December 20, 2012

Fans Raise $33,000 For Scholarship In Memory Of A&M Football Player

A grassroots effort led by users of the Texas A&M University fan site TexAgs.com has raised more than $33,000 for an endowed scholarship in memory of former football player Joseph A. Villavisencio. The class of 2012 Texas A&M student and offensive lineman for the Aggie football team was killed in an automobile accident Dec. 22, 2011, while driving to his hometown of Jacksonville, Texas, for winter break.

A Dec. 6 post in the A&M football forum on TexAgs.com reminding people to pray for the family of Villavisencio as the one-year anniversary of his death approached led to suggestions to create a scholarship. Two volunteers quickly agreed to coordinate a campaign with the Texas A&M Foundation to make the scholarship a reality. Within hours, the volunteers launched a social media campaign and donations were arriving at the Foundation.

By Dec. 17, half of the $25,000 necessary to endow the scholarship had already been donated in online gifts to the Foundation. A challenge that evening from another user offered to match gifts up to $2,500. Fans responded and by noon the following day, the endowment goal had been exceeded.

“As the campaign has progressed, I’ve gotten to know more about Joseph through contact with his mom, Christine,” said one of the two coordinating volunteers, Phillip Hernandez. “He was a remarkable young man, and those of us working on the project, as well as the Villavisencio family, are grateful to the hundreds of Aggies giving to secure his legacy.”

Anyone wishing to contribute is invited to make a donation to the scholarship online  and write “Joey Villavisencio Fund” in the comments section. To donate by check, note the “Joey Villavisencio Fund” in the memo line and mail it to the Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Dr., College Station, TX 77840.

For more information, read the forum where the idea got started, visit the Joseph Villavisencio Memorial Scholarship Fund Blog, “like” the Joseph Villavisencio Memorial Scholarship Fund Facebook page, follow the Twitter account @JoeyVfund, or contact:

Joshua South
Joseph Villavisencio Fund Volunteer Foundation Liaison
jsouth@aggienetwork.com
(979) 204-6000

Phillip Hernandez
Joseph Villavisencio Fund Volunteer Social Media Coordinator
hdzbikeservice@gmail.com
(605) 209-5165

The Texas A&M Foundation is a private nonprofit organization that solicits and manages investments in academics and leadership programs to enhance Texas A&M’s capability to be among the best universities.

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Media contact: Rachel Dohmann, Texas A&M Foundation, at (979) 845-8161, Ext. 144

September 13, 2012

Marathon Oil Corp. Gives $104,500 To Texas A&M Foundation

Marathon Oil Corp. continued a long tradition of giving to Texas A&M University Tuesday when it presented a check for $104,500 to the Texas A&M Foundation.

The donation will fund Texas A&M scholarships and student organizations, and also will assist 11 academic departments in the business, engineering and geosciences fields. Besides direct financial support, the company provides Aggies with lucrative internships around the United States.

Luis Londoño, a Texas A&M senior from Richmond, Texas, has worked three different Marathon Oil internships in Texas City, San Antonio and Findlay, Ohio. The internships gave him real-world insight into his environmental studies in the College of Geosciences and led to an offer for a full-time environmental health and safety position with Marathon Oil in North Dakota.

“Through these internships, I learned that I wanted to go into the industry side of this field,” Londoño said. “I earned a great salary and gained invaluable experience. It also helped me choose the right classes for my junior and senior year at Texas A&M and eventually led to a full-time job, which I will start after I graduate in December.”

Since it began giving to the university in 1980, Marathon Oil has donated about $3.7 million to Texas A&M. “Marathon has generously supported Texas A&M’s business, engineering and geosciences programs as well as the Foundation Excellence Award scholarship program of the Texas A&M Foundation,” said  Ed Davis, foundation president. “Marathon Oil clearly understands the importance of investing in higher education, and we value this partnership.”

Abram Gutierrez, a Texas A&M senior from Houston, is one of two current recipients of Foundation Excellence Awards funded by Marathon Oil. The scholarship has given him a financial boost as he works toward a double major in mechanical engineering and computer science while maintaining a 3.48 grade point ratio.

“I greatly appreciate all the assistance I have been given, especially the scholarship from Marathon Oil,” Gutierrez said. “Every little bit helps to relieve the financial burden of my parents. I decided early on to try to carry the load of funding my college education because my parents have done so much for me. I am so grateful for the opportunity this scholarship is giving me.”

Ashley Dahlen of Portland, Texas, also benefits from a Foundation Excellence Award funded by Marathon Oil. “I’ve received support from Marathon Oil since I was a freshman at Texas A&M,” she said. “They have become like another set of parents to me. I am so thankful for the funds I receive, which have allowed me to experience an unpaid internship with Keep Brazos Beautiful and hold leadership positions with Delta Zeta sorority.”

When she graduates in 2013, Dahlen plans to use her environmental studies degree to pursue a career in environmental consulting.

Lance Robertson, Marathon Oil’s South Texas regional vice president, said that the company is “honored to have a long relationship with Texas A&M University based on the strong values common to both institutions. It is our privilege to support the university through contributions to the colleges of business, geosciences and engineering. We hope these contributions continue to enable and encourage students to succeed in their studies.”

Marathon Oil is an independent international energy company. Based in Houston, Marathon Oil had net proved reserves at the end of 2011 of 1.8 billion barrels of oil equivalent in North America, Europe and Africa. For more information, visit the company’s website.

The Texas A&M Foundation is a private nonprofit organization that solicits and manages investments in academics and leadership programs at Texas A&M. To learn more about scholarships, fellowships and other academic- and student program-focused giving to benefit Texas A&M, contact the Foundation at (800) 392-3310 or (979) 845-8161.

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Media Contact: Megan Kasperbauer, Texas A&M Foundation (979) 845-8161, Ext. 216;

 

September 7, 2012

Texas A&M Foundation Staff Meets Its First Global Study Scholarship Recipient

Less than two weeks into a study abroad program in Germany, Texas A&M University student Brett Huntsman got a surprise message that he was the recipient of an endowed scholarship funded by employees of the Texas A&M Foundation.

Those employees got a chance to hear Huntsman Thursday through a long-distance chat during a gathering to celebrate full funding of the scholarship at the Jon L. Hagler Center, their campus headquarters.

Using an online meeting portal, microphone and speakers, Foundation President Ed Davis thanked Huntsman for sharing his time and introduced him to the staff.

“Howdy from Germany!” said Huntsman from his temporary home in Bonn. “I’m honored that I was selected to receive this scholarship. I can’t thank you enough, and I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations during my time here.”

Huntsman shared details of his first international experience and answered questions from several foundation employees about his background, studies and student activities.

During a 29-month period, foundation staff pooled gifts and pledges to exceed a goal of raising $25,000 for an endowed global study scholarship. The foundation matched employee contributions to this scholarship 1:1 to a maximum of $500 per employee annually.

Distributions from the endowment will be used to provide scholarships to full-time Texas A&M University undergraduate students in good standing who are pursuing a study abroad experience.

“I chose to support this global studies scholarship because I believe studying abroad expands a student’s view of a diverse, interconnected society and gives Aggies the skills to obtain positions of leadership in a global workplace,” said Jody Ford, regional director of major gifts for the foundation.

Huntsman funded most of his trip through a combination of student loans and money earned during an internship with the City of Sherman this summer. “Half of this surprise stipend will repay my debt and the other half I will spend during our fall break when we get a week to travel,” he said. “This money will allow me to be a little less conservative and to make the trip of a lifetime to the United Kingdom along with Ireland and Scotland.”

A native of Sherman, Texas, Huntsman is studying urban and regional sciences in Texas A&M’s College of Architecture. He has been involved with The Big Event for three years and also is a member of Farmhouse Fraternity and Future Leaders in Urban Planning.

During his semester-long study abroad, he will participate in architectural design courses and will have the opportunity to participate in studio projects that address German culture, art, history and civilization. The program also offers field trips to historic sites and contemporary architectural structures.

With 23 classmates, Huntsman already has taken several tours around Bonn that involve learning the history of the city and its master plan. During a boat tour of the southern Rhine area, the students visited Marksburg Castle in Braubach, a protected historical site. He also has started classes in German, urban theory and design.

“The most important thing I want to accomplish on this trip is cultural adaptation,” he said. “I’m living with a German family, and I would like to learn to think like a German in regard to creating a more sustainable lifestyle in the city. From food choices to efficient transportation systems — I want to take all of this knowledge and eventually work to integrate more sustainable systems into American cities.”

When he graduates in 2013, Huntsman plans to further his education through law school or graduate school, and eventually work in the public sector.

“This surprise scholarship from Texas A&M Foundation employees means a lot to me. It reminds me that there are a lot of people in Aggieland who want me to succeed and to become a well-rounded graduate. In my career field, innovative ideas are important to developing effective solutions to major city problems. Financial circumstances should never be the reason a student can’t participate in such a program. I plan to make the most of this gift and can’t thank the Foundation staff enough for its generosity.”

Foundation employees chose to fund an endowed scholarship over a one-time gift because they wanted students to benefit forever. An endowment is a permanent fund that the foundation invests. It spends only a portion of the earnings on scholarship stipends, which ensures that the endowment’s principal is protected and that its value keeps pace with inflation. Even decades from now, this scholarship gift will give students like Huntsman the opportunity to study abroad.

Davis described the scholarship as a “sacrificial commitment” from his staff that will prepare more Aggies to change society for the better. “Through the work they do each day, our staff understands the empowering nature of philanthropy and the importance of exposing young people to the larger world.”

John Zollinger, a University of Massachusetts graduate who works in the foundation’s marketing department, understands the benefits of studying abroad.

“I received study abroad support when I was a student, and the ability to venture beyond America was perhaps one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life,” he said. “It helped me understand not only other countries and cultures, but my own as well. Contributing to this scholarship was just a small way for me to pass that on that experience.”

Foundation employees previously funded two other scholarships: an Endowed Opportunity Award to help motivated incoming freshmen who need financial aid and a Foundation Excellence Award, which assists students who have shown academic promise but face economic, social or educational disadvantages.

The Texas A&M Foundation is a private nonprofit organization that solicits and manages investments in academics and leadership programs at Texas A&M. To learn more about scholarships, fellowships and other academic- and student program-focused giving to benefit Texas A&M, contact the Foundation at (800) 392-3310 or (979) 845-8161.

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Media contact: Sondra White, Texas A&M Foundation; giving.tamu.edu; (979) 845-8161, Ext. 191

July 2, 2012

Marketing Executive Named Texas A&M Foundation Trustee

The Texas A&M Foundation has announced P. William “Bill” Toler of Cincinnati as the newest member of its Board of Trustees. Toler, chairman and CEO of Swift Communications Inc., began his board service July 1.

“I am truly interested in learning where I may be able to best serve this very accomplished board,” said Toler, who graduated from Texas A&M in 1976 with an accounting degree. “My approach is always to provide expertise in a focused area versus being a generalist.”

The Texas A&M Foundation is a private nonprofit organization that solicits and manages investments in academics and student leadership programs to enhance A&M’s capability to be among the best universities. It is governed by seven trustees, each serving seven years. A new trustee is appointed each year to ensure continuity. Toler replaces Melbern Glasscock on the board.

Toler attended Texas A&M with financial assistance from a four-year Army scholarship. The Hurst (DFW), Texas, native was a member of the Corps of Cadets and its elite Ross Volunteer Company. He also was active in student organizations such as Memorial Student Center (MSC) Town Hall, which produced major concerts for the campus community, and MSC SCONA (Student Conference on National Affairs).

“As the stage committee chairman for MSC Town Hall, I remember headliners like The Eagles and Mac Davis,” he said. “I had the opportunity to talk basketball with Henry Mancini and stage Sonny and Cher the week before they announced their divorce in Houston.

“As part of the MSC SCONA organizing committee my senior year, I got to meet Al Haig, who came to campus in 1976 when he was the supreme allied commander for Europe.”

Toler credits these student organizations and Texas A&M’s “superior academic preparation” for shaping his business and leadership skills.

“All successful leaders are servant leaders,” Toler said of the skills he learned at Texas A&M. “Texas A&M really teaches you that inside and outside of the classroom. Not many other schools give students that experience.”

After graduation, Toler served the Army as a field artillery officer in Germany from 1976 to 1980 while earning Airborne and Ranger qualifications.

He worked for Procter & Gamble (P&G) Company from 1980, most recently as global vice president and general manager for its professional oral care group. In 2009, he joined Carson City, Nev.-based Swift Communications, which publishes more than 30 community newspapers and websites in seven western states.

Toler is interested in Texas A&M’s investment in faculty, particularly in maintaining a low faculty-student ratio. In the late 1990s he co-led the Vision 2020 faculty committee that advocated for dramatically reducing the faculty-student ratio.

“The ratio was way too high,” Toler said. “Some students were graduating without experiencing personal relationships with our faculty. This struck a chord with me then and it’s something I continue to view as a priority.”

He says he is excited to learn exactly how he can best assist the Texas A&M Foundation as it works with the university toward Vision 2020 goals. “I have a passion for Vision 2020 and believe its basic precepts are right for Texas A&M,” he said. “It’s so important that the Foundation and university are in lock-step on what we want to accomplish through this guiding document.”

With his wife Melanie, also a Texas A&M graduate, Toler created a bequest through the Foundation to fund a President’s Endowed Scholarship. He is an Endowed Diamond Century Club member of the university’s alumni organization, The Association of Former Students, and a donor to its recent Building Enhancement Campaign.

The Tolers live in Cincinnati with their daughter (16) and son (14).

 

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Media contact: Sondra White, Texas A&M Foundation, at (979) 845-8161, ext. 191

June 11, 2012

Couple Honors Two A&M Professors With Endowments To Support Agriculture

Robert and Doris Kensing of Menard County have created two generous charitable gift annuities and a bequest that will support students and faculty in Texas A&M University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The endowments created through these gifts will be held at the Texas A&M Foundation and will honor the legacy of two Texas A&M agriculture professors: Tyrus R. Timm, a professor and former head of the agricultural economics department; and Fred Brison, a horticultural sciences professor.

The Kensings designed the charitable gift annuities to provide them with fixed payments for life from the Foundation as well as a charitable deduction.

The Kensings credit their success to hard work, wise investments and their Texas A&M degrees. “This university has been an influential part of our lives,” Doris Kensing said. “We wouldn’t have what we have without A&M.”

Robert Kensing earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics in 1960 and an agricultural education master’s degree in 1968. Doris, a graduate of Abilene Christian University, earned a master’s degree in education from Texas A&M in 1970.

For 26 years, Robert Kensing worked in San Angelo as an economist for the Texas Cooperative Extension Service. He was active in the development and judging of pecan shows well into his 80s. He also was president of the Texas Extension Specialist Association, president and manager of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Association, and president of the Texas Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers Association.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of good coworkers and to make a lot of friends across a big part of the country,” he said. “Now the time is right to return our mentors’ gifts, which have had such a profound influence on our lives.” Early in her career, Doris Kensing worked as a bookkeeper and secretary before becoming an elementary school teacher in the Lake View School District (now part of the San Angelo Independent School District).

Now retired, the Kensings reside near Menard where they raise purebred Spanish meat goats.

The Texas A&M Foundation is a private nonprofit organization that solicits and manages investments in Texas A&M academics and student leadership programs. For more information about charitable gift annuities or bequests, contact Glenn Pittsford at the Texas A&M Foundation at (800) 392-3310 or (979) 845-8161.

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Media contact: Megan Kasperbauer, Texas A&M Foundation, (979) 845-8161, Ext. 216