President Michael K. Young and Athletic Director Scott Woodward present checks to the winning teams of the Fearless at 140 Scavenger Hunt during halftime of the Texas A&M vs. New Mexico State game.
Three winning teams from Texas A&M’s Fearless at 140 Scavenger Hunt were awarded more than $12,000 in scholarship prizes at halftime of the Texas A&M vs. New Mexico State game this weekend, wrapping up Texas A&M’s 140th birthday celebration.
The hunt, sponsored by the Office of the President, Office of the Provost and Aggie Athletics, challenged more than 50 teams of three students to race through campus and locate 40 landmarks.
“The Provost’s Office was pleased to sponsor such a creative, fun and engaging activity that not only celebrated Texas A&M’s 140th anniversary but also provided support for the winning students in the form of scholarship dollars,” Texas A&M Provost Dr. Karan Watson said.
The grand prize winning team, students Kevin Knapick, Reilly Smith and Seth Smitherman of Team TAMU Tour Guides, received a scholarship totaling $8,400.
In addition to having scholarship money to support her goal of attending graduate school, Smith said she appreciated how the scavenger hunt helped her find new things to love about Texas A&M’s.
“I’ve been a tour guide for over two years now, so I thought I knew everything there was to know about Texas A&M but I still learned so much,” Smith said. “I had a blast running around trying to find different statues, buildings, or people and it was a really fun way to learn about Texas A&M.”
Smitherman said he enjoyed gaining a stronger connection to the campus’s history.
“I most enjoyed searching out memorials for buildings that are no longer here on campus because it gave me a better appreciation of what campus was like before I was born, let alone a member of the Aggie family,” Smitherman said.
Knapick said the scavenger hunt showcased Texas A&M’s rich campus history.
“The fact that the scavenger hunt focused on some little-known facts and landmarks, such as plaques commemorating the original historical buildings and memorials to fallen Aggies that I have walked past on campus for more than four years, increased my pride at attending a school with such deep historical roots,” Knapick said.
The second place winning team, students Jace Aloway, Trevor Blair and Dylan Gatlin of Team Losvatoslocos, received a scholarship totaling $2,800; and the third place winning team, Kevin Andrews, Jaskirat Singh Batra and Stephanie Duck of Team Ten Four Ags received a scholarship totaling $1,400.