JAKE ’10 & BRANDY ’10

Jake and Brandy met on-stage in the Warren Theater at TAMU-CC while they were both auditioning for the play “1940’s Radio Hour”. The year was 2008. Jake had been at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for one year, while this was Brandy’s first show to audition for. Jake was cast as the character BJ, and the director, Don Luna, asked him to stand next to 5 girls who could potentially play his girlfriend, Connie. Brandy was the 3rd girl in the lineup. When Jake stood next to Brandy, she wrapped her arm around Jake’s side. Their eyes met and Jake said, “I like this one”. Jake and Brandy were cast together as boyfriend and girlfriend. The couple started dating soon after, and were married in 2012. For the couple’s first dance, Brandy and Jake performed their dance routine from “1940’s Radio Hour” that they choreographed to the song “How About You”. “How About You” was the duet that Jake and Brandy performed and it has served as the couple’s song ever since. The happily married couple have two sons, with a 3rd on the way in December of 2017.

Russell Wagner

My name is Russell Wagner and I am the Executive Director of Alumni Relations for Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. I am originally from the small town of Shiner, Texas and began attending Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in Fall 2004. During my time as a student I was a volunteer tour guide and worked for the Island Waves Student Newspaper. I proudly earned my degree in Media Communication and received a minor in Public Relations in 2008 graduating Summa Cum Laude. I joined the University on a professional level immediately after graduation as an Admissions Counselor and Recruiter. I joined the Division of Institutional Advancement in Fall 2012 as an Alumni & Development Officer for the College of Liberal Arts. I was appointed to Director of Engagement in June 2015. As Director of Engagement, I oversee and implement the University’s alumni relations and engagement efforts with the community to create financial, personnel, and athletic support for the Island University. I also act as the Executive Director of the National Islander Alumni Association, Executive Director of the Young Business Professionals of the Coastal Bend, and oversee the Student Foundation Association, a student philanthropy group at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. I reside in Corpus Christi with my wife, Kelsey. She is an also an alumnae from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s outstanding College of Nursing & Health Sciences Nursing program. She currently works as a Registered Nurse at Driscoll Children’s Hospital. In our spare time we enjoy the outdoors, spending time with friends and family, traveling, and taking in the unique events that the Coastal Bend has to offer.