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LIFE & ARTS Graduate student, business owner Zoë Tsoukalas brings matcha stand to Austin, Dallas, heart of Aggieland A4

SPORTS After upsetting then-No. 9 Texas, Florida looks to roll No. 5 Texas A&M, hand Aggies their first 2025 loss A6

Former Texas state legislator Tommy Williams named Texas A&M’s new interim president

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Texas A&M Campus on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

Tilly Hillje — THE BATTALION

Two Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphins fly over College Station during the flyover for Texas A&M football’s game against Utah State on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025.

Flyover pilot carries on tradition Conductor of flyover against Utah State, Coast Guard pilot Lt. Nicholas Mrak ‘18 shares his game-day experience

inspired those around him, including Kate, who wrapped up her career in teaching to join the Coast Guard. “I would say four branches that were offered for the DOD [Department of Defense], really never sung to me, I wasn’t really sold to each one of them,” Kate said. “ … My twin, Nick, actually went to the Coast Guard. That was his passion and goal almost right off the By Sophia Munoz bat after graduating from A&M. … A big part Life & Arts Writer of what the Coast Guard does is Selfless SerAggies line the seats with hands across their vice, helping others and that really struck me hearts as “The Star-Spangled Banner” belbecause that’s kind of like the derivative of lows throughout Kyle Field. As the anthem who I am.” comes to an end, a moment of silent pride With Selfless Service as a guiding princibegins to shift as a distinctive hum sounds in ple of Coast Guard personnel, Nicholas saw the distance — the aircraft of a game-day flyhis opportunity to participate in the gameover. day flyover as an honor to represent one of On Sept. 6, U.S. Coast Guard StandardA&M’s Core Values. ization Team Officer Lt. Nicholas Mrak ‘18 Nicholas was selected to participate in the served as an aircraft commander on a Eurogame-day flyover by his captain in the U.S. copter MH-65 Dolphin during Coast Guard Air Station in the flyover before the Utah State Corpus Christi, Charles Wilgame, along with other pilots. son. Born in Okinawa, Japan, Though viewed as an honIf you asked me seven years ago if I would be doing a flyover Nicholas was surrounded by or and bragging right among for a game, I never would have thought of that idea. So when military influence as his father, Aggie former students — the I got the opportunity to say yes to that, to be an aircraft Douglas Mrak ‘90, served in the Corps of Cadets in particular commander in the three-man ship, it was super cool. Marines for most of his child— Nicholas remained humhood. Like most military famible and composed. Lt. Nicholas Mrak ‘18 lies, Nicholas was never in one “I adore my twin,” Kate U.S. Coast Guard Standardization Team Officer place for long. It wasn’t until his said. “He’s such a humble huearly adolescent years that his man being. At the moment, I family had somewhere to call think it didn’t even seem to home. faze him just because of how “When people ask me where am I from, I driving a car for the first time, it could be humble he is. It was just another day at work do say North Carolina, and I would say the overwhelming,” Nicholas said. “There’s a lot for him. It’s like a very proud moment for same for both my brothers,” sister Kate Mrak of moving pieces, a lot of things going on. him, and I do know that he was just over ‘18 said. “I mean, that is our home base, and You’re using all sensory skills, your eyes, ears, the moon. He’s a very stoic person, and he that’s where we all call home and are very mouth, hands, feet. As you continue to do it will not let you know how excited he is and familiar with.” more and more, it becomes easier, it becomes sometimes it’s hard to gauge how he really Growing up, Kate shared a close bond second nature.” feels about something, but I know for him, with Nicholas not only as his sister, but as For the past five years, Nicholas has been that was an exceptional moment, something his twin. serving as a Coast Guard pilot, carrying out he will take away for the rest of his life.” Though the two are the same age, Kate has mariner search-and-rescue missions and Though Nicholas flew over a crowd always seen Nicholas as an older brother, de- providing aviation support to interventions erupting in cheers, he cherishes the moment fending her when she needed him most. One against illegal drug and fishing operations. he got to stand on Kyle Field during halftime. of her fondest memories of their dynamic was “Nick likes excitement and danger,” “It’s a wild feeling,” Nicholas said. “If you when Nicholas intervened and stopped her Nicholas’ mother, Edith Mrak, said. “He’s asked me seven years ago if I would be dohigh school bully. my daredevil child, but he has the tenacity to ing a flyover for a game, I never would have “I remember verbatim the kid actually help people in a bad situation. He’s the guy thought of that idea. So when I got the opcame to our front door and apologized to me you want to see coming on your worst day.” portunity to say yes to that, to be an aircraft directly, and it was all influenced by my twin With his duties as a Coast Guard pilot, commander in the three-man ship, it was just talking to him and saying, ‘Hey, there’s Nicholas often sees people on their hardest super cool. … There’s so many aviators that really no reason to pick on her, she hasn’t re- days. Notably, he was involved as a pilot in come out of A&M across all the services and ally done anything,’” Kate said. “And I think the search-and-rescue missions for this past to be one of the Aggies that gets to stand on it just speaks to how he is, right? He doesn’t summer’s Texas Hill Country flash-flooding the field and show your unit or say, ‘I graduwant to see anyone treated unfairly. He has a catastrophe. Positive impacts like these have ated from here’ is super special.”

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big heart for people.” Nicholas’ family says many of his core values and traits make him fit for military service and helping others, making it no surprise that out of his siblings, he was the one to follow in his father’s footsteps. However, for Nicholas, this wasn’t always the case. Graduating from Texas A&M in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife & fisheries sciences and involvement in the Corps of Cadets, he initially had aspirations to manage ranches — among them Joshua Creek Ranch. In December 2018, Nicholas was drawn to the idea of serving his country, which led him to join the U.S. Coast Guard as a direct commission officer before being picked for flight school a little over a year into the position. After training, Nicholas flew his first plane in 2020, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. “The easiest way to relate it, is probably thinking all the way back to driver’s ed or

Former state representative, vice chancellor for governmental relations for A&M System unanimously approved by Board of Regents By David Swope Associate News Editor The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents appointed Tommy Williams ‘78 as interim president on Friday, Oct. 3, following the resignation of former President Mark A. Welsh III. Williams, previously a Republican Texas state representative and senator from Texas’ Fourth Senate District and vice chancellor of governmental relations for the A&M System before his retirement in 2018, was unanimously approved by the Board. He takes the role of president from Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs James R. Hallmark, Ph.D., who served as acting president following Welsh’s resignation. “Periods of transition can create uncertainty, but they can also offer clarity or purpose,” Chancellor Glenn Hegar wrote in an email distributed to faculty, staff and students shortly following the announcement. “Our mission and our values — Excellence, Integrity, Leadership, Loyalty, Respect and Selfless Service — remain constant.” During his three-term tenure in the state senate from 2003 to 2013, Williams chaired the administration committee, transportation and homeland security committee and finance committee. Williams also served as a senior advisor to Gov. Greg Abbott from 2017 to 2019. He graduated from A&M with a degree in business administration in 1978. “I’m honored to return to Texas A&M in this capacity,” Williams said in a statement released by the A&M System. “This university means a great deal to me, and I look forward to working with students, faculty, staff and former students to support the continued excellence of this great institution.” The Board continues its national search for a permanent replacement. On Tuesday, the System announced a search committee to find the next permanent president of the university. “This is a committee of accomplished leaders who know exactly what makes Texas A&M University special,” Hegar said in a news release. “They understand our rich traditions, our mission, and our grit. I’m confident they’ll bring us a leader who will lead Texas A&M with the same passion and purpose that built it.” The committee inlcudes three Regents, Student Body President Carter Mallory, the commandant of the Corps of Cadets, Director of Athletics Trev Alberts and a variety of professors and administrators.

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