When Johnny Waclawcyzk Jr. ’91 arrived at his office one day in 2012, he faced a disheartening prospect. The building had caught fire over the weekend, and he would spend months assessing the damage.
Among the deeply personal items damaged was the civil engineering diploma he had earned from Texas A&M University in 1991. Although sealed in glass, it was stained with soot and had considerable water damage from the firefighting. No longer was it suitable to display.
“I felt bad (about my diploma), but there was a lot of other stuff to deal with because of the fire,” Waclawcyzk said. “Many personal and business items had to be replaced and the business needed a new office.”
Since then, ABS Group, where Waclawcyzk works in San Antonio, has recovered and settled comfortably into a new building. However, until recently, Waclawcyzk lacked a replacement diploma to hang in his new office.
Aware of how deeply Waclawcyzk regretted the loss, his wife Sandi contacted Texas A&M University and ordered Johnny a new diploma in time for his 50th birthday. Waclawcyzk’s two children, Amanda and Alan, were also in on the birthday surprise. Surrounded by his wife and children, Waclawcyzk received his engineering diploma — for the second time — in Aggieland in September 2018.
“He was pretty shocked … he got a little teary-eyed,” Sandi said.
The damaged diploma remains in a hope chest in Waclawcyzk’s home. The new, professionally framed one hangs in his office.
“There’s a new guy in the office that we hired who’s an Aggie. I told him, ‘See? I actually do have a diploma!’” he said.
Waclawcyzk may be proud to be an Aggie, but he is even prouder of his family. Amanda is simultaneously pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting and expects to graduate from Texas A&M in 2020. Alan is following in his father’s footsteps and is a freshman in the College of Engineering.
Whenever he sees his diploma, Waclawcyzk recalls his accomplishments and the Aggie Spirit that runs deep in his family.
“It was exciting to see his pride in his education,” Alan said. “It made me excited for when I get my first diploma.”
“I remember him bringing home the remains of his Aggie diploma. It had always been the centerpiece of his office, and it truly framed his pride in being an Aggie,” Amanda added. “After all that he has provided to me during my time at Texas A&M, it was beautiful to be able to give something back to him.”