Former Cowboy Caller Supports Younger Peers Scholarship helps students helping OSU.
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had Crotchett considered himself fortunate to be debt-free when he completed his management information systems degree in 2004. He received what he calls “significant” academic scholarships, which he supplemented by working 2½ years in fundraising with the OSU Foundation as a Cowboy Caller. “I told myself that, when I got the opportunity, I would provide scholarships to others just like donors had done for me,” says the 31-year-old quality assurance engineer. “I decided to do it at a young age because I want to see students use and enjoy the scholarship that they earned.” He set a goal of donating as much to OSU as he had received in scholarships. When his wife, Amy Crotchett, paid off her student loans in 2012, they established the Chad Crotchett Cowboy Callers Endowed Scholarship. A large first donation followed by regular monthly contributions have the fund on pace to be fully endowed and producing annual scholarships in less than five years. “I chose to establish an endowment rather than give money to be spent immediately so that it will be around to help students forever,” says Chad Crotchett, who coordinates the San Antonio OSU Alumni Association Watch Club. “The way I’m doing this, it won’t take long to start paying out anyway.” Crotchett looks forward to meeting the recipients of his scholarship, just as he met and thanked two of his scholarship donors, Olin and Paula Branstetter. When the Branstetters died in a 2011 plane crash along with Cowgirl basketball coaches Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna, Crotchett donated to
a fund in their memory and decided it was time to establish his own scholarship. Amy Crotchett, a University of Florida graduate, supports her husband’s decision. “This was really important to him, so I was happy we could do it,” she says. “It’s something Chad has talked about since I first met him. It was kind of an easy conversation because he had already laid the plans.” Chad Crotchett’s love for OSU is a family trait. His parents, Debbie and Ralph, met on campus while studying business administration. She graduated in 1976 and he followed in 1977. Their younger son, James, is a 2007 advertising alumnus. “OSU gave me a great opportunity to both grow my academic skills as well as my personal skills,” Chad Crotchett says. “There were many wonderful learning opportunities to kind of see how the real world works. The knowledge I gained from OSU laid a foundation for me to be successful in my career after college.” His experience as a Cowboy Caller was a highlight, Crotchett says, which is why his scholarship will go to Cowboy Callers. The program features 60 student outreach representatives working five days a week year-round to connect donors’ passions with university priorities. They call OSU alumni, friends and parents, playing a vital role in establishing and maintaining a strong relationship with members of the orange and black family. “That job helped me understand the need for scholarships and reaching out to alumni,” he says. “It was a great opportunity to work alongside fellow students, contact alumni to keep in touch with them and work with them to make OSU a better place.”