Left to right: Brittnie '13, Lauri Brender '89, Aaron Brender '19, Ashley '15, Courtney '16
This week’s Bugle Call salutes Aaron Brender, a husband, father and proud Aggie student.
Aaron began his education at Texas A&M University in 1991 as a computer science major. But after completing two years of classes, he needed to find a job to cover expenses. When he was offered a full-time position at the university, he begrudgingly put a temporary hold on his education … but he always knew he would receive his diploma from the best university in the world.
Aaron has served the university for 24 years, now working as IT director for the vice president of research.
Along the way, he married Lauri Griffin ‘89 and gained three Aggie daughters, Brittnie ’13, Ashley ’15 and Courtney ’16. Aaron took on a second job in 2007 to provide for his family and to ensure that his daughters receive a top-notch college education, giving them the opportunity to pursue their dreams at Texas A&M.
But we have good news! Aaron is finally back in class again, only this time with more experience, more love for the Aggies and a much bigger family. He’s actively working to complete his computer science degree and plans to graduate in 2019!
This first-generation Aggie exemplifies Texas A&M’s core values in all of his pursuits – serving his family and the university, seeking excellence in all endeavors, and putting the needs of others before the needs of himself. He has proven himself to be a servant leader, a proud Aggie and even prouder Aggie dad.
His daughter, Ashley, sums it up pretty well: “We’re third generation Aggies and we’ve grown up in College Station. Both of those are strong Aggie influences, but in our mind, Aaron is Texas A&M, and when thinking about who exemplifies the Aggie core values, there is no one we know who does it better.”
