Randy VanDeven

Throughout the year, our development team is blessed with opportunities to visit with students, alumni and friends of the university. With each visit, we become increasingly aware of how this university has impacted each of you, and how it continues to hold a special place in so many hearts. Whether you knew it as East Texas Normal College, East Texas State Teachers College, East Texas State College, Old ET… or as Texas A&M University-Commerce, it's exciting to realize that the same heart and soul, impact and legacy that you enjoyed, continues to thrive today.

This issue of PRIDE is about more than giving back. It's about using influence, energy and resources for the betterment of others. It's about moving beyond feelings of duty and obligation, to forge legacies based on gratitude and great expectation for what could be.

A legacy, however, is only as good as those who uphold it. As a graduate of this university, your everyday life is a living image of our proud tradition and unfettered future. We hope you share your stories of success with us, so we can use them to encourage others in their journey. By telling others how this university changed your life, you not only bind us all closer together, but also enlighten future students of the bright futures that lie ahead.

Sincerely,

Randy VanDeven
Vice President, University Advancement