Howdy, Queen: Reanna Santos ’22 ’25 is Miss Rodeo Texas 2025
Former student to champion rodeo and the Western way of life
Just a month after earning her Master of Science from Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Reanna Santos ’22 ’25 traded her cap and gown for a crown.
After years of balancing research, athletics and leadership at Texas A&M University, Santos stepped confidently into the spotlight when she was crowned Miss Rodeo Texas 2025 on June 20 in Denton.
The 24-year-old Angleton native, representing the North Texas Fair, swept top honors in congeniality, test, speech, personality, appearance and horsemanship.
“Being named Miss Rodeo Texas was a dream come true, but it feels like a continuation of the journey I started at Texas A&M,” Santos said. “My time there gave me the tools, confidence and network to step into this role.”
With a strong foundation in agribusiness and rangeland ecology from her undergraduate studies, Santos is carrying her Aggie education into a role that promotes rodeo, agriculture and the Western way of life across Texas and beyond.
Rooted in agriculture and tradition
Santos grew up on her family’s ranch in Southeast Texas, where she and her sister spent their days baling hay, riding horses and learning the value of hard work. Her passion for agriculture grew through years of involvement in Texas 4-H and FFA, where she competed in horse shows, public speaking contests and leadership events.
“Texas A&M was always the plan,” she said. “My dad is class of ’82, my sister is class of ’19, and my mom married into it. I was maroon from the start.”
When she arrived in Aggieland, Santos dove in headfirst. She joined the Texas A&M equestrian team, competing in western horsemanship, and was involved in multiple student organizations, including the 12th Man Foundation Collegiate Council, the Agronomy Society and the Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management Graduate Student Organization.
“Being an Aggie means tradition and involvement,” she said. “I was probably involved in too many things, but each one taught me something valuable.”
Her time at Texas A&M also included opportunities to give back through the Big Event and mentoring others through collegiate and graduate organizations.
A passion for conservation and community
Santos’ interest in rangeland ecology started with a few undergraduate classes and blossomed into a full career path. For her graduate research, Santos conducted a floristic inventory on a ranch in South Texas, studying native and non-native grasses and their effects on biodiversity.
“I never thought my love for plants and conservation would take me to so many places,” she said.
Santos’ work took her across the country, from fieldwork in South Texas to assisting with doctorate research in Nevada and Wyoming. Along the way, she gained not just academic knowledge but life skills like camping and backcountry survival.
She also stepped into the role of teacher, helping undergraduate students identify wildland plants and understand their ecological importance.
“Teaching was a full-circle moment,” Santos said. “I was standing in front of students in labs I had taken just a few years earlier.”
Carrying Aggie values into the arena
Santos also credits Texas A&M for preparing her to take on the demanding schedule and responsibilities of Miss Rodeo Texas.
“This past spring, I was writing my thesis, preparing to defend it and training for the pageant,” she said. “It was stressful, but my professors, coaches and friends were there every step of the way. That support system is what Aggieland is all about.”
Santos plans to use her platform, “Flourish with Purpose,” to inspire others to stay rooted in faith, community and service. She is working with a seed company to distribute native Texas wildflower seed packets as she travels, a nod to her background in rangeland ecology.
“Just like native seeds bloom in the right environment, people flourish when they’re surrounded by the right support,” she said.
Looking ahead
This December, Santos will represent Texas at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant during the National Finals Rodeo. Until then, her schedule is packed with rodeos, civic events and community appearances across Texas and beyond.
“It’s a busy year, but pressure is a privilege,” she said. “Being an Aggie didn’t just prepare me for this title. It prepared me for a life full of purpose.”
TOP PHOTO: Reanna Santos ’22 ’25, a Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences former student, will serve as Miss Rodeo Texas 2025. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)
