Our Story

The Aggie Lyceum Student Chapter grew from Texas A&M University’s broader commitment to preparing students to become informed, ethical, and engaged citizens.

Under former University President Mark A. Welsh III, Texas A&M launched the Citizenship and Service Initiative to strengthen the university’s longstanding tradition of developing leaders of character. The initiative is designed to ensure that Aggies graduate ready and willing to serve as contributing citizens of their communities, the State of Texas, and the United States through instruction, leadership opportunities, high-impact experiences, and service.

Brigadier General (Ret.) Kim Field, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives within the Office of the President, was selected to lead this university-wide effort. The initiative centers on four interconnected pillars—character, knowledge, skills, and service—with civil discourse and media literacy identified as essential skills for responsible citizenship.

From this vision, the Aggie Lyceum was created as a university workshop and dialogue series focused on civil discourse, media literacy, and thoughtful engagement with differing perspectives. The Lyceum gives students opportunities to listen carefully, evaluate information critically, and participate constructively in conversations about important issues.

After attending an Aggie Lyceum Civic Conversation, Francie Decherd was inspired by the program’s mission and met with Aggie Lyceum Director Dr. Jennifer Mercieca to discuss how students could become more deeply and consistently involved. Their conversation led to the idea of forming a student-led companion organization that could carry the Lyceum’s principles beyond individual events and create an ongoing community centered on civic learning, friendship, leadership, and service.

In March 2026, Francie founded the Aggie Lyceum Student Chapter alongside Lanie Sepehri and Allie Murray. Together, they began building a new organization where students from every background and field of study could engage in meaningful conversations, develop practical citizenship skills, form genuine relationships across differences, and put the Aggie Core Values into action.

Today, the Aggie Lyceum Student Chapter is still new and growing. As a student-led companion to the Aggie Lyceum, we support its mission while creating our own meetings, speakers, service projects, social events, and leadership opportunities.

Our story is only beginning. Each founding member has the opportunity to shape the chapter’s culture, establish its traditions, and help build an organization that will prepare Aggies to become thoughtful leaders, civic friends, and a force for good in their communities.