times going to the rec to play sand volleyball or laying out by the pool or going to the movies or out dancing, or just hanging out with people in LIFE. I don't think I could pick a favorite memory if I tried, but maybe something will happen this year that will top them all :) Anyone up for a challenge?
Words of Wisdom:
1) If you get the largest meal plan, you will have extras come semesters end.
2) When you ride the bus, if you wanna get off at a stop you have to push the yellow tape before you get there and if no one does, you'll just ride the bus full circle and feel like a fool (I know this from experience)
3) Everyone is trying to make friends at the beginning of the year. Sometimes you feel awkward, but even saying "hello" to the kid sitting next to you in class may land you a study partner later on.
4) The way I see it, if you aren't looking for good things then you probably won't find any. Life is what you make of it, so make it positive. Happiness isn't the result of a situation, it's an attitude. College life, and LIFE, can be awesome experiences if you let them be :)
Paula Ikpatt
Hometown: Irving, TX
Major: Civil Engineering
Favorite LIFE memory: I don’t think I can pick just one. There was Ski trip, getting a behind-the-scenes tour at NASA, dressing up for themed meetings, having an amazing time with my committee frying cake and gummy bears and beef jerky together for a baking competition (surprisingly, we got last place?), hilarious stories from studying together in the annex, camping out for football games, Shack-A-Thon, picture scavenger hunts, and that one committee date Advancement had with Internal where we, um…did NOT prank the Socials-Service committee date, that’s for sure. ;) I’ve had a wonderful two years and I can’t wait for round three!
Words of Wisdom:
1) Make good friends with engineering upperclassmen (read: Paula Ikpatt). They always have old tests that you can use as study guides and can help with homework when you’re stuck. (Notice I didn’t say “if”.) Also, they can sell you books for your classes for way cheaper than anyone else!
2) Don’t take yourself too seriously! Life, in the upper and lowercase, is about changing for the better, having wonderful experiences and making unforgettable memories. Let loose a little and you’ll realize just how much fun you can have!