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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20

LIFE & ARTS Student organization PAWS works with animal rescue for Valentine’s Day adoptions A2

@THEBATTONLINE

SPORTS A check-in point for Trisha Ford’s squad: How will the No. 6 Aggies fare this year? B1

MEN’S BASKETBALL VS TENNESSEE FEBRUARY 22

How A&M helps fuel regional economy University supports over 254,000 jobs, one of every 81 in the state By Jordan Fox News Reporter

Kennedy Long

Photo courtesy of Natalya Kolomiyets

— THE BATTALION

Left: Signage and flowers are placed on the wall and floor during the Ukranian Club’s live concert titled “Homeland From Afar” at Rudder Tower on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. Right: Ukrainian Club members practice making eggs at the Pysanka Easter Egg Making Workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025.

Three years after invasion, A&M’s Ukrainian Club supports their homeland from across the Atlantic By Ian Curtis Managing Editor In the early hours of Feb. 24, 2022, economics senior Natalya Kolomiyets woke up to the sound of explosions echoing through her hometown of Kharkiv, Ukraine. The things she’d been looking forward to — a nail appointment, university classes and her 18th birthday party — all would have to wait. “We just packed our little backpacks with first aid kits, underwear, protein bars, and we left,” Kolomiyets said. “I’ve never been home since.” Three hundred miles west in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, graduate student Julia Deka found herself piled into her dad’s car along with five other residents and someone’s cat, all fleeing the city as Russia invaded from the east. “There were tens of thousands of cars on the roads,” Deka said. “And when we were leaving, they already closed the entrance to Kyiv, so you could see you can’t enter Kyiv anymore. So only Ukrainian tanks were driving to Kyiv to defend the city. And that was the first time I ever saw a tank in my life.” Over the three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both Kolomiyets and Deka found their

way to Texas A&M: Kolomiyets at the end of a refugee journey that took her to Hungary and Germany, and Deka as an applicant to the Bush School after finishing her studies in Ukraine. “I chose the Bush School because I like the idea that it was focused very much on practice,” Deka said.

pening and tell that we need this support still,” Kolomiyets said. “Because otherwise, how would people know? It really is our job to tell people, ‘Oh, see, this is what’s happening. That’s why it’s happening.’ … I wouldn’t say we’re happy to talk about the war, but we’re happy to provide information and let

“I’m trying to live here, but my heart, my soul is back home.” NATALYA KOLOMIYETS

Economics senior and president of A&M’s Ukrainian Club “I want to work in international affairs here and help Ukraine move into the Euro-Atlantic integration, and I felt like the Bush School was the right place for me.” But even thousands of miles away in Aggieland, both Kolomiyets and Deka aren’t ready to give up the fight for their nation and culture. Enter A&M’s Ukrainian Club, founded in 2023 near the first anniversary of the invasion. “It’s our job as citizens and Ukrainians to explain what’s hap-

people know what’s actually happening.” Far from the homefront Over its two years of existence, the Ukrainian Club has hosted a variety of events to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. They’ve packed trauma kits with the help of local nonprofit Elevate Ukraine. They’ve hosted documentary screenings and cultural performances designed to educate students

about Ukrainian Culture. They’ve even worked hand-in-hand with charities abroad, like United Hearts Ukraine and Litokryl Now, an emotional support center for children based in Kharhiv. “We are so grateful and privileged to be studying here and to get our degrees because unfortunately, there are a lot of students in Ukraine who never had this option at all because Russia killed them,” Kolimiyets, the club’s president, said. “We want to continue doing what we are doing and raising [money], helping, just continue supporting Ukraine. Because we’re right now in safety, and it’s just like what we have to do and what we want to do, of course.” As a refugee, Kolomiyets remembers the outpouring of support the Ukrainian cause received across Europe and the United States after the invasion — including at A&M. “When I got accepted, I started researching Texas A&M,” Kolomiyets said. “ … People got together and people showed that they stand with Ukraine and that they stand with democracy. They stand with independence. So when I saw this on the official Texas A&M Instagram page, it really did warm my heart because I was like, ‘OK, people stand with Ukraine. We matter.’” UKRAINE ON A3

Brooke Rollins confirmed Former student named agriculture secretary By Julia Kazda Associate News Editor Brooke Rollins ‘94 was confirmed as the 33rd secretary of agriculture in a 72-28 Senate vote on Feb. 13, becoming the first Aggie to hold the cabinet role. In her new position, the 52-year-old heads the agriculture department and its nearly 100,000 employees.

From 1994-95, agriculture development major Rollins was Texas A&M’s first female student body president and was a key speaker a Muster in 2007. Rollins is a conservative lawyer who served as chief for domestic policy during President Donald Trump’s first administration. “We understand that serving all American agriculture and all the American people means ensuring that our rural communities are equipped and supported to prosper,” Rollins said in a press release after her confirmation.

Offical White House Photo by Andrea Hank via Flickr/1.0 PDM

Brooke Rollins speaks in the East Room of the White House on July 7, 2020. President Donald Trump nominated her for agriculture secretary on Nov. 23, 2024, and the Senate confirmed her on Feb. 13, 2025, in a 72-28 vote.

The Bryan-College Station Economic Outlook Conference, held this past January, underscored Texas A&M’s large role in driving the state’s economic growth. City officials, business leaders and economic experts highlighted how the university serves as a financial engine by creating jobs, attracting industries and fostering innovation that benefits communities even far beyond the Brazos Valley. During this conference, there was heavy discourse expressing just how impactful Texas A&M University is to the local and statewide economy. According to a November 2024 report, A&M adds roughly $22.3 billion to the state economy, a contribution that supports approximately 254,222 jobs — one out of every 81 jobs in Texas. The impact is larger than the entire agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industries in Texas. In an email, A&M’s Executive Director of Economic Development Rebekka Dudensing wrote that the university contributes $2.8 billion in added income and over 47,000 jobs to the regional economy. “When you include the impact of our former students, that contribution grows to $3.5 billion and almost 60,000 jobs,” Dudensing wrote. A&M’s impact is especially felt in key industries like healthcare, engineering and energy, where university-driven advancements help businesses expand and communities prosper. “Our contribution study shows that Texas A&M’s spending and former students’ economic activity contribute 18.2% of the region’s gross regional product (GRP),” Dudensing wrote. “That equates to one in four jobs.” The university also spends a major part of the $7.7 billion in income it adds to Texas’ economy on operations, construction, research and entrepreneurial activities. Roughly $2.8 billion of the added income is centered in the Brazos Valley, a number that increases to $3.5 billion — 18.2% of the area’s total gross regional product — when considering the impact made by former students. Additionally, A&M’s role in workforce development ensures that Texas industries have access to a plethora of well-trained professionals. Its graduates contribute significantly to Texas’ economy, working in sectors that range from business and finance to agriculture and infrastructure. The university’s global reputation attracts businesses that seek to tap into this talent pool, further strengthening the state’s economic landscape. “Texas A&M is growing fast, but our business community is growing even faster,” Dudensing wrote. “We are proud to be an economic anchor helping to attract businesses who rely on the innovation, workforce, and students we generate.”

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