College Days Trade Martin
"I DID IT OUT OF LOSS FOR MY FRIEND" Tracie Martin, "Miss Black and Gold" "I did it out of loss for my friend." Her friend was Reginald Broadus, a Texas A&M senior at the time of his unexpected death in an accident. "He was wonderful. He led a life dedicated to service. He truly had the spirit of the Fraternity."
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he is an honor student in accounting, a profession to which she is attracted because she is "drawn to detail" and its technical preciseness. Her career goal is to practice family law with a special concern for the welfare of children. Along with her honors achievement in accounting, she sings, dances, writes poetry, and, yes, studies braille and sign language for the hearing and visually impaired. Meet Tracie Martin, 1995 "Miss Black and Gold." A native of Port Arthur, Texas, she is a senior at Texas A&M University and represented Pi Omicron in the "Miss Black and Gold" competition. When she was a freshman at Texas A&M four years ago, Alpha men "more than enthusiastically took me under their wings," Tracie recalls. She too has been impressed with the Fraternity's emphasis on scholarship, leadership, and community service. But while she participated in service projects with Pi Omicron and became increasingly attached to the aims of the Fraternity, Tracie says she was reluctant to accept their invitation to participate in the "Miss Black
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and Gold" Pageant. Why? Fear, she admits. And why—or how—did she overcome that fear? "I did it out of loss for my friend." Her friend was Reginald Broadus, a Texas A&M senior at the time of his unexpected death in an accident. "He was wonderful. He led a life dedicated to service. He truly had the spirit of the Fraternity." Like Brother Broadus, Tracie is also dedicated to service. Her career goal is a plan of service as opposed to a plan of work. Her interest in family law, for instance, stems from a concern for children. "The problems of young children today begin at home," she believes. They (the children) receive material things, but the emotional support is absent." oo many children involved in family separations are not placed in loving and caring homes, Tracie reasons. "I want to be in the courtroom to see that children are put in safe and secure homes." Trade's interest in braille and sign language is also related to her interest in children and the service she would like to provide them. "I don't want to be limited in the kind of children, nor the n u m ber of children I can reach," she says. Understanding the hearing and language impaired provides an opportunity for larger service, Tracie adds. She also sees a bit of wisdom coming from persons with impairments that may not be so evident among many with normal functions. "People who are blind can see a lot better than those of us who have the visual ability to see," she says. "I am drawn to what they feel about life, especially those who are very positive about life." She
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