05/21/2026
“I first enrolled in the fall of 2004, and I stayed until around 2011. I changed my major a lot. I enjoyed the college experience first instead of the college purpose.
I started as mechanical engineering then switched to industrial engineering, then I went to mathematics, then I went back to industrial engineering. I just knew I was good with numbers and creating things, I just didn't know how to focus.
During that timeframe I was in a lot of student organizations. I went from being a student to being a student leader. I forgot to be a student first. I was president of Aggie Live Wire. I was on the Council of Presidents and held various positions. I basically took on admin roles. It got to the point, if I had a meeting AND class. I went to the meeting instead of class.
I lost sight of why I was at school. My grades and enrollment status were up and down. Then I maxed out my financial aid, so I didn’t know where the funds were coming from. Student loans kicked in, so I had to work more to pay for them. I got married and had a family.
I work at Corning and many of my supervisors and colleagues are Aggies. We all yell, ‘Aggie Pride.’ But I always hated times like homecoming when people ask, ‘what year did you finish?’ I knew I had to change that.
Some friends told me about the “Aggies at the Goal Line” program. I remembered sitting in the meetings when they were talking about forming this program.
So, I enrolled. There was no time to slack. I started part time online and finally finished this year. The program was amazing. The advisors. Those who helped us navigate which classes to take. The follow-up. It was great. They don’t allow you to fail. Like Dr. Dick told me, ‘You failed once. You’re not failing again.’ It’s nobody left behind.
Next is grad school.” - Barney Ruth
