Celebrating Ale: The inspiring legacy of a Tarleton cowgirl

BY BETHANY KILPATRICK

Editor-in-Chief

Editor's note: Special thanks goes to Tarleton language instructor Janer Bell for her translation work during the course of writing this story.

Life…it is truly a beautiful thing given from a gracious God. From the moment an infant is born to the last sunrise one will see, every person, regardless of race, background or gender, is given the same opportunity, and that opportunity is the ability to make an impact that will far outlast their days spent here on this Earth. Not every person recognizes this, but Alejandra Franco undoubtedly did.

Alejandra, or known by many as Ale, was a sophomore and a member of the rodeo team at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. She tragically died Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, leaving all those who loved her so deeply mourning for their daughter, sister, teammate and friend. 

The number of people this unimaginable tragedy has affected is far too great to count and the grief that has been expressed is overwhelming, yet serves as a powerful testament to the life Ale led and the legacy she left. 

Ale was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, but spent much of her childhood in Tepatitlán, Jalisco, with her two older brothers, Rodrigo and Mariano Franco. Ale’s father, Alejandro Franco, expressed the love and pride he had for her from such a young age. 

“She was the youngest and the spoiled one of the family,” Alejandro said. “Her brothers didn’t get jealous. She was my life.”

Ale grew up to accomplish things that some only dream of, but she once was just a little girl spending time making crafts and watching her favorite movie, “Barbie and the Three Musketeers,” enjoying the simplicity and bliss of the childhood her family provided for her. 

“She loved to have her friends over and have PJ parties almost every weekend,” Alejandro said. “We had the house full of friends. We thank God their parents trusted us, and we would take care of all of them. They would patiently wait for the weekend, and if it wasn’t our house, then it was at a friend’s house. In fact, some of them joined us at the funeral service in Stephenville.”

It was no secret that Ale’s strong love for horses, the rodeo industry as well as escaramuza charra, a traditional all-female equestrian discipline, began at an early age. 

“We have always been involved in rodeo and charrería, even before she was born,” Alejandro said. “So she was used to it, literally, she was born among horses. She learned to ride a horse before she rode a bike.  That was her passion, the rodeo and charrería.”

It was known that Ale loved the industry her and her family were a part of, and it was also known that Ale would not hesitate to take the reins herself when she saw fit. 

“In 2016, at the National Children’s Charro Competition, she wanted to ride a horse in a parade,” Alejandro said. “But it was a specific type of horse. A friend of mine had a dancing horse, caballos bailadores, and that was the one she wanted. Those horses are expensive, so I did not want to ask my friend, but she asked him herself and, of course, he said yes.”

Ale fell in love with Tarleton, but she did not immediately begin her college journey after high school as many students do; rather, she chose to take an adventure somewhere else first. 

“After finishing high school, she took a break and went to Switzerland,” Alejandro said. “There she worked as an au pair, a young person from another country who lives with a host family to provide childcare as part of a cultural exchange program.”

“In her free time on weekends, she went to different parts of Europe to hike. Hiking was another passion of hers. She made new friends and they traveled all together, also had the opportunity to ride horses there.”

Ale’s cousin, Pepe Briseño, knew Tarleton’s head rodeo coach, Mark Eakin, and suggested that Ale speak with him about her collegiate goals, and she did just that. Ale flew from Switzerland to Texas to meet with Eakin. He offered her a scholarship and encouraged her to apply to the university.

“Even though on her first attempt she didn’t make it, she re-applied and she was accepted,” Alejandro said. “The day she received her acceptance letter was one of the most exciting days in her life. She was in Switzerland, and she was ready to return home to go to Texas.”

Ale was preparing to start her journey at Tarleton, and kicked it off as so many freshmen do by attending Duck Camp, where she had an incredible experience with her “Momma Duck,” or TTM (Tarleton Transition Mentor).

“She met Mackenzie, that was her Duck Mom,” Alejandro said. “I have to say that she was a blessing that God put in our way. McKenzie made such a good impression on her that she decided to become a TTM.”

When training to be a TTM, she was partnered with Ava Berger after they were paired together through the camp office based on matching personalities. Berger was quick to realize the lasting impression Ale made on the campers they led. 

“They loved her,” Berger said. “They loved how outgoing she was. She could make a joke at any situation you were in, and she was just easy to talk to as well. I think that’s what they really liked about her.”

Berger told their campers to come see them on campus on the first day of school, and that Ale and her would have donuts for them. However, Berger brought way more donuts than campers that showed, but Ale saw it as an opportunity to meet more faces. 

“We proceeded to walk around campus and hand out donuts the whole first day,” Berger said. “She would be like, ‘Hey, you want a donut?’ I was like, ‘You are beating me with the outgoingness.’ She would stop them if they were looking down on their phone and they looked lonely.”

Ale’s heart for others was a part of her that people noticed from such a young age though.

“She would give money to poor people who were asking for it at a traffic light,” Alejandro said. “She could not bear to see a child or woman asking for money, she would give it to them. Her greatest quality was her love for others.”

Berger and Ale’s baby ducks were not the only ones that recognized the joy and love that Ale had to offer. 

Brittany Stewart is the associate rodeo coach at Tarleton and quickly picked up on the light her athlete was. 

“Ale always had a smile on her face,” Stewart said. “No matter if someone was having a bad day, if Ale was around, she had the unique talent to turn it around and make it a better day, whether she meant to or not; that was just the kind of energy that she had.”

Lindsey Estes is a member of Tarleton’s rodeo team and remains in awe of Ale and her qualities that made her unique. 

“Her smile radiated all over the place, and she made a big impact on the team,” Estes said. “She showed everybody how to compete and how to have fun, but do it in a way that’s glorifying to the Lord.”

While so many have been affected by such a sudden and tragic loss, the impact and joy Ale shared are something to be celebrated and most certainly never forgotten by those at Tarleton, within the rodeo community and by everyone Ale left with a sprinkle of her kindness.  

Alejandro would like to express his gratitude to all those who loved Ale and have shown their support to him and his family.

“She loved her university,” Alejandro said. “She was the happiest and proudest student to belong to Tarleton and the rodeo team. Now I understand why; they have shown our entire family a level of respect, love, solidarity and human warmth like I never imagined. It is impressive, and I will live eternally grateful for it.”