What are your favorite UT memories?
Choosing a favorite UT memory is tough because my time there was filled with incredible experiences. Coming from the East Texas town of Woodville, Austin felt like a big city. My freshman dorm had more people than my hometown! I loved cheering at football and basketball games, playing intramural softball with friends and strolling across campus to the chimes of the UT Tower clock.

How did UT prepare you for success?
While academics were important, the personal relationships I built at UT, especially in the College of Pharmacy, truly shaped my success. Many of those friendships still endure today. College life taught me more than textbooks ever could, including lessons in empathy, humility, striving for excellence and supporting others. My friends and professors helped me understand the value of kindness, self-love and focusing on long-term goals. To me, real success is being a good friend and offering a helping hand to those in need.

Why did you choose to give to UT?
I graduated from high school in 1978 and received a small scholarship from my local Texas Exes chapter. It made me feel welcomed and supported when I started at UT. Even small gestures can be meaningful, especially for students from small towns.

Since moving back to Austin after stints in Brazil and England, I’ve become involved at UT through the College of Pharmacy Scholarship Committee, the Dell Medical School Health and Wellness Group and the UT Development Board. Supporting UT is my way of giving back to an institution that transforms lives and enriches our community.

What impact do you want your gift to make?
UT’s College of Pharmacy and Dell Medical School are exceptional, offering opportunities to educate future pharmacists and physicians in the latest health practices. I believe deeply in preventive care through healthy food, exercise and stress reduction. My hope is that my gift will support programs that emphasize holistic and preventive care, helping shape well-rounded healthcare professionals.

What are your favorite UT memories?
At 13, I decided to graduate from UT if it was the last thing I ever did. I attended community college and transferred to UT at age 30. I remember walking past the Tower, and it was majestic. It was difficult attending school while working full-time and raising a family, but I graduated six years later. I’m a huge Longhorn football fan and have had season tickets for 40 years!

How did UT prepare you for success?
My forte is space planning, and I’m passionate about upgrading space. In UT’s interior design curriculum, I learned to meet certain criteria based on client needs and how to work in teams, and I carried this knowledge throughout my career. As I built a professional network, doors opened simply because I was a UT alumna. I was a distribution representative for 33 years for decorative surfacing manufacturers, including countertops and flooring, and I helped design schools and commercial buildings. I’ve worked on many buildings in Houston, and I take pride in that.

Why did you choose to give to UT?
As a student, I was on my own and had no financial assistance except for Pell Grants. Supplies for interior design majors are expensive, and my gift will enable students to purchase required tools and take advantage of professional development opportunities. I want to support nontraditional students, just like I was, who face obstacles in their life but are determined to pursue their dreams.

What impact do you want your gift to make?
I want returning students to graduate with a sense of monumental accomplishment and to understand that the world is their oyster. With a UT education, they will be fully prepared to go out and make a difference in their communities. I want them to know the feelings of passion, challenge and perseverance that will lead them to a successful career and lasting memories of fulfillment.

What are your favorite UT memories?
Walking to the football stadium, getting in free and being part of that energy was unforgettable. Celebrations, driving up and down the Drag in my orange and white Chevy Vega, honking and cheering with everyone else was a time like no other. It felt safe, joyful and full of community.

Another favorite was working at The Daily Texan. It helped confirm that journalism was what I wanted to do.

How did UT prepare you for success?
UT taught me how to be independent and accountable. If I wanted to succeed, it was on me. I had to show up, take good notes, follow instructions and develop strong study habits. The broad curriculum opened my mind to everything from philosophy to physics, biology, language and speech. The professors were engaging and accessible. They encouraged discussion and made time for students outside of class. That experience shaped my work ethic, sense of responsibility and confidence. It prepared me not just for a career, but for life.

Why did you choose to give to UT?
My mother was a single mom who worked very hard to make sure I could attend college, and she was incredibly proud that I graduated from UT. As she got older, she donated what she could to animal and environmental causes and caring for living things around her. That stayed with me.

I believe strongly in the importance of journalism, especially environmental journalism. I want to honor my mother and support education that helps people tell important stories accurately, responsibly and with compassion.

What impact do you want your gift to make?
I want my gift to support journalism that connects science, storytelling and humanity. My hope is that students learn to report with integrity, grounding their work in science while also making it compelling and accessible. Journalism should hold powerful institutions accountable and help people understand what’s at stake. If my gift helps inspire even a few students to stay curious, stay courageous and tell these stories well, then it will have made the impact I hope for.