Case Harris ’23

Texas A&M Student Body President, Case Harris leads by example. Humble and dedicated, visionary and action oriented, Harris is big on ideas but also quick to mobilize his team to bring vision to reality. A senior, Finance and Business Honors Major from Austin, Texas, Harris is hands on and hardworking – leading the nation’s largest student body with poise and perspective beyond his years. As we connected with Harris and his advisors, a pattern emerged of humble service, building into the future by giving back, and getting big things done. Case Harris is the face of Texas A&M and the model Mays student.

HUMILITY WORTH HONORING

Arguably the busiest student on campus with the rigors of an honors curriculum and the tremendous responsibilities that accompany heading up a student government representative of more than 72,000 students, Harris approaches every conversation with his undivided attention. Despite remarkable achievement, he retains his humble demeanor. Harris credits his peers, his parents, his Aggie community, and Mays Business School with equipping him to lead. “One of the things that makes Case so special is his consistency and humility,” shared Mays Business Honors Program Manager Jeffrey Glenn. “He’s matured and grown over four years, but remains the exact same person – true to himself, without ego.” Mentors across campus share the same sentiment. Texas A&M Chief Operating Officer Greg Hartman affirms that Harris’ humility is essential to his leadership but doesn’t stand in the way of progress. “Case is humble enough to know he has a lot to learn, but not afraid to make decisions and mistakes.”

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Harris’ penchant for leadership took shape early in his collegiate career. Quickly stepping into leadership incubators like Texas A&M’s Fish Aides program, he identified aspirations to serve the student body on a broader scale, with an inkling that one day he might want to pursue student body president. “Listening to student leaders talk about how we, the students, can be heard and how we can advance the university, I thought to myself – I want to serve in this capacity one day.”

In the Spring of his freshman year, Harris was tapped to participate as a mentor in the Mays Business Honors peer leadership program, and he immediately stood out. At an offsite for peer mentors, Harris’ contributions set him apart. “I was struck by how well formed and others focused his thoughts were,” shared Glenn. “He stood out from the jump as visionary, articulate and thoughtful.” Harris is deliberate about listening, and applying what he learns to activate solutions to problems. The year he served as peer mentor began in the fall of 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic continued to dictate the campus experience. Harris’ concern for the incoming freshman was notable and as always, he found a path to action. Director of Mays Business Honors Program, Kristine Morley worked with Harris in this period and noted the relentlessness with which he pursued improving the students’ mid-pandemic transition to campus. “Case was determined to find ways for the students to get to engage and connect with their peers, respectful of and working within the limitations of social distancing,” she said. “He had to jump through every safety hoop – and he made it happen. He’s an activator and the students were so appreciative.” As his leadership on campus and among his peers evolved, Harris felt a calling to run for the top seat in the student body.

EQUIPPED FOR SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Asked about how Mays has helped to shape his leadership trajectory, Harris doesn’t bluster. “Mays is obviously excellent academically but really shines in the way it prepares students for leadership and life beyond the classroom,” he states. “I’ve learned so much from the diversity of faculty – from illustrious tenured academics, to professors steeped in industry experience – and from our group projects and class discussions, to professional
development and hands-on advisors. The soft skills that Mays equips us with are unmatched.” Practically speaking, Harris credits Mays with pushing him to think more analytically and exercise greater attention to detail. Harris had particular praise for the Business Honors and peer leadership programs. “Peer mentorship is critical for student development and it’s an environment that cultivates leaders.” He expounds “Upperclassmen pour into the next generation of Mays students and it helps to keep the culture of excellence, service and self improvement consistent.” Harris interned in the finance sector and had opportunities to put his holistic Mays education to work, in addition to his tireless work on campus. He looks forward to applying his learnings in industry upon graduation. “Mays is helping to prepare us to be transformational leaders, not just on the broader Texas A&M campus, but as we step out of this space to build careers and a legacy.”

Harris’ faculty for language and organizational management belies his age. Leadership outside of the college of business recognizes the difference. Addressing the impact of Mays on Harris’ leadership, Hartman – whose extensive background in the private sector exceeds his time in academia – cut to the chase. “If I were starting any business from scratch, Case would be my first hire,” he shared. “He’s clever and articulate, with great
instincts – thinks strategically and absorbs wisdom like a sponge.” Case is devoted to service,” states Glenn. “He wants to ensure every student has a successful and positive experience at Texas A&M.” That’s reflected in the priorities he’s laid out for campus life as Student Body President.

THE TIES THAT BIND

Harris’ fixation on unity is commendable. With a unifying rallying cry centered on tradition, involvement and advocacy – he’s seeking to prove that for Aggies (and beyond), that which unites us is greater than that which divides us. He summarized his positioning and priorities

• Unity through traditions: Traditions give us all something to rally around and a chance to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Let’s unite the student body by enhancing buy-in and accessibility to our traditions.
• Connect Aggies to involvement: Every Aggie deserves to take advantage of the vast number of resources at Texas A&M. Let’s increase clarity and bridge gaps in involvement opportunities.
• Advocate for the support Aggies need: Every Aggie should be set up for success. Let’s work to increase awareness and resources for mental health, increase sexual assault prevention measures, grow the Open Education Resource program, find better parking solutions, establish the roadmap to virtual student IDs, and more.

His academic work reflects the same passion for unity. Each senior Business Honors student is tasked with a project called ‘Signature Work’. For his part, Harris has pursued finding common ground in an increasingly divisive political landscape. “Why can’t we have a healthy conversation any more on opposing sides of an issue? How do we restore civil discourse even when we disagree?” These are the questions he’s asking as part of this project. Ever the activator, Harris is working to engage bipartisan leaders from the political sector to help bridge the divide and bring this discussion to campus. Coming off of an
internship with Senator John Cornyn’s office, Harris began reaching out across the aisle with hopes of facilitating a dialogue between political leaders hosted right here on campus. “Case desires to contribute to a healthy environment for discussion – and disagreement – it’s a priority for his administration and his academic development,” notes Glenn.

ACTIVE ADVOCATE

A defining element of the Case Harris legacy will be advocacy. Texas A&M President, Dr. M. Katherine Banks tapped Harris to co-chair her campus-wide mental health initiative. Efforts include amplifying the impact and reach of the CAPs program (Counseling and Psychological Services Center). The team is working to boost student access to (and awareness of) resources and tackling head-on the mental health crisis plaguing university campuses across the country. If successful, their redoubled efforts toward suicide prevention and crisis support could set a precedent for other universities to replicate. Hartman holds Harris’ leadership on the program in high regard. Tasked with leading a cross-functional team that includes students, faculty and staff, Harris’ instincts for collaboration and organizational management have paid off. “He leads in a tremendously mature way– listening and collaborating – constantly orienting himself around how to best serve the student body,” says Hartman. And Harris is moving the needle across each of the categories he set out to impact. “If he has a vision and makes a plan, he makes it happen,” Morley observes “don’t underestimate what he can achieve.”

He hopes to establish a culture of collaboration “I want to involve students with the student government and work together and solve problems, to ultimately be an open, honest, and collaborative environment,” he says. “At the end of the day we can do better than a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, we want the campus experience to feel like part of a family that works together as a highly effective team.”