Student Profiles

Rachel Schneider

Rachel Schneider Dear Aggie Real Estate Network,
I would like to thank you for your scholarship gift which has helped me move one step closer to a successful career in real estate.

My background did not lead me directly to real estate, but I have always had a passion for the industry. I majored in Spanish and Political Science at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where I worked part-time for a small student-housing owner/operator and learned the operational side of real estate. After graduation, I returned to my hometown of Austin, Texas, where I taught third grade bilingual education. Teaching, however, was not my passion, and I soon found myself drawn back to real estate through the Master of Real Estate Program at Texas A&M. The program has been everything I was looking for and has allowed me to find my place in the real estate industry.

I recently accepted a position with Popp, Gray, & Hutcheson in Austin as a Property Tax Analyst and am excited to begin this June. Thank you so much for providing me the opportunity to pursue my career in real estate at Texas A&M. Although I am not a pure-bred Aggie, I have definitely felt the strength and commitment of the Aggie Network and am excited to work with the Network and give back to students like myself in the future. Thank you again for all your support and generosity!

Sincerely,

Rachel Schneider
Master of Real Estate Class of ‘09

Ashley Sawyer

Ashley Sawyer Howdy! My name is Ashley Grace Sawyer. My parents instilled in me a love and passion for Texas A&M University and real estate at an early age. Upon completion of a BBA in Finance, I enrolled in the MRE Program. I am currently completing my second semester and have maintained a 4.0 GPA. During the past two semesters I have gained a lot of industry knowledge from professors, guest lectures, and employers. The education I have received here at Texas A&M will allow me to jump start a successful career in commercial real estate.

I had an opportunity to work for a real estate developer in the College Station area, which gave me the chance to see many different sides of the industry. I not only assisted in construction and development phases, but I have also aided in financial analysis of the project. I also had to opportunity to assist in the “lease-up” phase of the project where I gained a lot of property management knowledge. This summer I will have the distinct pleasure of working with Alvarez & Marsal, a real estate consulting firm.

I am currently the President of Graduate Real Estate Women (GREW) and have enjoyed all of the networking opportunities that took place this semester. I am looking forward to growing the relationship I have made once I enter the industry.

To all cohorts of the Aggie Real Estate Network, thank you for your scholarship gift. The Aggie network is what makes this university so special. I greatly appreciate everything you are doing for current students!

God Bless & Gig ‘em,
Ashley Sawyer

Casey Blacketer

Casey Blacketer Dear Aggie Real Estate Network,
I would like to thank you for your scholarship gift in helping me with my needs in pursuing my academic career.

I graduated from Texas A&M with my bachelors in Finance last May. Currently I am in my second semester of the Masters of Real Estate Program. The MRE program is proving to be more than I could have imagined. In just the past two semesters, I think I have learned more about real estate than any other subject in my entire college career. I am currently a Teaching Assistant, which I have been in the position of since the end of my junior year of undergrad. With your help I have had the opportunity to continue this position throughout graduate school.

Most recently I have had the opportunity to experience the camaraderie of the unprecedented Texas A&M Network. In looking for an internship, I was able to reach out to former students of the Real Estate program and received a response that was far above my expectations. Even though the current environment is tough, the help and amount of responses I have received has been amazing and incomparable by any other school.

So, thank you to everyone that helps us students be able to pursue our futures through the Master’s of Real Estate Program.

With The Utmost Gratitude,
Casey Blacketer

Matt Long

Matt Long Dear Aggie Real Estate Network,
Thank you for your scholarship gift! Your gift is helping me in my pursuit of a successful real estate career.

My love for this industry dates back to my childhood. I grew up constructing Lego sets, drawing house plans, and building whole metropolises in the computer game SimCity. I majored in finance to understand the numbers side of the deal and now find myself enjoying my second semester of the Master of Real Estate Program. It has been a great experience to hear from speakers on Friday mornings, to learn from knowledgeable professors in class, and to get some real life experience with a job in the Real Estate Center. I hope to one day take the knowledge I have gained and put it towards a career in redevelopment.

The Aggie network is largely what makes this school so special. It was a sense of camaraderie that brought me to College Station in the fall of 2004 and has kept me here ever since. I have seen the generosity of Aggies played out across this country. Your gift is yet another sign of Aggies’ willingness to give back. Thank you again for your generosity. I look forward to seeing you in the business world!

Best regards,
Matthew Long