The Secret to Creating Gifts for Aggieland as Unique as You!

“It’s important to me to give back to the university that laid the foundation for my career by helping students who will one day be in my position.” 

Tera Davis ’94 credits her success in the cybersecurity sector with the opportunities she received at Texas A&M. To pay it forward, she used her donor-advised fund to establish an endowment for the Aggies in Tech Program and its associated Tech Trek—a trip that gives business students valuable exposure to the West Coast’s technology scene. The annual two-week experience in Seattle and Silicon Valley allows students to network with Aggies and industry leaders and gain insights that will help guide their career decisions.

“With AI becoming part of our future, it’s our mutual responsibility to ensure students and professors understand how to use it correctly.” 

Susan Fontaine ’77 was first introduced to the AI Writing Lab through Texas A&M Foundation development officer Karen Cochran. Inspired by a brainstorming session, a meeting with the English department head, and the powerful message that artificial intelligence will irreversibly shape our future learning experiences and world, Fontaine established the AI Writing Lab Endowment to equip English students and professors at Texas A&M University with the knowledge to fully understand AI’s diverse applications and the appropriate contexts for its use.

“I enjoy knowing that my gift is a tangible way to say ‘thank you’ to the students who helped me during a challenging time in my life.”

Elizabeth Ezell ’79 was first introduced to The Big Event in 2011 when she saw students volunteering at her neighbor’s house. After her husband, Laurence ’78, passed away, 12 students with The Big Event came to Ezell’s house to help with the garden and yard work she had fallen behind on. To show her gratitude and support Aggies in making the most of Texas A&M’s student experience, Ezell established an endowment that will support The Big Event’s kickoff celebration each spring. The gift marked one of her last acts of generosity before her passing this spring.

“We wanted to honor our longtime friend’s gift of silent observation through black-and-white photography.” 

Drs. Suzanne ’00 and Bob Droleskey ’75 ’81 ’96 were introduced to Giovanni Barucchieri in Italy, where he taught black-and-white photography at Texas A&M’s Santa Chiara Study Center. While he was not a trained photographer, Barucchieri’s natural talent and passion helped him develop special connections with his students, most of whom had no formal art background or training. To honor his legacy, the Droleskeys established a photography award for students in his name. Recipients are selected from the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Art’s year-end student showcase and reflect Barucchieri’s commitment to teaching students to see the world through a black-and-white lens.

“With development officers who helped guide our family’s desire to give back, the process of creating and customizing our scholarship was seamless.” 

After Paige ’03 and Joshua Rowan ’02 were introduced to Texas A&M University at Galveston’s Sea Camp program, they enrolled their children every summer. Recognizing that not all children can afford to explore the ocean through programs like Sea Camp, the Rowans established the Palmer and Brant Rowan Texas A&M Galveston Sea Camp Scholarship. Inspired by the way their kids’ camp experience sparked their interest in marine biology, they named the scholarship after their sons and hope the gift will unlock a lifelong passion for the ocean in other kids.

“This gift reflects our vision for helping student veterans recognize the value of the Aggie Network and connecting them to former students as they begin their civilian careers.” 

Lori ’87 and Mikal Harn ’88 initiated the Aggie Veteran Career Conference in 2023 to provide veterans with tailored opportunities to connect with the Aggie Network as well as local business and community leaders across Texas. The Harns chose San Antonio, aka Military City, as the site of the inaugural conference, which featured presentations from local employers and former students. Thanks to their dedicated endowment for the event, the conference is now student-planned and student-led and entering its third year as a helpful career resource for returning veterans.