Samantha “Sami” Schramm ‘22 transferred to Texas A&M University in the spring of 2020. She came to Aggieland in the pursuit of an international studies degree and leadership opportunities offered in the Corps of Cadets. Like every Aggie that semester, she left campus for a week of spring break without knowing she wouldn’t be able to return until the fall.
Schramm transferred into the international studies department as a junior, but the Corps requires transfer students to complete one semester as a freshman before joining the ranks of their scholastic peers. Spring of 2020 was Schramm’s semester as a fish in the Corps. The friendships she made in the first half of that semester endured throughout her time on campus, and inspired her to pursue new leadership roles as an upperclassman.
Schramm’s passion for leadership was noticed and rewarded with the Melbern G. and Sue Glasscock Liberal Arts Award. The award is given to a senior cadet who has been successful in both their liberal arts education and in developing and demonstrating leadership in the Corps.
“It is an honor to receive the Melbern G. and Sue Glasscock Liberal Arts Award,” Schramm shared. “It’s an honor to receive an award that aligns with the mission statement of the Corps making leaders of character ready to face global leadership challenges of the future.”
Silver Taps is one of the first Aggie traditions Schramm had the opportunity to participate in by paying a final tribute to her fellow students. She was a first generation Aggie with little knowledge of the sacred tribute held for students who’ve passed during the school year.
“When we returned from our first Silver Taps, our upperclassmen read the letter from Don Coward ‘72 about his first Silver Taps and what it meant to him. Then they explained that the person who wrote the letter died and was honored at the next Silver Taps,” Schramm shared. “I remember my upperclassman reading that and thinking to myself this is the definition of being an Aggie. You always have someone there for you. My buddies and I had a buddy meeting after that. We shared a big group hug and were making sure that everyone was ok. I recently attended my last Silver Taps as a student with my buddies. We had a very similar buddy meeting. Those are experiences you don’t get anywhere else.”
Schramm’s freshman semester in the Corps inspired her to provide similar leadership to the underclassmen she helped orient into life at Texas A&M. She became an active member of the O.R. Simpson Society, served as a member of MSC Student Conference on National Affairs (MSC SCONA), and paved the way for future leaders to follow in her footsteps as a Scholastics and Career Readiness Officer for 2nd Regiment Staff.
MSC SCONA is a student-run conference that brings student delegates to Bryan-College Station to participate in what’s called an International Strategic Crisis Negotiation Exercise before creating proposal papers about domestic and foreign policy. Additionally, the conference brings world leaders who address some of the world’s most pressing challenges and aspiring young professionals from across the globe who are ready to follow in the world leaders’ footsteps together.
Schramm served as the director of delegates on the MSC SCONA 67. She was responsible for coordinating housing for delegates, organizing roundtables that took place during the event, served as a point of contact for both delegates and the Corps to MSC SCONA 67 Review, selected cadets for scholarships to attend the conference, coordinated housing for 13 cadets from other military academies, and booked hotel accommodations for guest speakers and facilitators.
“What I really love about MSC SCONA is that we have past, present, and future leaders, from all over the U.S. and the world, coming together at Texas A&M to respectfully discuss current issues facing our nation and work together to create solutions,” Schramm said.
Schramm said her favorite part of being an Aggie is that Aggies are always there for each other.
“From an outside perspective, these traditions may seem very strange or inconvenient, but the truth is that you inconvenience yourself for the people you care about,” Schramm explained. “We as Aggies care deeply for each other, which is why we continue to uphold these traditions.”