Campus Life

Aggie Yell Leader – Super Career Experience, Fortune 500 Company Execs Agree

Thanks to company representatives delving into Gould’s reasoning and character, that initial turn-down turned into a bona fide job offer upon graduation.
By Lane Stephenson, Texas A&M Marketing & Communications January 27, 2015

Imagine a career-focused soon-to-graduate college student turning down an internship that seemed destined to lead to an attractive offer from a Fortune 500 company – PepsiCo. That’s exactly what Texas A&M University senior Shaquille Gould did.

In fact, it was a proposed second internship offered by PepsiCo, underscoring its apparent desire to hire him. Thanks to company representatives delving into Gould’s reasoning and character, that initial turn-down turned into a bona fide job offer upon graduation.

Gould had what he thought was a compelling reason to decline the generous offer of a second internship and the prospect for a potentially rewarding career offer: he was determined to fulfill his responsibilities after the Texas A&M student body elected him as a yell leader.

“At first I tried to find positions with Pepsi here locally but that did not work out,” noted Gould, who is majoring in supply chain management. “I was very hesitant to tell them (about declining the internship) because I felt that this would ruin my chances of getting a full-time offer, so I just prayed that God would use me and my previous internship with Pepsi to show that I may have been deserving of a full-time offer once I graduated.”

He also sought advice from fellow Aggies as well as from some former students.

“In talking with former and current ‘ags’ about my current situation I was always assured that I was making the right choice,” Gould said. “I was ultimately happy with my decision because I realized that I will be working for the rest of my life and that declining a second internship to serve Texas A&M University is what God had planned for me. This year has truly been a blessing and if I had to choose all over again I would make the same choice every time.”

Gould’s integrity and prayer paid off — with some intervention by well-placed Aggies at PepsiCo, as well as, perhaps, that of a divine nature.

Initially, human resources representatives at PepsiCo couldn’t understand his reluctance to accept their offer so that he could to continue to serve as what would generally be considered being a “cheerleader.”

“Shaquille was a summer intern for us in 2013 and did an awesome job,” recalled Jennifer Huffer, the key account manager and a 2009 Texas A&M graduate. ‘We asked him to return this year. However, he declined due to being selected as a yell leader. When Darlene Paulin, our human resources senior director for the South Region, asked why he couldn’t return, she was slightly confused: she had never heard the term ’yell leader,’ much less understood what a great opportunity it was for Shaquille.”

The matter subsequently came to the attention of PepsiCo’s human resources/legal vice president, Michele Thatcher, a 1986 graduate of Texas A&M. It helped that her husband Mike Thatcher, a 1982 Texas A&M graduate, been the head yell leader in 1981-82. She understood there’s a world of difference between being a cheerleader and a Texas A&M yell leader.

Being a yell leader is more valuable in the long run than serving another internship, Thatcher explained to the other PepsiCo officials. She was able to point out that it means being a leader in the broadest sense of the term – and being a member of a team carrying out major responsibilities. “Representing Texas A&M on the field, in the class-room and at events state and nationwide provides an experience unmatched at the collegiate level in terms of its demanding time commitment and extraordinary communication skills. A yell leader’s daily schedule rivals many chief executives and they still have to go to school!”

Gould expressed his gratitude to the “Pepsi team” for accommodating him, and particularly to Mrs. Thatcher for explaining to others the uniqueness of being a yell leader.

“I am really appreciative of what Michelle Thatcher did for me,” Gould said. “I also want to thank Darlene Paulin and the rest of the Pepsi team for understanding my situation, still believing in me, and giving me an opportunity. Through this entire process I have truly started to realize how much of a fit I believe I am for Pepsi. The quality of leadership, strong moral values and a true concern for the improvement of others have really showed me that Pepsi is where I belong.”

Being a yell leader at Texas A&M is a major honor that carries with it major responsibilities and a time-consuming commitment to serve fellow students and the overall university. It’s a position in which he helps lead his fellow Aggies in showing big-time support for their athletic teams as well as representing the university in a variety of ambassadorial manners.

Here’s how Gould explained his first awareness of and subsequent appreciation for being a yell leader: “When I first came to A&M I had no idea about any traditions, yells or really anything about A&M. Seeing all that the yell leaders at the time did and how fired up they were whenever they spoke about A&M really made me excited and made me feel like I was a part of something great.

“Fast-forward to this year, being on the other side and seeing the impact we as yell leaders have on A&M, and our community has been a blessing. Being a yell leader means embodying the spirit and all of the values that A&M holds dear. Also because of the role and the wide scope that it reaches, being a Christian, it is a way for me to show God’s love through my actions and everyday interactions.”

How much it helped is unknown, but it certainly didn’t hurt that Texas A&M and PepsiCo have a robust business relationship, with Pepsi having won the right in 2010 to be the exclusive provider for dispensing soft drinks and snacks at vending machines throughout the giant 5,200-acre campus and at all athletic events. Considering that Texas A&M has a student body exceeding 62,000 and is now attracting more than 100,000 fans for its home football games, the partnership is one of the most extensive of its type in the nation.

Also, PepsiCo officials have established a strong track record for providing support for a variety of student activities, including furnishing product for a variety of student events such as The Big Event, Move In Day, Aggieland Market, Welcome Back Day, Party on the Plaza, and many more.

Gould now calls Killeen home but he was born on the small Caribbean island of Antigua.

Since enrolling at Texas A&M, he has thrived in several manners, including being a member of the Corps of Cadets, in which during his junior year he attained the rank of first sergeant —a position that requires the demonstration of extraordinary leadership skills. He also was elected for membership in the Ross Volunteers, the Corps’ elite unit for upperclassmen.

In addition to his Corps of Cadets membership and activities, Gould has served in a variety of other campus organizations, including the Century Singers, Aggies for Christ and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

Media contact: tamunews@tamu.edu.

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