“That is the coolest job in the world; I want to do that,” said Memo Salinas, as he reminisced on watching young men in maroon-adorned overalls incite a stadium full of fans at Midnight Yell Practice as a kid.
Now, years later, a job that was once a childhood imagination is a reality for the 22-year-old agribusiness major from Laredo.
Guillermo Salinas, who goes by Memo, served as a junior yell leader in 2020 and was chosen as Head Yell Leader for the 2021-2022 season. He is also the first Hispanic Yell Leader in the history of the program.
As a member of the Corps of Cadets Squadron 17, Salinas was able to run for Junior Yell Leader as a part of the Five for Yell campaign. Traditionally, Five for Yell is a group of five students who the Cadets vote to run in the Yell Leader election each year.
After serving Texas A&M University as one of two Junior Yell Leaders, Salinas was reelected as a Senior Yell Leader. He later was selected as Head Yell Leader by several University representatives including The Association of Former Students and the outgoing student body president.
Salinas said it was humbling and a great honor to be selected by these important University representatives.
Serving as the first Hispanic Yell Leader in the program’s history is also an honor that is not lost on Salinas. While he did not set out to become the first Hispanic Yell Leader, he realizes how important the feat is for the future of Texas A&M Yell Leaders.
“I hope that me doing this opens doors for people behind me,” he said. “Maybe there are Hispanic kids who look at me and think, I can do that too. Maybe I have helped make Texas A&M a more welcoming place. I don’t know if that’s how big the impact is, but I am just going to continue to give the Texas A&M community my all.”
He knows the job comes with great responsibility but loves interacting with current, future and former Aggies and leading the 12th Man.
Salinas’ road to Aggieland
Coming from a long line of Aggies, including his father, Salinas always admired Texas A&M and the Aggie Spirit. On Friday afternoons in Laredo, he and his brothers couldn’t wait to hop in the car with their parents to make the five-hour drive to College Station in time for Midnight Yell Practice. For Salinas, a trip to Aggieland was the highlight of the week.
“Every football season, from the time I was a few months old to the year before my freshman year, I visited Texas A&M with my family,” Salinas said.
As a child, he couldn’t wait to listen to the fables, scream each yell and watch the five young men boast Aggie pride on Kyle Field. To him, the Yell Leaders were everything.
“Every little kid wants to play quarterback for the Aggies,” Salinas laughed. “But I always loved Midnight Yell Practice, and I remember telling my dad, I want to do that.”
Danny Salinas, his father and former student, encouraged his son to pursue his dreams of attending Texas A&M and becoming a Yell Leader. He also supported his son’s decision to join the Corps of Cadets.
“My dad used to tell me and my brothers that ‘can’t’ was a bad word,” Salinas said. “People would tell me that I couldn’t do something, or I couldn’t become a Yell Leader. Even if he believed I couldn’t, he never told me that. He’s my biggest fan, and he’s always pushing me.”
Salinas credits both of his parents for his successes. The constant encouragement and support he received from his family pushed him to give Texas A&M his all. His parents continue to make the drive from Laredo to College Station each game weekend to cheer him on in all his endeavors.
Balancing yell and school
As a dedicated student and a campus leader, Salinas is truly living the college experience. Most college students find juggling classes, homework and their social lives to be stressful. Add nearly 30 hours of practices, University events, media interviews, and both home and away sporting contests each week, and you can get an idea of how full his schedule is.
“It’s like having a full-time job,” he laughed, “but I love it.”
Salinas is currently a senior agribusiness major in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Department of Agricultural Economics. Referring to himself as an “ag kid at heart,” he said combining his passion for the outdoors, animals and the agriculture industry with the practicality of a business degree just made sense.
While working toward his degree, Salinas has found both the College and the Department of Agricultural Economics to be extremely welcoming and supportive of both his studies and his position as Head Yell Leader.
Salinas remembered sitting in the class of Dusty Menzies, Ph.D., lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics, during the Yell Leader elections. It had been a very busy week and he had a test on election day in Menzies’ class. Menzies, who holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from Texas A&M, understood just how important Yell Leader elections were to Salinas and allowed him to complete the test before his peers.
“The whole department is just so cool and supportive and understanding of what I’m trying to accomplish,” Salinas said. “It’s a great department, and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Menzies describes Salinas as being dedicated to both Texas A&M and to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He believes Salinas’ work ethic and drive allow him to thrive in his role as Yell Leader.
“That role requires tremendous time and effort outside of class,” said Menzies. “It’s a credit to him that he can handle that role with the integrity and grace he has shown and still be such a good student in the classroom.”
After graduation, Salinas hopes to utilize his agribusiness degree in the professional world. He plans to work in the agribusiness field while ultimately pursuing law school. If, while taking some time off between undergrad and law school, he lands a job he loves, he says that would be fine too. Wherever he lands post-graduation, he knows the professional skills he has acquired through his agribusiness coursework and time serving as Head Yell Leader will serve him well into the future.
Leaving his legacy
Salinas hopes to leave Texas A&M better than he found it. Whether inspiring others to chase their dreams or simply serving the University and the student body the best he can, he aims to promote the University’s core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect and selfless service throughout his time as Head Yell Leader.
He aims not to be recognized as a former Yell Leader after graduation but as someone who embodies Texas A&M and the Aggie Spirit. He looks forward to representing the University well through his character and accomplishments as he transitions from a role model in Aggieland to a mentor and confidant in post-graduation life.
“Once you have one of these,” he said smiling as he pointed to his gold Aggie ring, “you are forever tied to Texas A&M University, and that’s a great responsibility and a great privilege.”
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