Forever and for Always

It was Sunday morning, and 6-year-old Noelle Levantino was eagerly waiting for the passing of the church collection basket. Never one to sit still, she fidgeted in the pew, craning her neck until she caught a glimpse of it coming her way. She smiled and looked at her dad, ready for him to hand her their offering like usual for her to do the honors. But this time, he had already given the money to her older brother, Joseph, and she watched in dismay as he placed it in the basket—instead of her! Not about to be outdone, she scrambled to grab every dollar from the collection as it passed and glared at her brother with all the anger a 6-year-old could muster before carefully returning her fistfuls of money to the basket, smiling sweetly once more.

Though Levantino ’20 soon outgrew her un-churchlike outbursts, the event revealed more positive seeds of her personality that would flourish in the years ahead: her faith, her eagerness to help others and an all-in attitude that couldn’t be surpassed. These traits are just a few that shaped her into a bubbly go-getter who fit right into the Aggie family, and who continually pushed herself to achieve greatness. And now, after she tragically lost her life in 2021, it is these qualities that inspired her friends, family and colleagues to fund a Texas A&M University scholarship in her honor as just one way to carry on her light that made such an impact on everyone around her.
 

The All-In Aggie

Born in The Woodlands, Texas, Levantino dreamed big from an early age. In seventh grade, she told her mom, Natalie Noack, that she would graduate high school early. “I didn’t take it too seriously at the time,” Noack recalled, “but she kept at it. At the end of her sophomore year, she told me, ‘Okay Mom, I met with a counselor and took all the classes I needed to skip my junior year.’”

After graduating from Montgomery High School at age 16, Levantino set her sights on the next goal: becoming an Aggie. A few high school credits kept her from immediately enrolling in Texas A&M, but her older brother, Joseph Levantino ’19, was already attending the university, and much like her long-ago Sunday-offering rivalry, she wasn’t about to be left behind. Instead, she attended Blinn College for a year to fill in her missing class requirements, earning a spot on the President’s List in the process, before arriving at last in Aggieland.
 

A Fun and Faithful Friend

Just as prevalent as her initiative and drive to succeed was Levantino’s love for life and for those around her.
 

Tragedy to Triumph

On Sept. 6, 2021, the world changed for Levantino’s friends and family. That was the day she passed away from a tragic boating accident, leaving her loved ones to face a future without her by their side. “You hear about accidents like this all the time, but it’s always somebody else; it’s not your family,” Noack said. “We got to say goodbye in the hospital, and I’m so grateful for that. I watched her take her first breath, and when I knew she wasn’t going to make it, I just wanted to be with her when she took her last.”
 

Motivated by this desire and inspired by her life, Levantino’s friends, family and colleagues have found many ways to honor her memory, from holding a yearly blood drive at Insight Global to following her example in loving others. But perhaps the biggest is an annual field day organized by Insight Global’s Houston office, where employees gather for food, games and a fundraiser in Levantino’s honor. “Noelle had always encouraged our leaders to hold a company field day,” Gonzalez recalled. “What better way to remember her than by putting her idea into action and bringing the office together to hold a philanthropic effort in her name?”

In 2022, the event raised over $20,000 to create a one-time scholarship through Texas A&M’s Department of Economics. Eager to make an even bigger impact, Noack used the funds raised by Levantino's friends and coworkers in 2023 to create an endowed scholarship through the Texas A&M Foundation. Named in Levantino's memory and invested to provide perpetual support, the scholarship will benefit generations of economics students who are members of the Aggie Catholics student organization and who demonstrate leadership in other extracurricular activities. Noack hopes to continue growing the scholarship in the future.

“Noelle was always very compassionate, and there are so many students who need help,” Noack shared. “We’re not put on this earth for ourselves but for others. I’ve heard so many stories of people she impacted during her life, and I want to keep her legacy alive.”

You can join in honoring Levantino's memory by helping grow the scholarship in her name.

Interested in keeping a loved one’s memory burning bright by impacting others in their name? A memorial gift is a thoughtful way to commemorate their legacy while supporting Aggieland. Contact Steve Blomstedt ’83 below to learn more about creating an endowed scholarship in their memory that can be tailored to fit their unique interests and values.