Fadi Kalaouze ’91 traveled from his home country of Lebanon to attend the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. Although he did not know English then and knew he would face many hardships along his journey to obtaining a degree, he dreamed of following in his brothers’ footsteps and becoming an Aggie.
With this goal in mind, he left everything behind after one visit to College Station.
“I came with my dad to attend my brother’s graduation,” said Kalaouze. “They went back, and I stayed here. I didn’t know any English, so I had to study English for a whole year. Then I applied to Texas A&M and was accepted.”
It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.
In his pursuit of obtaining a Texas A&M degree, Kalaouze began his academic career in the Wm Michael Barnes ’64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. However, after a year and a half, he began experiencing financial hardships, leading to difficulties paying for his classes and his apartment’s rent, resulting in him living in his van for several months.
Although Kalaouze and his family thought it might be easier for him to return to Lebanon to finish his degree, he understood the meaning behind being an Aggie and how his academic experience could potentially change his life. At this moment, he decided to do everything he could to continue his education in Aggieland. After selling some of his personal items, he re-enrolled in classes.
Adapting to changes is crucial with anything you do, whether business or relationships. Things change; nothing stays the same.
Needing more money to finance his education, he set up a booth selling shirts in the Memorial Student Center. Using this money to continue taking classes, he graduated in 1991 with his engineering degree in industrial systems and engineering.
“The manager was nice enough to let me store the shirts when I went to my classes,” he said. “All day long, you’d see me there. Coincidentally, that’s where I met my wife — selling T-shirts.”
Once an Aggie, always an Aggie
Despite his original plans, his shirt business began to take off, and just like the moment he stepped on Texas A&M’s campus, he was all in. After seeing success in the T-shirt business, he launched a Texas A&M merchandise business called Inspirations in the mall in 1992. In 2000, he changed the business name to Aggieland Outfitters, which now has three locations in College Station.
“A lot of students and their parents paid my way through school by buying all those shirts from me,” he said. “I want to pay it back and bring the best to Aggieland.”
Kalaouze’s experiences obtaining his degree and as an Aggie played a critical role in shaping his future and inspiring him to pursue his small business. Although he did not choose to pursue engineering after graduating, he feels the lessons he learned and the people he met along the way guided him to his path.
“I tell everybody that school is very important,” he said. “People don’t look at the intangible assets they get from school. They think, ‘Oh, I study this.’ But what about people and the teachers you’re interacting with? One word from a teacher or friend could help you a long way. It’s not just about the information; it’s about the interactions.”
As an Aggie entrepreneur, he feels students can pivot in their dreams and goals if they have the toolsets to do so.
“Be open-minded to many ideas, be flexible and adaptable,” he said. “Adapting to changes is crucial with anything you do, whether business or relationships. Things change; nothing stays the same.”