Welcome to a special issue of Spirit! As Texas A&M University is nearly halfway through the public phase of its Lead by Example comprehensive campaign—an initiative to raise $4 billion by 2020 to support the university’s capability to be among the nation’s best—we felt it was appropriate to dedicate an entire issue of the magazine to this momentous endeavor.

Inside, you will find that we have structured the magazine differently. We’ve included our usual editorial sections, but we’ve organized them by the campaign’s three fundraising pillars: Transformational Education for all Students; Discovery and Innovation for the World; and Impact on the State, Nation and World.

As you browse through this issue, it is our goal that you gain a better understanding of what this campaign stands for and why it is so important for Texas A&M. The stories in here exemplify the campaign’s goals: providing outstanding out-of-classroom learning experiences for students; recruiting leading faculty and funding exceptional research; and supporting programs that identify real-world solutions to societal challenges.

Also included with your copy of the magazine is a 12-page booklet and catalog with additional information about the campaign and how you can support it through a gift to one of Texas A&M’s four fundraising organizations: the Texas A&M Foundation, The Association of Former Students, the 12th Man Foundation and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation. Perhaps one of the magazine’s stories will inspire you to make your own contribution to this movement.

Regardless, when you close this issue, I hope you are filled with promise. I hope you are encouraged by Texas A&M’s future and that you gain a sense of the wonderful work happening every day by ambitious students and faculty.

As the campaign continues, you can expect to see a campaign update spread in each issue of Spirit. But remember, progress toward achieving the campaign’s objectives doesn’t end just because our next issue won’t be labeled “special campaign issue.” Our goal with every Spirit is to show how Aggies are leaders and to illustrate how philanthropy enables individuals to do more for the world. Think of every issue, then, as a campaign issue.