A Milestone Worth the Wait
For Angie Klutts, a long-awaited class ring became a moment of gratitude, healing and Mean Green pride.
From beaming smiles and glinting gems to cheers of loving support and tears of pure joy, the UNT Ring Ceremony is an event where dreams come true — a rousing opportunity for students and their families to celebrate together ahead of graduation.
For Angie Klutts (’03, ’05 M.Ed.), graduation is long behind her — but one symbol of her UNT pride is brand new: her freshly minted Class Ring, now settling into place on her right-hand ring finger.
This spring, Angie’s ring dream 23 years in the making came true. On May 1, Angie and her husband, Ben (’02), sat in the front row at the UNT Ring Ceremony and celebrated the milestone right alongside hundreds of others.
“It was incredibly special,” Angie says. “Being surrounded by other students and alumni celebrating their journeys made the experience feel very full-circle for me. Even though my graduation was many years ago, I never once felt out of place. UNT has always had a strong sense of community and pride, and the ceremony reminded me why being part of the Mean Green family means so much.”
Angie, a first-generation college student, worked tirelessly to put herself through school, balancing coursework while working jobs both on- and off-campus. Her journey to crossing the graduation stage was a trial in perseverance and ambition. Two decades later, putting her UNT ring on for the first time provided a moment of catharsis.
“It was emotional in a way I honestly didn’t expect,” Angie says. “When I put the ring on for the first time, it felt like I was finally allowing myself to fully celebrate something I had worked incredibly hard for. It brought back memories of being a young student trying to figure life out while balancing work, school and real-life challenges. There was a sense of gratitude and healing in that moment.”
Between the final stretch of courses and focusing on reaching that finish line, combined with financial reasons, buying a class ring just wasn’t a possibility for Angie in 2003.
“I was working hard to put myself through school and simply focused on getting to graduation,” Angie says. “This year, after more than two decades of building my career, raising my family and growing through life, it felt like the right time to finally honor that accomplishment and close a chapter in a really meaningful way.”
When Angie looks at her UNT Class Ring, it is a shining representation of a life-changing experience.
“It means resilience, perseverance and pride,” she says. “As a first-generation college student, there were many moments when things felt uncertain, especially after losing my mom before my senior year of high school. UNT became more than a university to me — it became a place that gave me support, opportunity and direction.”
Angie’s ring represents not only earning a degree, but everything it took to get there: the late nights studying in Willis Library, the friendships that shaped her, and the professors and mentors who believed in her success.
“I also think about the version of myself back then — determined, hopeful and trying to build a better future,” Angie says. “Wearing the ring reminds me how far life can take you when you keep going, even during difficult seasons.”
Angie’s path has led her to a beautiful place. She and Ben met on campus and have been together 25 years. Together, they co-founded Behavioral Transformations in 2015 and now operate several clinics across the metroplex that are dedicated to helping children with varying abilities.
The duo has stayed closely tied to their alma mater as both remain actively involved in the advancement boards for their respective colleges and in 2022, they established the Klutts Family Scholarship, which supports students in the UNT College of Public Affairs and Health Sciences, with preference to first-generation students. In fall 2025, Ben and Angie were recognized with the UNT Distinguished Alumni Award.
And now, Angie’s class ring serves as another way she displays her Mean Green pride, proving it’s never too late to celebrate your achievements.
“Life looks different for everyone, and sometimes financial realities or life circumstances mean certain milestones have to wait,” she says. “But your accomplishment is still worthy of being celebrated, no matter how much time has passed. Getting my ring 23 years later made it even more meaningful because of everything the journey represented.”