Aggies are everywhere!
NMSU Foundation research analyst Timi Haggerty-Munoz found this out firsthand while visiting Rome, Italy, with her son, Josh.
As they toured the Vatican Museums, Timi spotted something unexpected: an Aggie ball cap! She quickly maneuvered through the crowd and introduced herself: “They were so excited that I noticed their Aggie gear and to share their Aggie pride with me!”
That Aggie in the ball cap was Coye Balok ’98, ’00, along with his wife, Shannon Balok ’99, their son Caleb, currently studying general agriculture in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) — and a slew of other Aggies, all from Gallup, NM!
The travelin’ Aggies in the photo from left to right are:
- Stacie Salazar, proud Aggie mom
- Jack Salazar-Narvaez, a current College of ACES student majoring in fish, wildlife and conservation ecology
- Caleb Balok, mentioned above
- Hannah Coral, a current College of Arts and Sciences student majoring in biology with a minor in business administration
- Jason Corral ’04, who was a mechanical engineering major
- Coye Balok ’98, ’00, who graduated with degrees in horticulture and plant physiology
- Silvano Corral ’99, who graduated with a general business degree
- Shannon Balok ’99, who graduated with a degree in agricultural economics and business, and
- Timi Haggerty-Munoz, whose eagle eyes spotted Coye’s NMSU ball cap.
Relationships that stand the test of time
According to Coye, he and Silvano were college roommates and have been fast friends ever since. In early 2025, they came up with the idea of taking their families to Italy, and they leapt into action to make it a reality, planning and budgeting and preparing for the trip of a lifetime.
“The Vatican Museums were just one of our many stops,” Coye said. “It was such a surprise to be approached about my hat and being asked if I was an Aggie! It was a shock to run into someone from NMSU — it made a wonderful day even better!” He added, “We had a fantastic time in Rome and Italy. It was exciting to see all our different areas of education come out during our trip. We’d for sure go back and do it again.”
Timi, too, was thrilled to find Aggies while on an adventure abroad: “I love that Coye had planned the trip with his NMSU roommate! That speaks so highly of the kind of relationships that get forged at NMSU. This is a great example of how those connections last well beyond graduation and turn into lifelong friendships and experiences.”
Oh, the places you go!
Are YOU trotting around the globe in your Aggie gear? We’d love to share your adventures! Send us your favorite snaps of you sporting your Aggie swag as you explore the world, either at home or internationally, so they can be included in upcoming issues of Aggie Up!
Email your photos in jpeg format to aggieup@nmsufoundation.org and make sure to include your full name, where the photo was taken, and a couple of sentences about the experience. Go travelin’ Aggies!