Texas A&M University has many traditions that unite current and former students. Recently, this was more than evident in a special Wood County visit.

Graduating student Taylor Quinn and grandmother Brenda Blackmon Davidson (of Mineola) made plans to visit Bobby Tucker of Mineola over spring break. One of the important A&M traditions is receiving the Aggie ring, where one graduated Aggie places the ring on another Aggie’s hand.

Quinn is graduating, and Tucker is a graduate who was on staff as the assistant director of student activities from August 1998 to September 2008. He was also the advisor to the student government association.

In the years that Quinn attended A&M, she perused the campus and periodically saw Tucker’s name. As it turned out, he was also Quinn’s third cousin.

Tucker is an A&M alumni, but he is also a retired Baptist minister who is well known for his involvement in the Mineola community.

Quinn, Tucker and Davidson met on a Sunday afternoon, and Tucker presented Quinn with her ring. So, in this college graduate and this East Texas preacher, the A&M tradition lives on.

As Quinn graduates in May, she will focus on one more Aggie tradition: the symbolic turning of the Aggie ring to face outward, signifying readiness to face the world. She will continue her studies in the master’s program through Texas A&M.