The Big Event is the largest student-run service event in the nation, and it takes place in College Station, Texas, a place that many people call home. Every year, students from Texas A&M University come together on one big day to serve the community. This year, on March 25th, 2017, our university yet again made history with the 35th annual Big Event.

Its title gives its partakers a glimpse of how massive and impactful this event is. It is amazing to see twenty-two thousand college students come together to serve others. It is also so humbling to be a part of something greater than ourselves.

This year, I participated on a team with Sigma Phi Lambda, and we helped paint a couple's garage as well as rake leaves. We came with expectations to do our job, but it turned out to be an impactful experience that has changed my life for the better.

The couple we served showed us their family history and family photos all throughout their house. Their excitement to show us brought our team such joy to see the importance of listening to others. As well, this couple had been married for over sixty years, and they showed us how to love people well. They served us hot dogs and treated us like family. It is so encouraging to see how caring for someone else shows such love.

Also, I had the opportunity to meet so many new girls in Phi Lamb, and it was neat to create a new bond with girls in the same organization that I had never met before. I am so thankful to The Big Event for creating new friendships and giving us an opportunity to serve the community in a unique way.

This event takes place every year, and it brings unity to the Texas A&M student body. It amazes me how all in one day, thousands of people get to serve others and be blessed by the families they serve.

It is more than just raking leaves or painting a wall. It is showing compassion and love for people who need it. Loving others is so important in learning how to lead well and live with compassion. It is a blessing to go to a school where service is not out of the norm, and it is an expectation when you call yourself an Aggie.

To be an Aggie means to be a selfless leader who loves others more than themselves and is passionate about making the world a better place. Texas A&M's Big Event is unlike anything else I have ever seen. College students are able to see the importance of genuinely making time for someone else and putting others' needs first.

The Big Event truly does have a BIG impact on our community.