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Thanks to a groundbreaking gift of minerals for engineering students, Joshua Ficarro '17 is living his dream as a civil engineer.
By Tylie McDonald '27
Photo by Josh Huskin
July 16, 2025
Joshua Ficarro ’17, a former recipient of the Sandlins’ engineering scholarship, shares his journey as an Aggie and civil engineer.
Ignited my passion for lifelong learning and travel. Studying abroad was life-changing—it introduced me to the beauty of experiencing different cultures. Most importantly, the Aggie Spirit instilled in me the values of community, work ethic and appreciation.
Allowed me to prioritize academics and personal growth. Coming from a low-income household with little support, transitioning to a large university was challenging. This scholarship helped me succeed without the financial burden of higher education.
I’m a project manager at Pape-Dawson Engineers, working alongside fellow Class of 2017 graduates. The generosity I received at Texas A&M continues to inspire me to help others. I’ve grown as a leader while giving back through ACE Mentoring, my company’s volunteer council and local school programs.
As John Sandlin ’66 looked to the future, he had a decision to make about his family’s mineral interests. Originally acquired in the 1930s and ’40s, the assets had been passed down through generations. Sandlin took over management in 2005 and officially acquired them in 2011. They had provided steady income, but at 80 years old, what would he do with them?
Selling wasn’t a good option because of Sandlin’s low cost-basis which would trigger significant capital gains taxes, not to mention having to navigate a complicated sales process. “My wife and son were reluctant to take over management of the mineral interests, and disposing of them through my estate would be complicated and costly for my executor,” Sandlin explained.
Sandlin had already established the Shirley S. and Fred C. Sandlin ’40 Engineering Scholarship at Texas A&M University, a tribute to his family’s deep Aggie engineering roots. As he considered solutions for the mineral interests, a thought struck him: Could he donate them to the Texas A&M Foundation? After a conversation with the Foundation’s real estate team, he learned that the Foundation not only accepted them but would also manage and retain the interests, using the royalties to expand his existing scholarship. Additionally, donating oil and gas interests to the Foundation would qualify him for a charitable income tax deduction equal to the asset's value based on a qualified appraisal.
With his family’s support, Sandlin transferred the interests, ensuring their value would keep growing, benefiting Aggie engineers and honoring his family’s legacy. “Donating mineral interests to the Foundation is a great way to utilize Texas oil and gas profits for a truly valuable purpose as well as a way of ‘keeping it in the family,’” he said.
Pat and David Rubenstein ’77 found the perfect way to solve a real estate problem and give back to Aggieland.
The Pools gift their Nashville-area townhome to the Texas A&M Foundation to create agriculture and education scholarships.
Dr. Linda Talley shares how estate planning makes it possible for her to ensure a safe future home for her pets.
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