For many, the Department of Rec Sports is a home away from home, a place where professions begin and lifelong friendships and impact are made. It is no coincidence that many Rec Sports professionals accrue decades of service, and it is no stranger that many of those retire from the same place they started.

For others, however, employment at Rec Sports is only a part of their story. Whether it’s one year or many, the professionals that serve the department feel evermore embedded into the Rec Sports story. Though their paths have sprouted into a flurry of directions, we are proud of former Rec Sports staff who continued to excel beyond the halls of Texas A&M Rec Sports.

Beginning in 2017 during her sophomore year, Mereyah Cage worked for the Department of Rec Sports as a social media and events assistant. Alongside other students, she helped develop Rec Sports’ online presence during the introduction of then director Rick Hall; the Vote Rec campaign, which approved the construction of Polo Road Rec Center, and much more.

After her graduation, she became the graduate assistant for Rec Sports Marketing and Communications, continuing her service to Texas A&M for another year.

Cage now works with VaynerMedia, where she continues to develop creative content with their talent team. Not to mention, her departure from Aggieland couldn’t have been more of a cultural shift; Cage now lives in Los Angeles, California!

“To go forth and really do good work as a young professional and be a part of some really cool activations in my professional career speaks to the development of Rec Sports and Texas A&M as a whole,” Cage said. “I’m super proud to be carrying that forward and sharing that in my different experiences that I’ve had moving forward.”

She continued, “The leadership wants to get you to where you want to go. I always felt that support. There’s loads of opportunities; it’s such a unique opportunity to be working in something that feels so tight knit, but you’re really supporting big activations.”

This recent graduate served in the Department of Rec Sports during her undergraduate years. As a freshman who had never previously competed in gymnastics, Kalee Connolly engrossed herself within the Gymnastics Club, developing her skills in gymnastics while simultaneously strengthening her leadership skills. During her four years with Texas A&M Gymnastics, Connolly served as an officer for three, including as club president for two.

During her tenure in Aggieland, Connolly accepted greater responsibilities beyond the club as the Sport Clubs committee president and Sport Clubs program assistant, a position which oversaw officers from a variety of different clubs within the Texas A&M Sport Clubs Association.

Connolly graduated in December 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Bioenvironmental Science and is now working full-time as the assistant director of Sport Clubs at the University of Miami.

As a final message to Rec Sports and the Texas A&M community, she said, “[Rec Sports is] about wellness; it’s about doing something because you want to and, in addition to your college experience, creating a healthy environment for yourself.”

From 2018 to 2020, Lauren Shively served as the Facilities graduate assistant in the Department of Rec Sports. Her responsibilities included overseeing the rentals at the Student Rec Center equipment desk and managing student staff working in Facilities. In addition, she helped manage the internal accountability system and personnel working for various events.

Since her graduation, Shively has moved from Aggieland to Colorado, where she supervises the Gypsum Recreation Center. As part of her role, she manages the operations, events, housekeeping, maintenance, and staff of the facility. Though she is relatively new at Gypsum, her profound leadership skills have nurtured the development of herself and her team.

“This is my first professional job that has been part of my career, so in starting my second year, I feel much more comfortable and much more professional,” Shively said. “I was overseeing all Fitness too, but I recently hired my first full-time staff member. I have a coordinator now and that person’s overseeing all Fitness programs,” Shively said.

With years of experience working with Texas A&M Rec Sports, Shively has excelled in her role and continues to create a positive impact for her company in Colorado.

“[Rec Sports] really built up my confidence. They made me feel so valued, and someone they were proud to have on their team,” Shively said. “One important thing I learned was work/life balance, and they taught me that a job was supposed to be fun.”

She continued, “you can join a career that’s all about recreation and helping other people have fun, and you can have fun doing that.”

With Women’s History Month coming to a close, we reflect on the unmistakable impact of women at our department. From the 70s, when intramural sports were first made available to women, they’ve taken the field and made Rec Sports part of their story. Women today are founders, associate directors, and represent each part of the Department of Rec Sports. In addition, many more women have thrived in their careers after Aggieland and become leaders nationwide. With the continued work of women like Cage, Connolly, and Shively, the Aggie Spirit continues to breathe new life into the job market and affect the lives of others.