Impact Newsletter | Fall 2019

NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS OF THE TCU ADDISON & RANDOLPH CLARK SOCIETY

YOUR

IMPACT

FALL 2019

TCU Scholars: Bri Hopson ’20, Taylor Jones ’20 and Alexis Borunda ’20

Celebrating 20 years of the Over 20 years ago, the idea for a Clark Society scholarship grew out of a Clark Board committee meeting as a way to both directly impact students and promote awareness of the Clark Society.

Now, 80 scholars and $306,500 later, the Clark Society Endowed Scholarship is one of the premier scholarships that targets TCU seniors.

1999

1997

The Clark Society Scholarship was initiated under the leadership of Board Chair Maury Hicks ’74. A Board challenge was issued and fulfilled.

The first scholarship was awarded.

2001

Board Chair Sally Brown ’70 and Board Member Lori Loughry ’81 started the annual silent auction that raised more than $70,000 over time for the annual scholarship.

I recall how proud my professor who recommended me was. She was one of the hardest professors in my major and was known for expecting near perfection in class, yet in her recommendation she said that I was a ‘gem’! Hearing that she felt this way, that others felt the same way and that a group of esteemed alumni hand-picked me from a group of other obviously well-qualified candidates was a gift beyond measure to my self-esteem. For me, this award felt like someone said, ‘Sara, we believe in you and we believe in your continued success..’ It was and still is such an honor to be a Clark Scholar.

2003

Board Chair Bob Craig ’70 wrote the official resolution to establish an annual Clark Society Scholarship, which formalized the funding requirements, student qualifications and nomination process.

– Sara Donaldson ’07, Clark Society Scholar

2008

The Clark Society Scholarship was endowed at $25,000 under the leadership of Board Chair Jack Larson ’86, which ensured the posterity of the scholarship.

2016

The Clark Board and Board Chair DD Alexander ’82 ’85 initiated a special campaign to raise $1 million.

2018

Board Chair Terry Debo ’80 and the board celebrated raising $1 million for the Clark Society Scholarship, making it one of the largest scholarships established by a TCU organization.

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Each year, the generosity of TCU and the donors proved a remarkable blessing. The Clark Society Endowed Scholarship was one of the biggest blessings I received. I was honored that TCU saw so much potential in me, and the money was a remarkable gift to me and my family.

I keep the plaque awarding me the scholarship hanging next to my degrees and my CPA license as a constant reminder of the generosity I experienced at TCU. – Emily Taylor ’10, Clark Society Scholar

2019 Five scholarships of $11,000 awarded -- the most funding ever awarded in a single year.

Clark Society Endowed Scholarship We’re celebrating!

The Clark Society Endowed Scholarship has become a distinctive, powerful vehicle for rewarding excellent TCU seniors for their intellect and overall impact on the culture of our university. The best part is that our Clark Scholars are recognized and rewarded, not for what they accomplished before acceptance to TCU, but for what they have done in their time as loyal Horned Frogs.

As the awarding of our scholarship reaches its 20th anniversary, we can be most proud of the fact that it is stronger than ever, that the Clark Society Endowed Scholarship has become integral to what we do and what we stand for as the Clark Society and that being a Clark Scholar bears the hallmark of highest achievement.

Ed Nelson ’93 Clark Society Board Chair I felt it was important that the TCU community knew about the Clark Society Endowed Scholarship even though we had managed to be the best kept secret on campus and beyond.

The more funds we raised, the more money and students we could give it to. It was a fantastic experience to see firsthand how generous our donors are. It really is amazing to be a part of something so tremendous.

-- DD Alexander ’82, ’86, Clark Society Board Chair (2015-2017)

2019-2020 Clark Society Scholars

Jacey Elliott is a biology major from Bentonville, Arkansas.

Madison Johnson Alexa Markulis Timothy Schwartz Victoria “Tori” is a biology major is a nursing major is a chemistry Short is a from Farmersville, from Westerville, major from Trabuco psychology major Texas.

Ohio.

Canyon, California. from Fort Worth, Texas.

READ MORE ABOUT THE 2019-2020 SCHOLARS

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32nd Annual Scholarship Dinner The 32nd Annual Scholarship Dinner was held April 9 in the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. After a performance by the TCU Horn Ensemble, Jaques Williams, a senior biology major and chemistry and biochemistry minor, shared how his TCU experience has changed his life.

My time at TCU has been nothing short of incredible. I’ve been able to grow tremendously and become a more well-rounded individual. I understand now why students on my first visit to campus were so enthusiastic. This is truly an amazing place.

-- Jaques Williams ’19

Each year, this dinner gives us the opportunity to not only honor the generous individuals who have the wisdom and vision to invest in generations of Horned Frogs, but also to learn the impact of their gifts on those they benefit. Scholarships awarded for the first time during the current academic year are celebrated as part of the evening’s program.

Endowed scholarships lay the groundwork for deserving students to become part of the TCU experience and campus culture. These scholarships attract highly motivated students with the potential to grow into global leaders with excellence, perspective and integrity to become a force for the greater good. Generosity like yours helps us develop our Horned Frogs into responsible world citizens who are ready to step up and take the lead, making a difference in the lives they touch.

WATCH THE RECAP VIDEO

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A Unique Thank You Giving back and paying it forward has a whole new meaning for Moses Contreras, a youth advocacy and educational studies major from Fort Worth.

Moses had a rough childhood. But, in 2011, Moses changed his life, and with his newfound faith, he became a new man. In order to improve his situation, he sought an education. That brought him first to Tarrant County College and now, TCU.

Moses Contreras | Psalms 86 | Pencil and oil pastel

Moses is a recipient of the Amanda Jean Beaty Memorial Scholarship and the Timothy Stephen Gideon Education Scholarship Fund, and every year, along with a sincere thank-you note, he draws his donors a flawless sketch of a horned frog. He volunteers as a youth leader at his church and at a camp ministry, which is the main reason he is here.

What brought you to TCU? The reason I decided to go to TCU is because I joined a youth camp ministry in 2015, and now I help serve youth who come from all over Texas. I did not want to start a new ministry and then just leave it. I prayed fervently to God for direction, and he opened the doors for me at TCU. Your art is impeccable. Do you plan on using your talents in the future?

Yes, I will use my talents in some way to help others. This coming semester, I will be in an art class called Special Problems, where I’ll learn art techniques that will help others in a therapy setting. Last spring, one of my classes was Psychology of Counseling, and one of my assignments was to create a family circle where I had to place people and places who influenced my life. At the end of the assignment, an idea came to my mind to express my testimony with art and display it all around my office. I could imagine some of my future patients being quiet and maybe scared to open up about their lives, so I want my artwork to serve as a way to connect and build trust and empathy with patients.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since arriving at TCU? I joined an honor society, Kappa Delta Pi, received an invitation to join the TCU Chapter of Mortar Board, and was accepted into both the McNair Scholars Program and the Accelerated Master’s in Curriculum Studies Program. Even though these accomplishments are true triumphs, my favorite achievement was in my first semester at TCU. My first semester was one of my toughest. One of my classes was a real challenge for me and was affecting all my other classes. I had three major assignments due in one day and I was only able to focus on the one for my most difficult class. My life was turning into a mess. I was studying with little to no sleep, and I had stopped eating. When the day came to turn in all of my assignments, I had barely set aside any time to study for another test. I could not function during the test because of my lack of sleep and lack of food in my system. I ended up getting a 61 on my test. My heart sank -- it was my first D on any assignment.

I began to have a mental breakdown, and I wanted to give up. Even though I had hit rock bottom, I told myself, “No, I am not going to stay on the floor! Get up!” I knew that I needed help. I talked to many professionals, and they helped me see that I needed to drop a class, and that asking for help is okay.

I did drop a class, and at the end of the semester, I finished with straight As. I am so proud of the A in the class where I received a D on my exam because the effort and hard work behind the grade will always remind me that I can turn things around, even when things in life come crashing down on me.

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Chancellor’s Council Dinner What once seemed wildly beyond TCU’s grasp has become reality because of the investments of alumni and friends like those in the Chancellor’s Council. Nearly 300 guests attended the annual Chancellor’s Council Dinner co-chaired by Paula and Ron Parker on March 20. The event featured the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences. Professors Dr. Carol Howe and Dr. Michelle Kimzey spoke about health literacy and treating dementia, and senior nursing major Kayla Pair shared her TCU nursing experience and how she is ready to take on the world after graduation.

This year we celebrated donors in the Chancellor’s Council and those who reached a new Clark Society lifetime giving recognition level. This level of support reflects a remarkable commitment by our donors to the people and programs at TCU and our vision to be a world-class, values-centered university. Your generosity ensures that Horned Frog graduates will succeed and TCU’s future will be bright!

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MORE PICTURES

WATCH THE RECAP VIDEO

Endowed Chairs and Professorships Dinner The Endowed Chairs and Professorships Dinner is held each year to celebrate endowed faculty positions -- the scholarly excellence of those who hold the more than 60 endowed chairs and professorships at TCU -- and the generous and visionary donors who created these positions.

Held February 19, this year’s dinner highlighted the newly established TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine and featured a performance by the TCU Concert Chorale. Dr. Minakshi Trivedi was named the new J. Vaughn and Evelyne H. Wilson Professor in Business, and TCU honored the establishment of the Teresa Ann Carter King Dean of the College of Fine Arts and the John M. Geesbreght M.D., M.S. FACEP Chair of Emergency Medicine.

We were saddened by Dr. John Geesbreght’s passing in early August and are grateful we were able to celebrate the newly-established chair and the inaugural Geesbreght recipient with him and his family at this event.

TCU’s endowed chairs and professors challenge our students and invest in their personal growth. They forge connections that have been and will continue to be at the center of the TCU experience. The donors who generously endow these positions can be confident that they are ensuring academic excellence in teaching and research today, and their gift will continue to benefit TCU and its students in perpetuity.

MORE PICTURES

WATCH THE RECAP VIDEO

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Matt Madderra: The Road After College Matt Madderra ’07, Clark Society Board Member, is an information technology professional originally from New Orleans.

Currently, Matt is the web solutions manager at Mouser Electronics, which specializes in the global distribution of semiconductors and electronic components, and in 2018 he received the President’s North America Top Performance Award for the company.

Matt is a self-proclaimed tech geek, an avid moviegoer and travel enthusiast. Matt shares his journey after college and how TCU has played an important part in his success.

Tell us about your journey after college, and how TCU prepared you for it.

While I think TCU (or any college or university) can prepare you for the “real world” and help you find where your passion and strengths lie, landing that perfect job is a rare feat. In my case, I was able to leverage my senior year computer science capstone project to discover I had a passion for the business analysis side of software development, a field I did not know even existed previously. I was able to graduate from TCU and get a position in software development for a luxury goods retailer.

In late 2007 and early 2008, that was not the industry to be in with the recession looming. Fast forward a bit, instead of my first few years of employment after college being the amazing experience I had hoped for, it was marked with barely surviving rounds of layoffs, quarter after quarter of missing sales targets, and working in a stress-filled environment with a lot of uncertainty.

It was not until 2010 that I got a break. I was told about an opportunity at a company that was doing extremely well and poised for further growth. The problem was that I would have to leave the web software development world behind and switch to a very different kind of web-based role. In the end, it turned out to the best move for me. Now, nearly 10 years later, I have shifted back into web software development and have seen my career grow from being an individual contributor, to a team lead, to managing a team spread out over two continents.

If you could give one piece of advice to a TCU senior, what would it be?

Do not just look for opportunities to build up your résumé; look for opportunities to build up yourself.

You already know that awards and accolades may help you stand out, but your experiences are what define and develop you. Looking good on paper may get you in the door or at least an interview, but it’s your character and soft skills that make the person sitting across from you in an interview want to hire you, so be sure to invest in yourself.

Why do you choose to give back to TCU as a donor and as a Clark Society Board volunteer?

TCU was pivotal in getting me to where I am today. I treasure this university for helping me to find my passion and getting me going on the path that eventually led me to where I am. Had it not been for the support and mentorship of the Computer Science Department faculty, I think I would be in a very different place, or certainly in a very different career, than I am today. Recognizing this fact and seeing just how TCU shaped me and gave me a future I did not know was possible is why I choose to continue to give back to TCU. Helping this amazing university continue to provide life-changing opportunities along with top-rate academics and an amazingly fun culture for future students is both a rewarding and gratifying experience in itself.

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TCU Hires Three New Academic Leaders TCU Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg has appointed three new academic leaders across campus. These successful individuals will take the lead on engaging our students to be world-class leaders.

Daniel Pullin named Dean of TCU Neeley School of Business. As dean, Pullin’s primary responsibilities will encompass enhancing the profile of undergraduate and graduate programs to maintain the school’s upward trajectory. He will also help define and cultivate academic excellence among Neeley students and faculty, enhance the school’s diversity and inclusion initiatives in tandem with the university’s vision and strategic plans, and serve as a steward to both TCU and its business community partners.

Christopher Watts named Dean of Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences. As dean, Watts’ primary responsibilities will involve articulating a vision and strategic plan for enhancing academic programs and curriculum; serving as the leading advocate for faculty, staff and students; directing fiscal management; and growing research initiatives.

Floyd Wormley named Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies. As associate provost and dean, Wormley will work with academic deans and faculty to strengthen the infrastructure supporting research and creative activities as well as graduate programs across all disciplines at TCU. He will enhance our support of graduate students and our engagement of undergraduate researchers and magnify the impact of research and graduate programs on our mission of teaching and scholarship.

Cheers to our Newest Junior Clark Society Alumni Student Junior Clark Society members were welcomed to the young alumni Junior Clark Society with a special VIP reception prior to the annual Senior Toast. This reception gives us a chance to show our gratitude to students who generously give to the university and seize the opportunity to begin a legacy of giving.

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Save the Date

Clark Society at

FROGFEST

10.25.19 Join us as we celebrate the public launch of Lead On: A Campaign for TCU.

Contact Us CLARK SOCIETY clarksociety.tcu.edu

JUNIOR CLARK SOCIETY juniorclarksociety.tcu.edu

YOUR LIBRARY MEMBERSHIP library.tcu.edu/clark-society.asp

CLICK TO FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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TCU OFFICE OF DONOR RELATIONS Established in 1991, the TCU Donor Relations office serves as a link between TCU and its donors.

Questions and/or comments concerning stewardship, the Addison & Randolph Clark Society or any other TCU-related topic may be directed to the Donor Relations staff.

TCU Box 297045 Fort Worth, Texas 76129 817-257-7806 donorrelations@tcu.edu

The Clark Society Impact is an online publication of the TCU Addison & Randolph Clark Society and is distributed to all Clark and Junior Clark Society members twice each year.

Thank you for being a member by giving to TCU!