Photo by: Craig Bisacre
Despite Everything
May 30, 2021 | Center for Student-Athlete Services
You've heard about all of the SEC Championships, the NCAA titles and the broken records. But did you know that while the Aggies were bringing home hardware that they also produced the greatest academic semester in A&M history?
To set the stage, we have to go back to the start of 2020.
The year began like any other, nothing out of the ordinary and all was normal. But as we all know, that didn't last long.
The year 2020 will forever be synonymous with change and hardship. It was eventually plagued by a global pandemic along with the nation's past and present entering the forefront of everyone's daily lives.
These things, among many others changed our lives, including the student-athletes at Texas A&M.
Every day it was something new. A new obstacle was dropped.
Classes became virtual, constant schedule changes, the entirety of the south froze over in an unprecedented winter storm along with the ever-looming threat of COVID-19.
"This past year has presented unique challenges and obstacles for our student-athletes and department," Senior Associate Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Services Joe Fields said. "They navigated COVID-19 protocols, competition schedule changes, NCAA rules, new legislation and even unprecedented snow storms. Despite all that they had to overcome, our student-athletes continued to flourish academically."
Despite everything, they always stayed on top of the books. The focus never wavered.
In everything an Aggie does, they do it with excellence. Even if everything is stacked against them. A great sense of pride, deeply rooted in the Aggie Spirit.
If they came out this spring and had an average year in the classroom, no one would have blamed them. They could have used every excuse in the book.
Instead they did this…
Record after record after record. You just love to see it.
Leading the charge for A&M in the classroom was the 2020-21 SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Jon Bishop, women's basketball SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Ciera Johnson, H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete nominee Camille Conner and Bill Erwin Scholar-Athlete of the Year winner Macie Kolb. Both exemplified and emphasized the "student" in student-athlete.
Unsung heroes of this historic semester were those that hardly get any credit, nor do they ever seek it. Those that deserved recognition work under the umbrella of the Center for Student-Athlete Services.
Just as every student-athlete had to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of life in college athletics, so did their academic advisors. They had to navigate these waters alongside one another, and for that we are thankful for their selfless service in helping guide our Aggies to achieve their academic goals.
"The Center for Student-Athlete Services is proud of our student-athletes' accomplishments this past semester," Fields said. "Even with challenges, we have produced our best semester ever at Texas A&M. Our student-athletes continue to break records and raise the bar academically. This academic success is a testament to our entire athletics department's commitment to academic excellence."
A pursuit of excellence that went far beyond the field of play. A relentless desire to do the best in everything.
These Aggies won SEC titles and brought home NCAA hardware this spring, but through everything they still found a way to have the best spring semester academically in school history.
Now, here is a question for you…
Are you even surprised?
To set the stage, we have to go back to the start of 2020.
The year began like any other, nothing out of the ordinary and all was normal. But as we all know, that didn't last long.
The year 2020 will forever be synonymous with change and hardship. It was eventually plagued by a global pandemic along with the nation's past and present entering the forefront of everyone's daily lives.
These things, among many others changed our lives, including the student-athletes at Texas A&M.
Every day it was something new. A new obstacle was dropped.
Classes became virtual, constant schedule changes, the entirety of the south froze over in an unprecedented winter storm along with the ever-looming threat of COVID-19.
"This past year has presented unique challenges and obstacles for our student-athletes and department," Senior Associate Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Services Joe Fields said. "They navigated COVID-19 protocols, competition schedule changes, NCAA rules, new legislation and even unprecedented snow storms. Despite all that they had to overcome, our student-athletes continued to flourish academically."
Despite everything, they always stayed on top of the books. The focus never wavered.
In everything an Aggie does, they do it with excellence. Even if everything is stacked against them. A great sense of pride, deeply rooted in the Aggie Spirit.
If they came out this spring and had an average year in the classroom, no one would have blamed them. They could have used every excuse in the book.
Instead they did this…
- Cumulative GPA - 3.079 (Highest ever recorded)
- Spring GPA - 3.133 (Second highest ever recorded)
- Student-Athletes with a 4.0 GPA: 65 (Second highest ever recorded)
- Teams over 3.0: 12 (Second highest ever recorded)
- Dean's Honor Roll (3.75 Semester GPA or higher): 24 (Highest recorded for spring semester)
- Distinguished Students (3.5 Semester GPA or higher): 23 (Highest ever recorded)
- AD Honor Roll (3.0 Semester GPA or higher): 356 (Second highest ever recorded for a spring semester)
- Highest Men's Team GPA: Baseball 3.233
- Highest Women's Team GPA: Equestrian 3.508
Record after record after record. You just love to see it.
Leading the charge for A&M in the classroom was the 2020-21 SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Jon Bishop, women's basketball SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Ciera Johnson, H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete nominee Camille Conner and Bill Erwin Scholar-Athlete of the Year winner Macie Kolb. Both exemplified and emphasized the "student" in student-athlete.
Unsung heroes of this historic semester were those that hardly get any credit, nor do they ever seek it. Those that deserved recognition work under the umbrella of the Center for Student-Athlete Services.
Just as every student-athlete had to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of life in college athletics, so did their academic advisors. They had to navigate these waters alongside one another, and for that we are thankful for their selfless service in helping guide our Aggies to achieve their academic goals.
"The Center for Student-Athlete Services is proud of our student-athletes' accomplishments this past semester," Fields said. "Even with challenges, we have produced our best semester ever at Texas A&M. Our student-athletes continue to break records and raise the bar academically. This academic success is a testament to our entire athletics department's commitment to academic excellence."
A pursuit of excellence that went far beyond the field of play. A relentless desire to do the best in everything.
These Aggies won SEC titles and brought home NCAA hardware this spring, but through everything they still found a way to have the best spring semester academically in school history.
Now, here is a question for you…
Are you even surprised?
Student-Athletes Summer Social
Monday, July 31
Traditions Night 2021
Monday, August 30
