Jake Carter’s Story of Service and Celebrity at Texas A&M

The Humans of Mays Business School series (inspired by “Humans of New York”) highlights excerpts from conversations with exceptional individuals in the Mays community. Each story brings to life the diverse journeys, challenges, and triumphs that have shaped today’s and tomorrow’s business leaders. From classrooms to campus organizations, Mays students demonstrate a commitment to excellence and service. In this edition, we’re proud to feature Jake Carter, senior business management major, Head Yell Leader, Maroon Coat, and member of Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX), who is a true embodiment of the Aggie Spirit and the leadership skills we cultivate at Mays.

Lessons in Leadership

“Coming in, I focused on being a vocal leader. A lot of people think leadership is leading by example and, yes, but that’s just like a small part of leadership. There’s so much more that goes into it, and I’ve been able to test myself and be able to improve so much of who I am. And, truly, at the end of the day, it’s not that complicated. Most important is taking care of those who take care of you. And if you do that, everything kind of sets itself out. Even when things go wrong — because of those relationships that you’ve built, you’re gonna be okay.”

“I’ve learned a lot about dealing with so many different types of people. I mean, you’ll go from talking with like a little 5-year-old to talking with an older Ag who’s telling you their Aggie story to talking with the university president or the governor of Texas. And being able to deal with criticism, as well, and not let it affect you. I would say that’s probably the biggest thing. It’s just not letting it get to you and like keep moving on. Have resilience.”

A Day in the Yell Leader Life

“On a normal school day, we have our Corps obligations. In the Corps of Cadets, I wake up, do PT, go eat with my outfit, and then I go into my academic day. In terms of Yell Leader obligations, it really just depends. Right now we are heavy in basketball appearances. Last week we had four basketball games in the evenings where we arrived an hour before, got ready, and ate. A lot of time management is needed for those.” 

“For a football game day, it depends. People think we are crazy busy on game days, and we are, but we’re not. Especially if it’s an evening game. This year, it was crazy because we had College GameDay twice and SEC Nation. We are out there at like 7 in the morning, talking to them, putting on a smile, and getting the 12th Man excited. Then we’ll have some time off to go to tailgates and spend time with our families. After that, we will do Kid’s Yell, which is when we get all the kids together outside and do a small Yell practice before the game. From there, we do Spirit Walk for the team and like dab up all the players and stuff. Then we march in with the Corps and we’ll go to the game. 

“A cool thing, too, that people don’t realize is that the whole game day atmosphere is facilitated by me — when the DJ plays in Kyle Field or the band plays and we do Yells, I make that decision, which is kind of crazy. If you ever watch me or the Head Yell Leader at the game, we do all these weird signals to each other. We don’t have ear pieces, it’s all by hand so you have to be paying attention. It is pretty cool to facilitate the atmosphere in Kyle.”

“After games, you’re pretty tired. Every now and then, I’ll go out with some friends and stuff, but that’s if I have some energy left.”

Living in the Spotlight

“I don’t think there’s a mold for a Yell Leader, but I think there are certain responsibilities that you must uphold. And surely, when it comes down to it, we’re all different, but we all love Texas A&M and we embody the Core Values, and that extends to not only when we’re in uniform, but outside of uniform. I’ll be walking in class and it’s weird, people will always be taking photos of me, asking for photos, or watching what I’m doing. So I’m always leading in that capacity as well to not only do the right thing but to show them what an Aggie is and what the standard is here at Texas A&M.”

“One time, I was alone at a stoplight, about to cross the road, when some girls spotted me and their jaws dropped. I said, ’Hey, what’s up?’ and they replied, ’Oh my gosh, it’s you!’ I said, ’Yep, I’m right here,’ and they were just starstruck. All that’s to say, it’s a responsibility because you get to make someone’s day, and it’s not because of who I am — it’s about the university and the uniform I get to represent and embody each and every day.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating. Especially after doing it for two years now, you almost get used to it. I hate to say it like that because it’s so cool that people ask for my autograph or a picture. It’s almost refreshing to see, man, you are Texas A&M, like an ambassador for it. Even when I am in my Corps of Cadets uniform or in regular clothes, I am always representing A&M.”

Confronting Life’s Greatest Challenges

“Part of my story is I have a twin sister here at Texas A&M with me. She’s an education major. We’re both first-generation Aggies. My mom went to the University of Missouri, and my dad went to Texas, so when Texas A&M came around, it was not on my radar at all. But my dad actually encouraged my sister and me to attend here and told me that if he were doing it all over again, in this day, he would go to Texas A&M, which meant a lot to me because he loved the school he went to. 

And then my dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer when I was in high school. He battled it for three years and passed away going into my senior year of high school. That was definitely the most challenging part of my life, for me and my family. But man, through that, I learned so much. I learned that every day is a gift, a day to be thankful for, and a new opportunity. I realized that people are the mission in life. Our time here is so short, but to be able to pour into others and make someone’s day or to be able to lead someone — at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about. 

Being able to come to school here and now to be in this role is something I could have never imagined at all, but I am so thankful. I’ve been able to see my dad through that, and, also, the Lord’s faithfulness in my journey up to this point. I think people worry a lot, but for me, I really never worry or stress. I pray and it’s like, whatever happens, it’s gonna happen. Coming into the Yell Leader role I thought there was a good chance I wouldn’t get it, but I knew there were so many ways to serve A&M and make an impact.. I was blessed enough to be able to serve and value every step of the journey.”

A Historic Rivalry Reborn

“The Lone Star Showdown — TU versus A&M — it was insane to be a part of the group that brought it back. Kyle Field at Yell Practice was amazing. We had the football team back which hasn’t happened in a very long time. We had over 60,000 people show up and a fireworks show. I got so many great comments so it was super cool to be a part of that. Even though the game didn’t go our way, the atmosphere was amazing. College GameDay was here that morning and I got to go on TV. Myself and a couple of student leaders helped plan for that one weekend on a task force that President Welsh created. It was really special. When I walked out of here that was it, like I am done. I have another semester of basketball and great stuff we are going to do, but football is the pillar of being a Yell Leader, with one of the coolest parts being Midnight Yell. I am super proud of the group and the job that we did.”